The 15 inch MacBook Air M4 has a Force Touch trackpad that clicks with a taptic engine and a backlit keyboard with Touch ID, and its input faults split into a trackpad that does not click, a keyboard that misses keys and a Mac that ignores both. The trackpad does not physically move, so a click that does nothing may be a setting: System Settings, Trackpad shows the click strength and Tap to click.
The checks in more detail
If the cursor is frozen but the Mac is awake, a software glitch is likely, and a restart clears it; for stubborn cases a shutdown, a thirty-second wait and a start resets the hardware controller on Apple silicon, which has no separate SMC reset. Check that Bluetooth accessories are not interfering: a nearby paired mouse can take control, and Mouse keys in Accessibility changes how the keys behave.
For keys that miss, clean the keyboard with short bursts of compressed air at an angle, and check Keyboard settings for Slow Keys and Sticky Keys, which delay or alter key presses. If a Touch ID key does not read, clean it. A MacBook whose trackpad has lifted slightly, or whose case bulges, may have a swollen battery and needs Apple service immediately. The Touch ID key doubles as the power button, and a long press performs the actions Apple describes, so a keyboard that seems dead may be waiting on a login window; a quick check is to press Caps Lock and watch its light. If the Mac's lid is closed to an external monitor and the keyboard seems dead, that is clamshell mode and expected.
Differential
Likely causes of “Apple MacBook Air 15-inch keyboard or trackpad is not working correctly”, and how to tell them apart
- 1
Trackpad settings changed
What separates it Clicks do nothing or are too light
How to confirm System Settings, Trackpad: adjust Click and Tap to click
- 2
A frozen cursor from a software glitch
What separates it The Mac is awake but ignores input
How to confirm Restart; if needed, shut down for thirty seconds
- 3
A Bluetooth mouse taking over
What separates it Odd behavior while one is paired
How to confirm Turn off Bluetooth to test
- 4
Accessibility features on
What separates it Keys repeat or lag
How to confirm Turn off Slow Keys and Sticky Keys
- 5
Dirt under keys
What separates it A key sticks or fails
How to confirm Clean with short bursts of air
Before you touch a setting
Record this first — changing settings destroys the evidence
- Whether the cursor is frozen or the Mac is
- Whether the problem is the trackpad or the keyboard
- Whether an accessory is paired
- Whether the case bulges
Try in this order
0 of 8 completedCheck the Trackpad settings
ReversibleSystem Settings, Trackpad.
Restart the Mac
ReversibleApple menu, Restart.
Shut down for thirty seconds
ReversibleThen start the Mac.
Turn off Bluetooth to test
ReversibleTo rule out an accessory.
Check Accessibility keyboard options
ReversibleSlow Keys and Sticky Keys.
Clean the keyboard
ReversibleShort bursts of air.
Press Caps Lock
ReversibleIts light shows whether the keyboard registers.
Check the lid and clamshell mode
ReversibleWith an external monitor, a closed lid is normal.
Model-specific
What is true of this model and not of its siblings
- Force Touch
- The click is a vibration, not a movement.
- Apple silicon
- There is no SMC reset; a shutdown does it.
- Touch ID
- The power key is also the Touch ID sensor.
- Clamshell
- A closed lid with an external monitor is by design.
Stop boundary
When this stops being a self-service repair
- !If neither input works after a shutdown, contact Apple Support
- !If the trackpad has lifted, stop using the Mac
- !If a Touch ID key fails, ask Apple
Evidence ledger
Sources behind this answer
Exact questions
Common questions
Why does my MacBook Air trackpad not click?+
A setting or a software glitch.
Does the trackpad move?+
No, it uses haptic feedback.
Is there an SMC reset?+
Not on Apple silicon; shut down and restart.
What if the case bulges?+
Contact Apple at once.
How do I test the keyboard quickly?+
Press Caps Lock.
Why is the keyboard dead with the lid closed?+
Clamshell mode.