1 button of the macbook pro keyboard does not work well. What to do if some keys on your MacBook don't work. Why the input panel doesn't work

11.10.2023

Reading time: 6 min

In this article, let's look at the main reasons why the keyboard or individual keys do not work on your MacBook, and also see what can be done in this or that situation.

This article is suitable for all MacBook Pro and Air models released in different years. There may be some differences in the architecture or description of the Mac OS version.

Mechanical causes of keyboard failure on a MacBook

If the buttons on the keyboard do not respond to pressing or give unexpected results, then you need to stop pressing them. Often, users press the keys with force, wanting to correct the situation. Such an approach will only harm the device.

Dust accumulation

No matter how often you clean your home, dust will still collect under the keys. Over time it becomes a lot. This amount of dust is enough to block signal transmission, and the buttons respond only occasionally or completely stop responding to presses.

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Liquid ingress

If even a little liquid is spilled, this will be enough to cause a short circuit. If there is no short circuit, then over time the moisture will turn into condensation and will oxidize the contacts. As a result, the signal will not be able to pass through.

The gadget was knocked or dropped

During physical shaking, the contacts may move away and the keys will not work. The buttons can simply wear out from frequent use.

In this situation, you can restore the keys, but often it is necessary to replace the entire panel. It is better to perform a partial keyboard repair than to completely replace the panel, but this does not guarantee that repair will not be required again in the near future.

Software glitches and incorrect configuration

The touchpad and keyboard settings may change, so you should check them again. To do this, go to the “System Preferences” section by clicking on the “Apple” logo in the upper left corner.

If the settings are set correctly, then check if the MacBook is charged. When the battery percentage is low, the keyboard will not respond. To solve the problem, connect the charger to the MacBook.

In the "Accessibility" menu, in the "Keyboard" section, you need to uncheck the box next to "Slow buttons." If the line is active, then when you press the button the reaction will take longer.

In the “Mouse” tab, you need to disable “Mouse Keys”. This function controls the arrows in the numeric area of the keyboard.

The spacebar does not work and problems with the Butterfly pressing mechanism

Apple reinvented the keyboard in 2015. To save space and create a thinner laptop, a new key pressing mechanism was used, which was called the “butterfly”. In theory, using this mechanism, it was planned to reduce the distance between the device body and the keys, and to avoid typos when typing.

In reality, butterflying often results in broken and stuck buttons. The screenshot below shows the difference between a traditional scissor mechanism and a butterfly mechanism.

Increase

The butterfly causes keys to stick due to dust. When developing this mechanism, they tried to make it better than “scissors” in order to protect it as much as possible from dust. Dust can get into even the tiniest crevices. No matter how beautiful the mechanism is, dust will still be able to get under the key.

There are no problems with the scissor mechanism; you can get rid of dust if you vacuum the keyboard well. In a butterfly situation, such actions do not always work. The distance between the laptop body and the keys is so small that vacuuming the keyboard is almost useless.

The spacebar is where things are worst. In the MacBook, the space bar is made especially fragile; it is almost impossible to remove the key painlessly and return it back. Either the butterfly mechanism or the button itself can break.

Users turn to official Apple service centers for help. If repair is possible, then the company completely changes the keyboard because of one button.

Fixing a stuck key

To repair stuck keys at home, you need to use a directed stream of air. Simply blowing will not help here, so you should use a can of compressed air.

Increase

Before cleaning, you need to remember these rules:

The end of the tube should be kept no closer than 2 cm from the device.
Always use the special tube that comes with the compressed air canister. Using it you can control the air flow.
It is necessary to release a test stream of air to the side before pointing the can with the tube at the laptop. This will protect the device if liquid gets into the tube or it becomes clogged.
Never turn a can of compressed air upside down.
Try not to change the air flow during cleaning.

