A Historical Shift in Apple's Technical Philosophy
Apple has long opposed the idea of adding touchscreens to Mac devices, rooted in a historical vision that began with Steve Jobs, who believed that vertical surfaces are not ideal for direct interaction due to arm fatigue. Until recently, company officials emphasized that Macs are specifically designed for "Indirect Input" operations via the trackpad and mouse, considering iPads to be the ideal platform for touch.
However, 2026 marked a radical shift in the company's direction, as it launched MacBook Pro devices equipped with PROLED XDR displays that support touch technology for the first time. This change comes in response to the expectations of a new generation of users accustomed to direct interaction with screens on their portable devices, imposing a new reality on the laptop user experience.
Steps to Disable the Touch Feature
Since touch may cause unintended gestures during professional work, Apple provides an option to disable it completely, either on the device itself or when using the Sidecar feature to turn an iPad into a secondary display. Follow these steps:
- Go to the Apple menu in the upper corner and choose System Settings.
- From the sidebar, select Accessibility.
- Under the Physical and Motor section, click on Touch.
- Toggle the switch next to Ignore Touch Gestures.
Once this option is enabled, macOS will ignore any touch inputs, and this setting will also apply automatically to the Sidecar feature, preventing any interference when using the iPad as a secondary screen.
Why This Change Matters to Users
Integrating touch into "Pro" devices presents a challenge in balancing the user experience; while touch adds flexibility, it can confuse users who rely on high precision via the trackpad. To solve this dilemma, Apple provides precise customization options rather than a complete shutdown, as users can adjust specific gestures (such as Mission Control or App Exposé) through the Touch Display settings.
The Accessibility menu also provides advanced options such as Touch Accommodations to adjust the screen's response to taps, and AssistiveTouch to provide alternative control methods, ensuring that the screen remains a helpful tool rather than a source of annoyance.
A Vital Feature for App Developers
Despite some users' desire to disable touch, this development remains essential for the developer community. By using Xcode's iOS Simulator, developers can now test their applications via direct screen touch, providing precision in testing gestures (such as swiping and pinching) that far exceeds simulating them via the trackpad, which accelerates the process of developing and testing iOS apps.