Trackpad won't click anymore?
Skip the $450 repair — trade it in.
An out-of-warranty trackpad or Taptic-Engine repair runs $200–$450 — and if a swollen battery is what killed the click (the most common physical cause), the bill jumps past $500. Meanwhile the logic board, screen, and keyboard in your machine almost always still work perfectly. We quote from surviving parts value, so even a MacBook whose trackpad won't click earns real store credit.
What condition is it in?
Be honest — we pay for broken ones too.
Repair it or trade it? The math by model
| Device | Apple Repair / Trade-In | BackMarket / SellCell | LuxuriousComputers |
|---|---|---|---|
| MacBook Pro M2/M3 — trackpad won't click, cursor still moves | $250–$450 repair | $90–$160 | $380–$580 |
| MacBook Air M1/M2 — dead click or no haptic response | $200–$350 repair | $60–$120 | $210–$380 |
| MacBook Pro 2016–2019 — click stuck, stiff, or unresponsive | $300+ repair | $20–$70 | $90–$200 |
| Any MacBook — click died after the pad started bulging | $400+ top-case + battery | $0–$40 | $70–$320 |
Values shown in store credit toward any purchase. Cash equivalent available where noted.
Click stiff, dead, or firing on its own? Check the battery first.
- ✕The "click" isn't mechanical — it's a Taptic Engine. Since 2015, Force Touch trackpads don't physically depress; a haptic motor fakes the click. So when the click dies, it's an electronics or pressure fault, not a worn-out hinge.
- ✕A swelling battery sits right under the pad. The most common physical cause of a dead or stiff click is a battery beginning to swell and pressing up on the trackpad assembly. If the pad also feels raised, the lid won\'t close flat, or the click is stuck down — stop charging the machine.
- ✓If tracking still works, that's the best case. A cursor that moves but won\'t click means the sensors and cable are fine — an isolated, bounded fault that earns the highest quote.
- ✓The rest of the machine still counts. A dead click rarely touches the logic board or screen — the two most valuable parts — so even a no-click MacBook keeps most of its parts value. We discharge and recycle swollen batteries safely.
How it works
Tell us how the click fails
Use the trade-in calculator, text Rick a short clip at (740) 223-5530, or walk in. Dead click, stiff click, click-by-itself, or no haptic "thunk" at all — every failure mode still quotes.
Full bench check
A click that won't register rarely means a broken Mac. We test the logic board, screen, battery, and keyboard separately — and we check whether a swelling battery is quietly killing the click from underneath.
Ship free or walk in
Prepaid label if you're outside Marion, or walk in to 731 E Center St #200, Tue–Sat 10am–7pm. Free return shipping if the bench quote doesn't match.
Same-day store credit
Credit applies instantly toward any Mac in the shop. Most people trade a no-click MacBook toward a working M1 or M2 and click again the same day.
Why a trackpad that won't click doesn't kill your MacBook's value
The click is one bounded part. The Taptic Engine, force sensors, and flex cable that produce the click are a self-contained assembly — when it fails, the logic board, the most valuable component, almost always survives untouched. A no-click M1 Pro still carries most of its board value.
"Tap to Click" proves the failure is isolated. Turn on Tap to Click in System Settings and the Mac is fully usable — which tells us the pad surface and tracking sensors are healthy and only the click hardware is at fault. That's the best-case scenario and earns the highest quote.
Screens and keyboards hold value independently. A clean Retina panel runs $250–$450 as a part, and a working keyboard top case adds real money — neither cares whether your trackpad clicks.
Phantom clicks and stiff clicks price the same. A pad that clicks by itself, feels stiff, or registers intermittently is the same bounded assembly fault as a fully dead click — frequently an early swollen-battery warning. We price around it either way.
Related sell options
Frequently asked questions
Do you buy MacBooks where the trackpad won't click?
Yes — a trackpad that won't click is a routine trade-in. The logic board, screen, keyboard, and battery almost always still work, so the machine keeps most of its parts value even when the click is completely dead. Bring it in or ship it free.
Why won't my MacBook trackpad click anymore?
Since 2015, MacBook trackpads don't physically click — the "click" is haptic feedback generated by a Taptic Engine vibrating under the glass. So a pad that stops clicking is usually a Taptic Engine, force-sensor, or flex-cable fault rather than mechanical wear. The single most common physical cause, though, is a swelling battery pressing up on the assembly from below and jamming the sensors. Either way it's a bounded repair, and we price around it.
How much is a MacBook with a non-clicking trackpad worth?
It depends on the model and what else works. An M2 or M3 Pro that won't click but still moves the cursor earns $380–$580 in store credit. An M1/M2 Air with a dead click earns $210–$380. Intel-era machines (2016–2019) earn $90–$200 depending on screen and board condition. Use the calculator above for your exact model.
The cursor still moves but I can't click — is that fixable?
Often, yes, and it tells us the failure is isolated. If tracking works but the click is dead, the pad sensors and cable are fine and the issue is usually the Taptic Engine or its connector — a clean, bounded fault. You can keep using the Mac with an external mouse or by turning on "Tap to Click" in System Settings as a stopgap. That working-everything-else condition earns the highest quote if you decide to trade it.
My trackpad started clicking on its own or feels stiff. Is that the same thing?
It's the same family of failure. Phantom self-clicks, a stiff or "stuck-down" feel, and a click that registers intermittently are all early trackpad assembly faults — frequently the first sign of a battery beginning to swell underneath. It quotes the same as a fully dead click. If a stiff or bulging pad is involved, mention it so the bench check looks at the battery.
How much does Apple charge to fix a MacBook trackpad that won't click?
A trackpad or Taptic-assembly replacement runs $200–$450 out of warranty depending on model. But if a swollen battery is the cause — the most common reason a click dies — Apple replaces the battery and often the entire top case too, pushing the bill past $400–$500. On a machine more than a few years old, that repair frequently costs more than the Mac is worth.
Will Apple trade in a MacBook with a broken click?
Apple's trade-in inspection slashes the quote hard for any functional defect — a non-clicking trackpad typically drops their offer to a fraction of working value, or to zero on older models. We quote from surviving parts value instead, so the screen, board, keyboard, and battery still count toward your credit.
Could a swollen battery be why my trackpad stopped clicking?
Very likely. On every modern MacBook the battery cells sit directly under the trackpad, so a swelling battery presses up on the assembly and is the number-one physical cause of a dead or stiff click. If the pad also bulges, lifts, or the lid won't close flat, stop charging the machine and bring it in soon — a swollen lithium battery is a safety issue, but caught early the Mac keeps most of its parts value.
Don't put $450 into a click. Put it toward a better Mac.
Walk in Tue–Sat 10am–7pm at 731 E Center St #200, Marion OH — or use the calculator to get a number right now.