The cleaning process works like this:

Open the laptop and place the keyboard at an angle of 75 degrees.
We evenly draw a can along the keyboard with a tube attached from left to right.
Turn the keyboard to the left. It should be in an upright position.
We place the keyboard at an angle of 75 degrees.
Again, draw the spray can evenly along the keyboard from left to right.
Finally, turn the keyboard to the right.
We blow the keyboard with a spray can in a smooth movement from left to right.

Create a new user account on the MacBook

First, we find out whether the problem affects the entire laptop or just one account. To do this, create an account for one more user:

Go to “System Settings”.
Select "Users and groups".
Click on the “+” icon under the list of users.
Select the type of account to create.
Enter your username and password.
Click “Create user”.

Resetting SMC and PRAM

Resetting the SMC controller and PRAM memory on a MacBook is a radical and common method for solving various problems.

Checking the “Speak selected text when pressing a key” function

This feature allows the laptop to read selected text aloud when the user presses a specific key on the keyboard. You may have accidentally enabled this function, and one of the keys has lost its original meaning.

Fair, not overpriced and not underestimated. There should be prices on the Service website. Necessarily! without asterisks, clear and detailed, where technically possible - as accurate and concise as possible.

If spare parts are available, up to 85% of complex repairs can be completed in 1-2 days. Modular repairs require much less time. The website shows the approximate duration of any repair.

Warranty and responsibility

A guarantee must be given for any repairs. Everything is described on the website and in the documents. The guarantee is self-confidence and respect for you. A 3-6 month warranty is good and sufficient. It is needed to check quality and hidden defects that cannot be detected immediately. You see honest and realistic terms (not 3 years), you can be sure that they will help you.

Half the success in Apple repair is the quality and reliability of spare parts, so a good service works directly with suppliers, there are always several reliable channels and your own warehouse with proven spare parts for current models, so you don’t have to waste extra time.

Free diagnostics

This is very important and has already become a rule of good manners for the service center. Diagnostics is the most difficult and important part of the repair, but you don't have to pay a penny for it, even if you don't repair the device based on its results.

Service repairs and delivery

A good service values your time, so it offers free delivery. And for the same reason, repairs are carried out only in the workshop of a service center: they can be done correctly and according to technology only in a prepared place.

Convenient schedule

If the Service works for you, and not for itself, then it is always open! absolutely. The schedule should be convenient to fit in before and after work. Good service works on weekends and holidays. We are waiting for you and working on your devices every day: 9:00 - 21:00

The reputation of professionals consists of several points

Company age and experience

Reliable and experienced service has been known for a long time.
If a company has been on the market for many years and has managed to establish itself as an expert, people turn to it, write about it, and recommend it. We know what we are talking about, since 98% of incoming devices in the service center are restored.
Other service centers trust us and refer complex cases to us.

How many masters in areas

If there are always several engineers waiting for you for each type of equipment, you can be sure:
1. there will be no queue (or it will be minimal) - your device will be taken care of right away.
2. you give your Macbook for repair to an expert in the field of Mac repairs. He knows all the secrets of these devices

Technical literacy

If you ask a question, a specialist should answer it as accurately as possible.
So that you can imagine what exactly you need.
They will try to solve the problem. In most cases, from the description you can understand what happened and how to fix the problem.

Before we start describing the situations, I would like to talk about the keyboard itself. Its features. Important and not so important. Before you want to disassemble the MacBook, you should know that the keyboard is tightly screwed not only around the perimeter, but also riveted directly into the aluminum TopCase, which reduces independent attempts to replace the keyboard to nothing.

Another feature lies in the difference in layout for the EU and USA markets. The Entre keys have a different shape.

Root causes of failure or why the keyboard does not work on a MacBook.

It happens that the keyboard on a MacBook does not work entirely, one button cannot be pressed or there is no keyboard backlight. Don't press hard on the keys in hopes that it will help. We will look at several of the main culprits and their solution. We will divide them into software ones, which you can try to eliminate yourself, and into physical ones, which cannot be eliminated without the help of an experienced technician.

Problems of a mechanical nature cannot be fixed on your own, because you will need to disassemble the laptop and remove or replace the entire keyboard! In the new MacBook Retina models, the keyboard is attached to the TopCase with rivets and simply cannot be unscrewed.

