Figma trackpad gestures.
Do not map the canvas. The useful Figma layout is the ring around it: edges, corners, and one deliberate tap.
Figma owns the canvas. Two-finger pan, pinch zoom, space-drag, and the trackpad’s precision are already tuned for design work. A layout that claims those gestures makes Figma feel worse, not better. The useful scene lives around the canvas: brightness for colour comparison, a screenshot corner, and the two menus you open all day.
What Figma already does well
- Two-finger scroll pans the canvas.
- Pinch zooms.
- Space-drag pans while a tool is active.
- Precise pointer movement for vector handles.
Leave all four alone.
A Figma scene around the canvas
- Left edge: Brightness. Comparing colours on the same display is the most common reason to reach for a key.
- Right edge: Volume, if you listen while you work.
- Top-left corner: Screenshot, for references and bug reports.
- Top-right corner: Mission Control, to jump between the file and the browser.
- Two-finger tap: Quick actions (Command-/), if you use Figma’s command menu.
- Bottom edge: Media scrub, only if music is part of the session.
Why per-app matters here
In Safari, the same pad might show new tab and close tab. In Figma, those actions are noise. A scene is how the same hardware behaves differently without relearning anything: the layout changes when the app changes.
Build it
Create a Figma scene, apply the Designer recipe for the screenshot and history baseline, then remove anything that duplicates a Figma shortcut. Keep the edges and two corners; delete the rest. The best Figma scene is the one you forget is running.
Make the trackpad do more than point.
TrackStudio maps edges, corners, areas, gestures, and haptics to the app in front of you. $5 once. No subscription, no account.
Start 3-day trialBuy — $5Questions
Does Figma support trackpad gestures?
Yes. Two-finger scroll pans, pinch zooms, and space-drag pans with a tool active. Those are core to the canvas and should be left alone.
Can I add a screenshot gesture for Figma?
Yes. A trackpad utility can map a corner to the macOS screenshot shortcut for the Figma scene only.
Why does my Figma canvas feel worse with a trackpad app?
Usually the app claims pan or zoom. Remove those mappings and keep the scene to the edges and corners.
Does the Figma scene affect Safari?
No. Scenes are per app; Safari keeps its own layout or the default scene.
Sources
App behaviour checked November 2026. Shortcuts and defaults change between releases; confirm in the app.