The edges of your trackpad, as controls.
Slide the right edge for volume and the left edge for brightness. Swipe the bottom edge to change tracks. Double tap a corner to mute.
Right edge. Slide up or down along the right edge to change the volume.
How it works
Rest, slide, done.
Rest a finger on an edge
Any of the four edges. The middle of the pad stays a normal trackpad.
Slide along it
Up and down on the sides, left and right along the bottom. The pointer holds still while you slide.
Feel it and see it
A tick under your finger for each step, and the level at the top of the screen.
Four edges, four corners
Eight controls on the trackpad you already own.
Put any control on any edge or corner. Want brightness on the right? Pick it in Settings.
Your trackpad had four idle edges. Now they set the volume, the brightness and the next song.
Made to feel built in
Feels like it came with your Mac.
A tick for every step.
The trackpad taps back under your finger as the level moves, so you feel the change without looking. Choose light, medium or strong.
The level, on screen.
A glass display at the top of the screen, made to match the one your keyboard keys show. Turn it off if you only want the feel.
The pointer stays put.
While you slide, the cursor holds still and hides, so it is right where you left it.
Fine steps with Option.
Hold Option while you slide and the level moves in quarter steps, for quiet volume at night.
Stays out of your way.
A slide starts only when your finger travels along the edge. Pointing, clicking and swipes across the pad work as before.
Tuned to your hands.
Set the slide speed, and how wide the edges are: narrow, medium or wide.
Lives in the menu bar.
No Dock icon. Pause every edge from the menu bar when you need the whole pad.
Ready when you log in.
Padrail starts with your Mac, so the edges are always there. Switch it off in Settings.
Settings
Set it once. See your fingers live.
Click any edge or corner on the drawing to change what it does. Touch your trackpad and the drawing shows your fingers as they move.
In development
More on the rails, soon.
Being built now. Each one ships as an update to Padrail.
External monitor brightness
Slide the left edge to dim a third party monitor too, not only Apple displays.
Edges that follow the app
Scrub a video in your player, switch tabs in your browser, zoom in a design app. The edge changes with the app in front.
Keyboard backlight
Slide the top edge to make the keys brighter or dimmer.
Corner actions
Double tap a corner for Mission Control, a screenshot, Lock Screen or any of your Shortcuts.
Magic Trackpad
The same edges, haptics included, on Apple's external trackpad.
Active area
Let slides start only on the lower part of an edge, away from where your thumbs rest.
Why Padrail asks for Accessibility.
macOS needs your permission before an app can hold the pointer still or send the play, pause and track keys. Padrail asks once, on first launch, and explains each step. You can turn it off in System Settings at any time.
Pricing
Pay once. Keep it.
Questions
Which Macs does Padrail work on?
MacBooks with a built in trackpad, running macOS 13 Ventura or later. Magic Trackpad support is in development.
Will it get in the way when I use the trackpad normally?
A slide only starts when your finger moves along an edge, not across it, so pointing and clicking near the edges work as before. If you still trigger it by accident, make the edges narrower in Settings.
Can I change what each edge and corner does?
Yes. Each edge can control volume, brightness or tracks, or do nothing. Each corner can mute, or play and pause, or do nothing. Click the edge on the drawing in Settings and pick one.
Can I turn it off for a while?
Yes. Pause Padrail from the menu bar and the whole trackpad works as usual until you turn it back on.
Does it change the brightness of an external monitor?
Not yet. Brightness works on built in and Apple displays today. Third party monitors are in development.
Why does it need Accessibility access?
macOS asks for it before an app can hold the pointer still during a slide or send the play, pause and track keys. Without it, those parts of Padrail cannot work.
Is this a subscription?
No. You pay $29 once.