Mechanical malfunctions of the MacBook keyboard.

The keyboard gets wet.

The hit parade opens with the most common situation encountered in the service center and is the answer in 90% of cases why the Mac keyboard does not work. Place a glass of tea, juice, beer or just water between your hands in front of the touchpad and quickly reach out to write something.

A moment and the contents of the mug are already on the keyboard. A drop is enough to cause a short circuit. If there was no short circuit or you managed to turn off the MacBook and clean it, the remaining liquid inside the case will evaporate, leaving condensation that oxidizes the contacts on the board or the keyboard substrate itself. Is the keyboard or buttons not working on your MacBook, or are they clicking and sticking because of sugar? A damp cloth or throwing it into a bag of rice is not enough. If the keyboard on your MacBook isn't working, you'll need to replace it. The sooner you arrive, the cheaper the repair will be.

Since water on the MacBook keyboard is a very common occurrence, here is a 100% precaution. - If liquid gets on the keyboard, immediately turn off your MacBook and turn off the power.

Wipe with a dry cloth and without turning it on, quickly take it to the service center for cleaning! It is impossible to repair or clean a Mac after water gets on the keyboard on your own, no matter how much it backfires!

A fall from a height or a blow (with a fist/foot).

Locks on the connector unfasten and the keyboard cable is disconnected, from simple vibration and carrying the MacBook in a bag, what can we say about a fall or shock? Fastening the buttons - the “butterfly” wears out and as a result the keys stop being pressed. Partial repairs and replacement of individual keys are the least of the troubles that happen. The solution is simple: disassemble the MacBook and connect the cable back.

If the buttons are torn off the keyboard, they are rarely sold separately and to replace them, you will need a “dead donor”. You can’t handle this on your own; when disassembling the Mac, you will damage the touchpad cables and elements of the motherboard. If the keyboard on your MacBook doesn't work, don't experiment, save your time, nerves and finances. By reporting the problem right away, it is possible to eliminate it in the first stages, avoiding a worsening of the situation and higher cost of repairs.

Dust and dirt.

Unless you live in a sterile lab, dust, dirt, and hair get trapped under the keys and end up inside the keyboard. You can’t get them with a vacuum cleaner, because the gap between the button and the body is too small and after a period of time, the mass of dirt becomes critical and begins to interfere with the transmission of the signal from the contact substrate. Buttons stop responding completely or are pressed only once.

Incorrect configuration and software failures.

If there was no physical damage, then the reason why the keyboard does not work on the MacBook Pro should be sought in the software component. The keyboard and touchpad settings have probably changed and should be checked again. Go to the “system settings” menu by clicking on the “Apple” logo in the upper left corner.

If everything is fine with the settings, check if your MacBook is charged. If the charge percentage is low, the keyboard will not respond. Connect the charger to your MacBook.

In the “universal access” section, in the “keyboard” item, you need to uncheck the “slow buttons” checkbox. If the checkbox is active, then the reaction of pressing the buttons will take longer.

In the “Mouse” section, you need to disable “Mouse Keys”. This feature controls the numeric area of the keyboard like the arrow keys.

If all this does not help, then the problem is non-software.

Service "PlanetIPhone".

As a result, we found out that there are many reasons why the keyboard on a MacBook does not work and the solutions are also different. You can spend an evening or a week or two trying to eliminate them on your own, or you can do it much easier and immediately seek help from professionals.

If the keyboard does not work on your MacBook Pro or MacBook Air, come to any of the Planet locations to avoid wasted replacements and wasted money. A simple cleaning may be required, but an accurate diagnosis will be given only after a complete free computer diagnosis.

You will need to disassemble the laptop and take out its insides. Such an operation will require professional equipment and experience. On new models starting with Retina, the keyboard is tightly screwed to the TopCase and cannot be easily unscrewed, so there is no question of solving the problem on your own. By contacting us, you receive:

- Free diagnostics, even if you want to postpone repairs until later.

