Krish Shah, a Canadian developer, has turned the MacBook’s Force Touch trackpad into a digital scale, or an app called TrackWeight. It uses the trackpad’s pressure sensitivity to measure objects accurately up to 3.5kg.
You can turn your Mac trackpad into a weighing scale pic.twitter.com/KxbHrVfag3
— Krish Shah (@KrishRShah) July 21, 2025
Found on MacBook Pro models from 2015 and MacBook Air models from 2016 and later, the Force Touch trackpad does more than register clicks – it detects pressure intensity. Designed for gestures like firm-tap dictionary lookups, it now powers TrackWeight’s ability to calculate weight. Shah’s app converts this pressure data into measurements. Why does it feel like a native macOS app? TrackWeight was built with SwiftUI and the Combine framework, with the latter for smooth data flow.
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I tested the accuracy by putting my MacBook on top of a weighing scale and recording a video while adding pressure, then comparing frames.
You can see it’s pretty accurate! pic.twitter.com/etP8qlrGCh
— Krish Shah (@KrishRShah) July 21, 2025
How does it work? Simply place an object on the trackpad, making sure it stays within the boundaries for accurate readings. A finger must then be on the trackpad to activate the sensors during measurement. Metallic objects can interfere with the capacitive sensors, so Shah recommends placing a paper towel under them to avoid any errors.
TrackWeight is great for small objects, but has limitations. The trackpad’s pressure sensors are reliable with careful placement, but the small surface area means you can only weigh so much, and the finger-touch requirement can feel a bit awkward.
One thing to keep in mind is that the trackpad is built for regular use, not heavy loads. Shah’s 3.5kg limit is a safe cap, but exceeding it or applying uneven pressure can stress the glass or internal components. While Apple’s engineering is solid, users should avoid heavy or sharp objects that could scratch or crack the surface.
So if you want to try, TrackWeight is a big reward with little risk. Just don’t pile books on your MacBook Pro.
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