Volume, on the right
Slide up for louder, down for quieter. Double-tap the edge to mute.
The on-screen level shows where sound is going: MacBook speakers, headphones, a display, or muted.
Haptiker for Mac: four trackpad edge controlsFour edges. More control.
Adjust volume, display brightness and keyboard backlight. Switch apps from the bottom edge. All from your Mac trackpad.
No subscription. No account required.
What is Haptiker?
Haptiker is a macOS menu bar app that turns all four edges of your Mac trackpad into controls. Slide one finger up or down the right edge to change the volume, along the left edge to set display brightness, and sideways across the top edge to adjust the keyboard backlight. Double-tap the right edge to mute. Brightness follows the display under your cursor, including external monitors on Apple Silicon Macs. Enable app switching to flick between recent apps along the bottom edge, or double-tap it to browse the app switcher. Gesture guards keep normal use intact: a slide only counts when one finger starts on the edge and runs along it, so two-finger scrolls and mid-pad swipes are ignored.
Haptiker runs on macOS 12 or later, on Apple Silicon and Intel Macs, with a built-in Force Touch trackpad or a Magic Trackpad. It costs $4.99 once, with a 7-day free trial of every feature, no subscription and no account. One license works on up to 3 Macs.
Four edges. Everyday controls.
Brightness, on the left
Changes whichever screen your cursor is on.
Keyboard backlight, along the top
Slide sideways across the top edge to light the keys.
App switching, along the bottom
Flick between recent apps. Double-tap to browse them all. Turn it on in settings.
New releasev1.1
App switching
Switch apps from the bottom edge.
Flick along the bottom of your trackpad to jump back to the app you just left. Double-tap the edge to see all your apps and pick one. No ⌘-Tab, no hunting through the Dock. It's off by default, so turn it on in Haptiker's settings when you want it.
Flick for the last app
Flick right along the bottom edge for the previous app, left to go back. A small pill near the bottom of the screen shows where you landed.
Double-tap to browse
Double-tap the bottom edge to open the switcher. Scroll anywhere on the trackpad to pick an app, then pause to switch.
Recent apps first
Apps are listed in the order you last used them. The switcher keeps your pick centred, and a short haptic tick tells you you've hit the end.
External monitors
External monitor brightness, right on the trackpad.
Control your external display's brightness from your Mac's trackpad. Move the cursor onto the monitor and slide the left edge. Haptiker sets the level over DDC/CI, built right in. No extra apps, no command-line tools.
Follows your cursor
Brightness changes on the display the cursor is on, and the level shows on that screen. Each monitor keeps its own setting.
Native DDC/CI
Built in on Apple Silicon Macs. Haptiker talks to the monitor directly, the same way the buttons on the monitor do.
Volume through the display
Sound playing through the monitor's speakers? The right edge sets its volume, and the level shows a display icon.
Some monitors, adapters and docks don't support brightness over DDC/CI, and some monitor speakers have no adjustable volume. Haptiker's settings show how many external displays it can control. External monitor guide
It stays out of the way.
Edge gestures only fire when you mean them. Scrolling, dragging and pointing stay exactly as they were.
Starts on the edge
A finger that slides in from the middle is ignored.
One finger only
Two-finger scrolls are ignored, even at the edge.
Along the edge
The slide has to run along the edge, not across it.
Why pay when free edge apps exist?
Free, open-source apps such as Glisse and slidr-free also put volume and brightness on the trackpad edge. If that is all you need, they are worth a look. Here is what $4.99 gets you with Haptiker.
Compare Haptiker with the alternatives- Keyboard backlight on the top edge, alongside volume and brightness.
- Brightness follows the display under your cursor, built in or external (external monitors on Apple Silicon Macs).
- Double-tap an edge to mute, or to jump to a preset volume or brightness and back.
- An on-screen level that shows where sound is going: speakers, headphones, AirPods or a display.
- Automatic updates and email support from the people who make it.
- 7 days to try every feature before you pay anything.
Three steps to your first slide.
- 01
Download
Open the DMG and drag Haptiker to Applications.
Download Haptiker - 02
Allow Accessibility
Turn it on in System Settings so Haptiker can read trackpad touches.
- 03
Slide an edge
Slide the edge. Set the level.
Tune it from the menu bar.
Pick how wide the edges are, how far a slide travels before it engages, and which side does what. The zones light up on screen while you adjust them.
- Edge width
- Sensitivity
- Swap sides
- Bottom quarter only
- Double-tap actions
- Launch at login
Haptic ticks
The trackpad ticks as the level changes.
Frozen cursor
The pointer stays put while you adjust.
Fine control
Smaller steps for precise levels.
Live menu bar levels
Sound, display and keyboard light at a glance.
One-click pause
Turn gestures off from the menu bar.
Automatic updates
New versions arrive on their own.
Adjustable steps
Smooth, 1%, 5% or 10% per tick.
Hold Shift
Temporary fine control while you slide.
- New
Activation key
Gestures start only while fn or left ⌥ is held.
- New
Double-tap presets
Jump to mute, 25%, 50% or your own level, and back.