- Original spare parts included in the price.

- Warranty for replacement and repair, up to 6 months.

- Professional tools and equipment.

- Departure of a specialist to the capital - Free of charge.

- Delivery of the MacBook from you, to the service and back - Free of charge.

Leave a request on the website and receive a 7% discount.

If you haven’t found the information you’re interested in about why the keyboard doesn’t work on a MacBook, call one or more, or better yet, come right away! We will promptly help you with any question.

If spare parts are available, up to 85% of complex repairs can be completed in 1-2 days. Modular repairs require much less time. The website shows the approximate duration of any repair.

Warranty and responsibility

Free diagnostics

Service repairs and delivery

Convenient schedule

The reputation of professionals consists of several points

Company age and experience

How many masters in areas

Technical literacy

A computer is not an ideal thing. Its parts can break, which they do regularly. When your computer suddenly stops working as expected, everything goes wrong. Unfortunately, the MacBook doesn't last forever either. Users constantly complain about either a broken trackpad or poor performance when running on battery power, but the most common complaint lately has been about problems with the keyboard.

A poorly functioning battery is not so bad, because the device can be connected to the network. If the trackpad is not working, you can simply use the mouse. But what about a non-working keyboard? Run to the nearest store for Bluetooth peripherals? Don't rush to grab your wallet. It is possible that you will be able to fix the problem yourself, so read the article to the end.

Many users consider laptops produced by Apple to be reference devices. However, even an ideal can have its flaws. If you've ever noticed a problem with pressing the spacebar on your new MacBook (Air, Pro) or lack of response when pressing some letter keys, then you are not alone.

Scissor and butterfly keypress mechanisms

In 2015, Apple reinvented the keyboard (or at least it thinks so). We're not talking about a revolutionary row of keys or an innovative input method. In order to save space and make the laptop even thinner, the Cupertino team began to use a new keypress mechanism, called the “butterfly”. Theoretically, this mechanism was supposed to reduce the distance between the keys and the body of the device and protect against typos when typing. In practice, the “butterfly” often leads to stuck and non-functional buttons.

In this image you can see the difference between a butterfly mechanism and a traditional scissor mechanism.

Spacebar does not work and other problems with the butterfly mechanism

Why does the “butterfly” cause keys to stick? The answer is simple - it's all about the dust. When developing the “butterfly” mechanism, the Cupertino team tried to make it better than “scissors” and protect it as much as possible from dust. The idea is not bad, you will agree, but again in theory. Dust is dust, it can penetrate even the tiniest cracks. No matter how beautiful the mechanism is, dust will still be able to get under the key.

In this case, there are no problems with the “scissors” mechanism - you can get rid of dust by thoroughly vacuuming the keyboard. However, with a “butterfly” this trick will not always work. The distance between the keys and the laptop body is so small that vacuuming the keyboard is almost useless.

The worst situation is with the key Space. If you have a steady hand, the eye of an eagle, and unwavering determination, you can remove the other keys and clean them. But not the gap, which for some reason is especially fragile in MacBooks. It is very difficult (almost impossible!) to painlessly remove the spacebar and put it back. Something is bound to break - if not the button itself, then the butterfly mechanism.

Users are forced to seek help from official Apple service centers, and if repair is not possible, the company replaces the entire keyboard because of one button.

Over the years, customers have repeatedly complained about problems with the keys. Some single presses register twice, some buttons get stuck, and others don't work at all. This topic periodically comes up in the press. In March, the issue of the design's functionality became a hot topic again after The Wall Street Journal published a column about the issue. Once again, Apple had to apologize.

Apple said it is aware of the issue affecting a small number of users. But the third generation of the butterfly keyboard is already on the market. It's found in products like the 2018 MacBook Pro and the new MacBook Air. The company reluctantly admitted that problems in a small number of cases are possible in the first and second generation keyboards. We are talking about Apple devices such as the 12-inch MacBook and MacBook Pro, released in 2016-2017.

