MacBook Pro gets touchscreen for first time as Apple brings Touch to the Mac

Apple has brought Touch to the Mac for the first time with the new MacBook Pro, adding direct touchscreen controls to both the 14-inch and 16-inch models.

The feature was announced in Apple’s MacBook Pro launch announcement, marking a major change after years of Apple keeping touch input focused on iPhone and iPad rather than the Mac display.

Apple says the touch sensor is built directly into the PROLED XDR display panel rather than being layered on top. The company says this reduces latency and makes interactions feel more immediate.

Users can scroll through webpages, pinch to zoom in photos, drag and drop content between apps, double-tap windows to fill the screen, and flick windows into tiled positions. The keyboard and trackpad remain fully supported, with Apple positioning Touch as an additional input method rather than a replacement.

For creative work, Apple says designers can draw directly across the full display, musicians can play software instruments onscreen, and developers can test Touch behavior in iOS and iPadOS apps directly on the MacBook Pro.

Apple has also redesigned the hinge to improve stability while users interact with the display. During video calls, software-based stabilization can smooth the camera image when touching the screen causes movement.

Existing Mac apps can work with Touch because macOS can translate touches into clicks, while new gesture APIs give developers the option to build experiences designed specifically around touch input. Apple says apps including Notion, Canva, Zoom, Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Adobe Lightroom, DaVinci Resolve, Blender, Cinema 4D and djay Pro will support the new interaction model.

The new MacBook Pro is available to pre-order now and begins arriving on Friday, November 6.

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