Learn how to disable iPad trackpad inertia to have the onscreen pointer stop moving immediately after you lift your finger from the trackpad.
With a supported Multi-Touch trackpad like Apple’s own Magic Trackpad connected to your iPad, you’ll notice the onscreen pointer continues moving for a fraction of a second after you lift the finger from the trackpad before gradually coming to a stop. This is called trackpad inertia, but not everyone is a fan of it. If you belong to that camp, here’s how to turn it off with just a few clicks.
Disable iPad trackpad inertia
- Open the Settings app on your iPad and go to Accessibility.
- Select Pointer Control under the Accessories heading.
- Toggle off Trackpad Inertia to disable this feature.
Note: You may not see the Pointer Control option (step 2 above) if your mouse or trackpad has disconnected from your iPad. To bring it back, connect the mouse or trackpad to your iPad and force quit the Settings app. After that, go to Settings > Accessibility.
With iPad inertial scrolling off, the pointer immediately stops moving when you lift the finger from the trackpad rather than coming to a gradual stop (which, again, is the default setting).
To re-enable inertial scrolling, simply toggle the option on.
About iPad trackpad inertia
Trackpad inertia is not the same feature as inertial scrolling.
Inertial scrolling was popularized and mainstreamed by the iPhone when ex-Apple designer Bas Ording came up with the rubber band effect, which made a touchscreen seem plausible.
When you scroll something like a webpage or a document outside screen boundaries, that content snaps back to its correct position immediately after letting go of the finger. They’re calling this the rubber band effect for a reason — it makes scrolling feel elastic and responsive.
Robust mouse and trackpad support in iPadOS also features trackpad inertia on iPad. Not to be confused with inertial scrolling, this makes the pointer continue moving briefly after the user lifts their finger from the trackpad before coming to a gradual stop.
Unlike rubber band scrolling, which cannot be disabled at will, trackpad inertia can be toggled off at any time in your pointer control settings.
Also, check out: How to disable inertial scrolling on your Mac