Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Computing
  3. News

Touchy subject: Users are complaining about malfunctioning keys on the 12-inch MacBook

By

MacBook Keyboard
A number of users of 12-inch MacBooks have been reporting to Apple that they have had problems with keys sticking. Users claim that the keys do not actuate properly, and lack any sort of tactile feedback, and there also appears to be no auditory click designating their actuation.

MacBooks have, like many laptops, low-travel-distance keys. This helps save on weight and size in a computing form factor that is aimed at being lightweight and portable. However, in this instance that appears to be causing some problems, as dirt and debris getting under those keys is proving hard to remove and possibly causing some issues with keys no longer functioning.

Recommended Videos

The keys in question don’t appear to be any specific keys, with some users reporting problems with particular letters, while others have found the larger shift and space bar keys to be the culprits.

Related

Some users have reported finding success in cleaning out their keyboards, using compressed air or some sort of scraping tool to clear things out. However that doesn’t fix the issue for everyone.

Some of those people returned their laptops to Apple for repair, and some users are already on their second repair job after receiving a replacement MacBook. 9to5Mac reports one user who is already on their third MacBook, having seen this problem several times.

“First the delete key. On my next machine the right shift key,” claims one user on the Apple Support thread. “On my third machine I checked all the keys very carefully before I left the store and they all worked. Always one edge or one corner that failed. Now the left shift key failed three days ago, and today the right arrow key stuck at the bottom left corner.”

It should be noted that this problem with 12-inch MacBooks has been ongoing since the end of 2015, so it seems to effect multiple generations of the notebooks. The latest complaint is from January 24, 2017, so whatever the issue with MacBook keyboards is, it’s ongoing.

Apple’s official support guide suggests users use compressed air to clean out the keys, though that obviously doesn’t work for everyone.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Jon Martindale
Jon Martindale
Computing Coordinator
Jon Martindale is the Evergreen Coordinator for Computing, overseeing a team of writers addressing all the latest how to…
Report: Apple’s 2024 MacBooks may face some serious shortages
Apple's John Ternus stands next to an image of the 15-inch MacBook Air at Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) in June 2023.

Looking forward to getting a new MacBook in the next year or so? You might have to wait longer than expected, as Apple chip supplier TSMC is reportedly struggling to get enough skilled workers for its forthcoming Arizona factory. That could mean we see serious shortages of Apple laptops and a struggle to get hold of stock.

The bad news comes from The Wall Street Journal. According to the outlet, TSMC has said that “people with expertise erecting semiconductor facilities were in short supply in the U.S.” As a result, the Arizona factory “would miss its target of starting mass production next year.”

Read more
The M3 MacBook Pro may launch sooner than anyone expected
Fortnite running on a Macbook M1.

Earlier this week, we learned that Apple’s next batch of Macs loaded with M3 chips could be set to launch in the fall. Today, a fresh report claims they could arrive ahead of schedule -- but there are reasons to be doubtful.

The idea comes from a paywalled DigiTimes report (via MacRumors), which cites “industry sources” to claim that Apple will introduce a new MacBook Pro -- complete with a 3-nanometer Apple silicon chip that will boast improved performance and efficiency -- as soon as the third quarter of 2023. That quarter runs from July 1 until September 30.

Read more
M3 Macs may launch this year — with a surprising addition
Apple's 15-inch MacBook Air placed on a desk.

We’ve only just gotten a bunch of new Macs from Apple, with the 15-inch MacBook Air launching a mere one month ago alongside a slate of other Apple computers. Yet the company is already gearing up to release M3 Macs at a special event later this year, and they could be the biggest performance upgrade we’ve seen in years.

This idea comes from journalist Mark Gurman, who has correctly predicted many upcoming products and details in Apple’s lineup. In his latest Power On newsletter, Gurman explains that, while there will be a whole heap of new devices arriving at an event in October, they won’t include Apple’s high-end laptops and desktops.

Read more