Your MacBook Trackpad Can Now Weigh Stuff: Here’s How
Can you imagine your MacBook as a weighing machine? This app will simply turn it into the one to help get an estimated weight of any stuff. Know the details.
Published By: Divya
Published: Jul 24, 2025, 12:29 PM (IST)
Your MacBook surely has a bunch of exciting and hidden tricks that you may not have witnessed yet. Every time, it surprises with something new. Another interesting trick is that it can work as a weighing machine too! If you ever find yourself without a weighing scale but have a MacBook nearby, you might be in luck, after trying out this trick!
A new app called TrackWeight turns your MacBook's trackpad into a mini digital scale. This app really uses the Force Touch sensors on the trackpad to measure the weight of small objects, a post on X by Canadian maker and blogger Krish Shah.
How Does It Work?
You must be wondering, how does it work? The magic behind this idea lies in Apple's Force Touch technology, which can detect how hard you press on the trackpad. It is suggested that the app taps into that pressure data and converts it into a rough weight reading using a library called Open Multi-Touch Support.
However, there's a small catch. For the reading to work, your finger needs to touch the trackpad at the same time as the object. That's because the sensors only kick in when they detect something conductive like your skin. So, you need to keep your finger on the pad lightly while placing the object.
Also, the app doesn't like metal very much. If you're weighing something metallic, place a bit of paper or cloth under it so it doesn't confuse the sensors, the post suggested.
What Can You Weigh?
Let's be honest, you won't be using this to weigh your luggage before a flight or check your pet's weight! But for small items, like fruits, gadgets, or everyday objects, it gives a surprisingly close estimate, the claim suggested. In fact, the developer says he tested it with objects up to 3.5kg. Still, if you just want a general idea of something's weight without looking for a scale, it does the job.
Another thing to note here is that the TrackWeight app works on MacBooks with Force Touch trackpads, which includes models from 2015 (Pro) or 2016 onwards. You'll also need to be running macOS 13 or newer and disable something called App Sandbox to give the app access to pressure data. Also, keep in mind that it's an experimental app.
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