The latest laptop models are still covered by the company's warranty program, which will help resolve the issue. But older versions of laptops may require the help of a special keyboard maintenance program. If a user has problems with the keys on his MacBook, he should contact the manufacturer’s support service and take the device to an Apple Store to evaluate the situation. Depending on the level of problems, specialists will decide to replace either individual keys or the entire keyboard. In the meantime, the exact cause of the problems with the butterfly keyboard is unclear. They can be caused by dirt, dust or debris trapped under the keys.

The butterfly mechanism itself was introduced in 2015 as a solution to modernize the keyboard. This decision makes the new 12-inch MacBook even more elegant. Apple considers the butterfly system to be 40% thinner than the traditional scissor mechanism used in keyboards in previous generations of laptops.

Let's follow the chronology of this problem.

Timeline of problems with the butterfly keyboard on Apple laptops

March 2015. Apple releases its first MacBook with a butterfly keyboard

In 2015, Apple released a new ultra-thin laptop called the MacBook. It only had one USB-C port. The new product stood out for its keyboard, built on the butterfly mechanism. That same year, some owners of 12-inch laptops began reporting on Apple forums about problems with pressing the Spacebar and sticking keys.

October 2016. Apple Unveils MacBook Pro with Second-Generation Butterfly Keyboard, But Complaints Continue

In the fall of 2016, the new Apple MacBook Pro debuted with a touchpad and a second-generation butterfly keyboard. But customers continued to complain about problems with the keys.

About two years ago, a thread appeared on Reddit in which MacBook Pro owners shared their common problems: the keys on their devices periodically refused to work during use. For some users it was an alphanumeric block, while for others it was the same “Space”. Similar comments about the 2016 MacBook Pro appeared on the Apple community forums.

October 2017. The Outline highlights Apple keyboard issues, bringing more attention to the situation

This digital publication published an article by Casey Johnston with the eloquent title “The new MacBook keyboard is ruining my life.” The journalist described a problem with her laptop, which, when pressing “Space,” entered two characters at once instead of one. The same article talked about the operating principle of the butterfly mechanism. The journalist spoke about her despair, because she visited the Apple Store three times in the hope of solving the problem.

Throughout 2017, MacBook users continued to report faulty keyboards on their devices on both the Apple community website and MacRumors forums. The new complaints appear to be related to previous problems. For some users, some keys stopped working, while for others, two keystrokes were registered instead of a single one.

October 2017. Parody song makes fun of Apple's butterfly keyboard problems

Video blogger Jonathan Mann has been posting a new song on YouTube every day for 10 years. His next composition became a parody of the operation of the keyboard of the new MacBooks: “I press the spacebar and nothing happens.”

In the video, the blogger shows repeated presses of this key and a computer screen where the cursor remains in a stationary position. Mann tries to playfully try out the tips provided by Apple on the official website. The singer tries to position the laptop at a 75-degree angle and tries to clean the keyboard using compressed air. The video is accompanied by footage from an Apple presentation praising the cutting-edge laptop and significant price tags for the expensive device. The video has received more than 220 thousand views, and Mann himself has about 39 thousand subscribers on YouTube.

May 2018. A petition appears on Change.org calling on Apple to recall laptops with faulty keyboards

The publication of petitions on such resources does not oblige the parties to anything, but attracts the attention of the public. Users have called on Apple to recall all MacBook Pros released since the end of 2016. The petition called for replacing the fancy butterfly keyboard with a regular one that just works. The appeal was published in May 2018 and has currently been signed by more than 36 thousand people.

May 2018. Apple sued over butterfly keyboard

In May, the MacBook maker faced a class-action lawsuit from users who encountered problems using a new type of keyboard. The complaint stated that the MacBook Pro was presented and sold as a premium product. The starting price for the 15-inch model is $2,399. But at the same time, the laptop is faulty: its keyboard with a butterfly mechanism is prone to breakdowns. And this defect was experienced by thousands of users. When a keyboard fails, the keys become stuck and become unresponsive. As a result, the user can no longer print on their device.