Permissions and privacy
What Haptiker can see, what it sends, and what this site tracks. Read the privacy policy
Why it needs Accessibility access
macOS only lets an app read trackpad touches once you allow it in System Settings › Privacy & Security › Accessibility. Haptiker uses that access to detect edge gestures. Touches are processed in memory on your Mac and never stored or sent.
What the app sends
Nothing about how you use it. The app has no analytics, tracking or ads. It only goes online to activate, check or deactivate a license key with Lemon Squeezy, and to check for updates.
What this website measures
haptiker.app uses a self-hosted instance of OpenPanel to count page views and clicks, such as Buy and Download. It isn't used for advertising and isn't sold or shared.
HAPTIKERLaunch price$7.99regular price
$4.99
One-time purchase. 7-day free trial.
Try free. Pay once.
Use every feature for 7 days. If it earns its place, buy it once for $4.99 and use it on up to 3 Macs. No subscription, no account.
- macOS 12 or later
- Apple Silicon and Intel
- Built-in and Magic Trackpad
Trial ended? Buy a license — $4.99
What's new
What changed in each release, and what's coming next. Updates install automatically.
- v1.1.5Oct 28, 2026
Sleep and wake crash fix
- Fixed a trackpad monitoring issue that could cause Haptiker to quit unexpectedly when the Mac wakes from sleep.
- v1.1.4Oct 27, 2026
Stability after sleep and crash reports
- Fixed Haptiker quitting unexpectedly or doubling volume and brightness steps after the Mac wakes from sleep.
- A Magic Trackpad connected while Haptiker is running now works right away, without a relaunch.
- If Haptiker quits unexpectedly, it offers to email the crash report on the next launch. You review the email before anything is sent.
- v1.1.3Oct 26, 2026
App icon fix
- Fixed the app icon not showing in Finder, Launchpad and the Applications folder.
- v1.1.2Oct 24, 2026
Activation key and double-tap presets
- Activation key (opt-in): gestures only start while fn or left ⌥ Option is held.
- Double-tap the volume edge to mute, or jump to 25%, 50% or a custom level and back.
- Double-tap the brightness edge to jump to max, min or a custom level and back.
- v1.1.1Oct 15, 2026
Fewer accidental edge gestures
- Edge slides now require at least 100 ms of contact as well as the existing minimum slide distance before activating, helping prevent accidental brushes.
- v1.1Oct 6, 2026
App switching and finer steps
- App switching on the bottom edge (opt-in): flick right for the previous app, left to go back.
- Double-tap the bottom edge to open the app switcher, then scroll anywhere on the trackpad to pick an app. It switches when you pause.
- The switcher lists apps in recently used order and slides to keep your pick centred, with a short haptic tick at the end of the list.
- A small pill near the bottom of the screen shows where each flick landed.
- Adjustable steps: Smooth, 1%, 5% or 10% per tick.
- Hold ⇧ Shift while sliding for temporary fine control.
- v1.0Sep 29, 2026
Initial release
- Three edge sliders: volume on the right, brightness on the left, keyboard light along the top.
- Brightness follows the screen under your cursor, including external monitors over DDC/CI on Apple Silicon Macs. No extra tools needed.
- On-screen level that shows where sound is going: speakers, headphones, AirPods or a display.
- Gesture guards: a slide has to start on the edge, use one finger and run along it.
- Edge width, sensitivity, swap sides, bottom quarter only, and an on-screen zone preview.
- Haptic ticks, fine control, frozen cursor while adjusting, double-tap to mute, double-tap brightness to max or min.
- Menu bar menu with live levels and a one-click pause.
- Launch at login.
- 7-day free trial. One license key activates up to 3 Macs.
- Automatic updates.
Questions before you buy
All questionsCan I try Haptiker before I buy?
Yes. Every feature works for 7 days with no account and no card. After that, a one-time purchase unlocks it for good.
How much does Haptiker cost?
$4.99 at the launch price (regular price $7.99), paid once. There is no subscription and no account.
How many Macs can I use one license on?
One license key activates up to 3 Macs. To move it to another Mac, deactivate it in Haptiker's License settings first.
What are the system requirements?
macOS 12 or later on an Apple Silicon or Intel Mac, with a built-in Force Touch trackpad or a Magic Trackpad. Launch at login needs macOS 13 or later.
Why does Haptiker need Accessibility access?
macOS requires it before an app can read trackpad touches. Haptiker uses it only to detect edge gestures. Touches are processed in memory on your Mac and are never stored or sent anywhere.
Will Haptiker get in the way when I scroll?
No. A gesture only starts when one finger lands on the edge and slides along it. Two-finger scrolls and normal pointing are ignored.
Can I control external monitor brightness from my MacBook trackpad?
Yes, on Apple Silicon Macs. Brightness follows the display under your cursor and is set over DDC/CI. Some monitors, adapters and docks don't support brightness control.
How do I change the keyboard backlight on a Mac without the F-keys?
With Haptiker, slide one finger sideways along the top edge of the trackpad. It works on Macs with a backlit keyboard.