Double-tap to activate slider
Two light taps on an edge, then slide. A palm resting on the trackpad while you type changes nothing.
Slide the edges.
Double-tap an edge of your Mac trackpad, then slide. Volume on the right, brightness on the left, keyboard backlight along the bottom.
Version 1.0 · macOS 14 Sonoma or later · Apple Silicon recommended
Try it: drag along an edge of the trackpad above.
Features
Everything happens on the trackpad you already have. No new gestures to learn beyond one double-tap.
Volume on the right
Slide up or down along the right edge. Uses the system volume with the native on-screen indicator.
Brightness on the left
Follows your pointer: the built-in display, or an external monitor over DDC when the pointer is on it.
Keyboard backlight
Slide left or right along the bottom edge. Handy on Apple Silicon MacBooks, which have no backlight keys.
Haptic feedback
A firm tick when an edge is armed, a light one for every step. You feel the change without looking.
Cursor stays put
From the double-tap until you lift your finger, the pointer does not move. No stray hovers, no lost place.
No accidental clicks
With tap-to-click on, the arming taps would click under the pointer. SideTrack swallows exactly those clicks.
Swap sides
Prefer volume on the left? One switch in the menu, and the widget follows.
Fine control
Quarter steps for precise volume and brightness, like ⇧⌥ with the function keys.
Option-only mode
Want zero surprises? Make the edges respond only while you hold ⌥ Option.
Menu bar
No Dock icon, no windows. One menu with a live widget and a handful of switches.
Light and dark themes
The menu, widget and level indicator follow your system appearance.
Everything in one menu.
The menu opens with a live widget: brightness of the display you are on, volume, and keyboard backlight, in the same colors as the edges.
FAQ
Why does SideTrack ask for Accessibility access?
To change volume and brightness it sends the same media-key events as your keyboard, and to keep the pointer still and ignore the arming taps it filters mouse events. macOS only allows both with Accessibility access. Nothing is recorded or sent anywhere.
Why double-tap first?
The edges of the trackpad are exactly where your palms rest while typing. Requiring two quick taps on the same edge means a resting or brushing palm never changes anything. If you prefer, you can switch the requirement off in the menu.
Does it work with my external monitor?
On Apple Silicon Macs, yes for most monitors that support DDC/CI (usually on by default, sometimes a switch in the monitor's own menu). Apple displays are supported through macOS directly. Brightness always applies to the display your pointer is on.
Why isn't it in the Mac App Store?
Reading the trackpad edges, driving the trackpad haptics and talking to external monitors all need system access that App Store apps are not allowed to have. That is why SideTrack is distributed directly, signed and notarized by Apple.
Which Macs are supported?
macOS 14 Sonoma or later, with a Force Touch trackpad for haptics. It is developed and tested on Apple Silicon MacBooks.
Is it really free?
Yes, with every feature.
How do I uninstall it?
Quit it from its menu and move SideTrack from Applications to the Trash. You can also remove it from System Settings → Privacy & Security → Accessibility.
What's new
1.0 November 2026
- Volume on the right edge, brightness on the left, keyboard backlight along the bottom.
- Double-tap to activate a slider, so a resting palm never triggers anything.
- Brightness follows the pointer, including external monitors over DDC.
- Haptics through the trackpad itself: firm when armed, light per step.
- Pointer stays put during a slide; arming taps never click.
- Menu bar widget with live levels, light and dark appearance.
SideTrack
Version 1.0
- All features included
- Free updates
- No network access: SideTrack never phones home
- Signed by a verified Apple Developer
macOS 14 Sonoma or later. External monitor brightness needs Apple Silicon and an external monitor.