June 2018. Apple launches free repair program for owners of damaged Mac laptops

Only in June 2018 did Apple indirectly acknowledge the existence of a problem with the keyboard that had been troubling users for several years. A service program for maintaining keyboards was launched. As part of this, affected users can have their device's keyboard repaired for free when they contact an Apple retail store or an authorized Apple service provider. It is also suggested to send the laptop to an Apple repair center.

July 2018. Apple releases new MacBook Pro with third-generation butterfly keyboard

The current MacBook Pro model was released in 2018. The laptop gets a faster 8th-generation Intel processor, Apple's T2 security chip, and an updated third-generation butterfly keyboard, among other upgrades. Later in October of the same year, Apple introduced this iteration of the keyboard on the new MacBook Air. However, just a month later, The Wall Street Journal reported that previously observed problems persisted in the third generation of the keyboard.

July 2018. Reports indicate that the new MacBook Pro will install a silicone membrane under the keys to prevent debris from getting in

Immediately after the launch of the new MacBook Pro, iFixit specialists disassembled the new Apple device, studying it for repairability. It was discovered that a silicone membrane was placed under each button of the new generation keyboard. Experts suggested that in this way Apple designers decided to overcome the problem by protecting the keys from dust getting into them.

This theory was most likely confirmed within a few days. MacRumors resource reported the existence of an internal document at Apple. It mentioned the purpose of the silicone gasket as protection against debris getting into the keys.

March 2019. Apple apologizes to customers affected by butterfly keyboard issues

On March 27, the company released an official statement apologizing to MacBook users who encountered problems with the butterfly keyboard. A special column in The Wall Street Journal dedicated to this issue first reported this.

Apple said it is aware of a problem with the butterfly keyboard for a small number of users. Management regrets this and reminds us that the vast majority of MacBook users have had positive experiences with this type of keyboard. In response to this publication, the famous blogger John Gruber, who covers the activities of Apple, called keyboards with a butterfly mechanism the worst product in the history of the company.

April 2019. The development director of Basecamp, a software developer, announced the failure of almost half of the company's laptops with the third generation butterfly keyboard

David Heinemeier Hansson, chief development officer at Basecamp and creator of the popular Ruby on Rails web application framework, took to Twitter to address his company's concerns regarding the use of Apple laptops with butterfly keyboards.

Hansson claims that almost half of the third-generation keyboards with improved membranes on the 2018 MacBooks failed at his company. This is a lot. This situation looks like a disaster. Hansson recommends Apple issue a major product recall.

A businessman on Twitter conducted a survey that showed the problem was present in 53% of 7,577 respondents. But they just accepted it. Another 11% of respondents said that Apple had fixed the problem. Another 36% of respondents think their MacBook's keyboard is perfect.

How to fix a stuck key on a MacBook keyboard

Before you do anything, remember: a MacBook is extremely fragile, so all actions must be carried out as carefully as possible.

To fix stuck keys at home, you will need a directed stream of air. Simply blowing will not help here, so stock up on a can of compressed air. If this sounds too easy for you, know that this method is approved by Apple.

Before you start cleaning, remember a few simple rules:

Always use the special tube included with the compressed air cylinder. With its help you can control the air flow;
Keep the end of the tube no closer than two centimeters from the laptop;
Never turn a can of compressed air upside down;
Before pointing the canister with the tube at the laptop, release a test stream of air to the side in case the tube is clogged or liquid has gotten into it;
During the cleaning process, try not to change the strength of the air flow.

Ready? Well, let's get started.

Open the laptop and position the keyboard at a 75 degree angle;
Move the can with the tube attached evenly from left to right along the keyboard;
Rotate the keyboard to the left so that it is in a vertical position;
Position the keyboard at a 75 degree angle;
Again, move the can evenly from left to right along the keyboard;
And finally, turn the keyboard to the right;
Blow the keyboard with a spray can in a smooth motion from left to right.