New to Mac: scrolling down a long page, it often suddenly skips way down
February 21, 2022 11:45 PM

This question feels idiotic but it's a minor thing that bugs me since I switched to a macbook air and I'd like to solve it.

Basically just what it says. If I'm scrolling down a long page, cursor over the scroll bar, index finger fully depress on the trackpad, swiping slowly down with my middle finger, the scroll bar cursor frequently lurches, making me have to scroll back up and look for where I was before the lurch. This did not happen on my old (Windows) laptop and I don't get why it's doing it. Help?
posted by less-of-course to Technology (5 answers total) 1 user marked this as a favorite
Two finger scrolling is where it is at, I extremely rarely use the scroll bar on my MacBook Pro. If it isn’t already enabled you can go into system preferences to enable it and many other awesome gestures….
posted by rambling wanderlust at 3:33 AM on February 22, 2022


Two finger scrolling is indeed the answer.

The skipping ahead can happen because you accidentally click on the scrollbar a little further than where you're at. Also, tapping the spacebar does this.
posted by Desertshore at 3:45 AM on February 22, 2022


What application(s) generate the behavior? In my 20+ years experience with Mac, the MS Office software is always intentionally awful, and the scrolling always sucks, no matter what.
posted by SaltySalticid at 6:38 AM on February 22, 2022


Does this happen on every web page or just specific sites? I notice a few sites (such as Reddit) that just don't scroll well with the Safari browser.

One symptom of a failing laptop battery is when battery starts swelling, and on macbooks this is sometimes first noticeable by the trackpad malfunctioning.
posted by soylent00FF00 at 7:08 AM on February 22, 2022


Ah, sweet mystery of Two Finger Scrolling at last I've found you! Thank you MeFi!
posted by less-of-course at 7:48 AM on February 22, 2022


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