Why is my macbook keyboard not working

Macbooks have a slick design. The keyboard feels fantastic and works smoothly most of the time. However, sometimes, a MacBook’s keyboard has been known to act up, with issues ranging from a few failing keys to the entire keyboard not working at all. 

Whether it’s because of the corrupted keyboard data or a few incorrect configurations, the keyboard might fail to respond to any requests. But this misbehavior can easily be corrected with some super easy fixes, and that’s exactly what we’re going to talk about here. 

So, here in this guide, we shall help you work on your keyboard to bring it back and kicking in no time. Follow the guide till the end to learn about all the causes and their appropriate fixes to fix your malfunctioning keyboard.

Table of Contents

• Why is My Macbook Keyboard Not Working?
• How to Fix My Macbook Keyboard Not Working?
  • Restart Your Macbook 
  • Check the Bluetooth Connection
  • Disable Slow Keys
  • Disable Mouse Keys
  • Delete the .plist Files
  • Manage Recent Apps
  • Clean the Keyboard
  • Reset SMC
  • Update macOS

Why is My Macbook Keyboard Not Working?

Here are all the reasons why your keyboard might not be working:

• Unsuitable settings
• A dirty keyboard
• Corrupted keyboard files
• Corrupted SMC
• Outdated OS

How to Fix My Macbook Keyboard Not Working?

Now we know the factors influencing your keyboard to malfunction, we shall take a look at all the verified and working fixes. All these methods are listed below, and we recommend you to go through each of them until one of them fixes your problem. 

Restart Your Macbook 

The first thing you have to do when your Macbook keyboard is not working is simply restart your computer. The system takes back all the allocated resources and reboots each process. So, your malfunctioning keyboard might start to work in a new user session. 

Additionally, if you’re using an external keyboard, make sure the USB cable is plugged in firmly. Also, ensure that the port is not damaged. You can try and connect other peripheral devices to that port and figure out how it is working accordingly. 

Check the Bluetooth Connection

This step is only for those users whose wireless mac keyboard has failed on them. And if that’s the case, first, be sure that the device is properly paired to the computer. Also, in some cases, the mac’s Bluetooth might not even be turned on. Therefore, follow the steps shown below to properly connect your wireless keyboard.

1. Click on the Apple menu bar. 
2. Go to System Preferences. 
3. Click on Bluetooth. 
4. Turn Bluetooth On on your Mac. 
   
   
   
5. If your keyboard is already on the list of paired devices, click on the ‘x’ symbol beside it to unpair it from your system. 
6. Then, turn on your external keyboard.
7. Now when the keyboard is visible on the computer, click Connect to re-connect it to your system.

Disable Slow Keys

Enabling the slow keys option doesn’t necessarily make the keyboard inoperative. It does, however, give users a sensation that the keyboard is misbehaving and acting funny. 

As the name states, the slow keys feature instructs the computer to recognize and register the key pressed at a slower rate. That means you have to hold a keyboard key for a long instant to register the button on the computer. So, disabling slow keys might return a favorable output for you.

1. Click on the Apple menu bar. 
2. Go to System Preferences. 
3. Select Accessibility.
4. Select Keyboard from the left panel.
5. Navigate to the Hardware tab. 
6. Uncheck the option box to Enable Slow Keys.
   
   
   

Disable Mouse Keys

macOS offers you the option to move your mouse cursor using the keyboard. Although this feature is handy in some scenarios, using the keyboard to perform the function of a mouse disables its ‘normal’ workflow, that is, typing. 

So, the mouse keys option can create confusion and make it seem like the keyboard is not working at all.

To disable the mouse keys:

1. Press Command + Space to access the Spotlight. 
2. Type and go to Pointer Control.
3. Navigate to Alternative Control Methods.  
4. Uncheck the option to Enable Mouse Keys. 
   
   
   
5. Finally, OK your changes.

Delete the .plist Files

The keyboard plist file on your Macbook saves any keyboard settings you might have previously customized. It stores individual user profiles and the appropriate cache files, for that matter. 

So, when your keyboard is misbehaving time and again, deleting the plist files can fix your problem. However, doing this will delete your personal keyboard settings, such as the shortcut buttons you previously assigned or the layout you have been comfortable with. Nevertheless, 

1. Open Finder. 
2. Click on Go on the menu bar
3. Hold the option key and select Library. 
4. Go to the Preferences folder. 
   
   
   

5. Move com.apple.keyboardtype.plist into the Trash. 
6. Then, right-click on your Trash and Empty Trash. 
7. Restart your computer. 

Manage Recent Apps

This section might be more useful to users who’ve noticed that their keyboard started to malfunction after a recently installed application. When researching on various forums, we noticed that a lot of users sorted this issue by removing these conflicting applications from their computers. So, for this, 

1. Open Finder. 
2. Select Applications from the left sidebar. 
3. Now, through the application menu, click on Sort By. 
4. Select Date Added. 
   
   
   
5. You’ll now see the list of your application, starting from the recently installed ones and ending with the oldest ones.
   Delete the conflicting apps and see if it fixes your issue. 

Clean the Keyboard

A Macbook keyboard malfunctions usually because of all the dirt, dust, and filths inside of it. So, if you’ve not done so before, or if it has been long since you last cleaned it, we recommend that you clean your keyboard as soon as possible. You’ll not believe how much difference that makes!

You can use a microfiber cloth to wipe the keys and a can of compressed air to blow off the dirt from head-to-reach places. That being said, we have an article dedicated to helping you take off the keyboard keys and clean them thoroughly as well. So, feel free to check it out. 

Reset SMC

The SMC has various functions. One of these functions revolves around the keyboard as well. That is, the SMC is responsible for controlling the registered keyboard values and the indicator lights around it. So, whenever your keyboard is not working, you can simply reset the SMC.

Here’re the steps to Reset SMC on various models:

On T2 Macbooks

1. Turn off the computer.
2. Unplug the power cable.
3. Now, press and hold the left Control button + left Option button + right Shift key for 7 seconds. 
4. Then, hold the power button for another 7 seconds without leaving the above buttons. 
   
   
   
5. Turn on your mac. 

On M1 Macbooks

1. Turn off the computer.
2. Close your Macbook’s lid for 30 seconds.
3. Turn on your mac.

On Macbooks With No T2/M1 Chips

1. Turn off the computer.
2. Unplug the power cable.
3. Press and hold the left Control button + left Option button + left Shift key + power button for 10 seconds.
   
   
   
4. Turn on your mac.

On Macbooks With Removable Battery

1. Turn off the computer.
2. Unplug the power cable.
3. Remove the system battery.
   
   
   

4. And then, press and hold the power key for around 10 seconds. 
5. Attach the battery.
6. Turn on your mac.

Update macOS

Updating your computer will install newer patches and security updates on your computer. So, whenever you see a new update available on your MacBook, we recommend that you install it as soon as possible. This will then adjust the compatibility issues that might have prevented the keyboard from functioning properly. For this, 

Why has my Mac keyboard stopped typing?

What do I do if my keyboard wont type?

How do I restart my MacBook keyboard?