How to avoid problems with your MacBook keyboard and how to fix them

The keyboard on recent MacBook and MacBook Pro laptops has had an unusually high number of failures and some users are angry. What can you do to avoid problems and how can they be fixed?

Apple has been trimming the fat on MacBooks for years and they have become thinner than ever. The company has used every trick it knows to shave as much off the thickness as it can and one way it does this is with a super thin keyboard with a new type of key that barely moves. It is not quite like banging your fingertips on a solid surface, but the keys certainly don't move much when you type.

The butterfly mechanism used for the keys from MacBooks from 2015 on seems to be less sturdy than the one it replaced and some people have found that certain keys just stop working. Apple has tweaked the design a little, but keyboard complaints keep coming. In fact, there is even a class action lawsuit alleging the keyboard is flawed.

What can you do to avoid keyboard problems and fix them if a fault occurs?

1 Don't eat at your computer

Many people suspect that crumbs from food are a cause of some keyboard failures. It is possible that the MacBook keyboard is more sensitive to crumbs than larger keyboards with more key travel. Once a crumb gets under a key and into the butterfly mechanism, the key becomes temperamental and sometimes does not work or fails completely.

2 Don't drink at your computer

All keyboards are susceptible to water (coffee, beer, whatever) damage and liquids and electronics don't mix well, at least not unless the device has been specifically waterproofed, and the MacBook keyboard has not.

You might spill your drink on the keyboard or knock a cup or glass over on the desk and so on. One drip from the outside of an ice-cold drink on a hot day is enough to stop a key from working. Don't drink and compute!

3 Close the lid

When the MacBook is not being used, you should close the lid. Close it at night, at lunchtime, when you go on holiday, and so on. The lid covers the keys and stops dust from settling on the keyboard and getting into the keyboard mechanism. You might not think that the place you use your computer is dusty, but it is. Leave something undisturbed for some time and a layer of dust grows on it. It may take weeks, but it's there.

In addition to a MacBook I have a Windows laptop. I went away for a few days and when I came back it was fairly obvious the cat had decided that the laptop was a good place to sleep. The lid wasn't closed and the keyboard was covered in cat hairs and muddy pawprints. Several keys never worked after that. Always close the lid!

4 Take the load off the keyboard

If you type a lot, such as a writer or blogger, and you normally work at a desk, take some of the load off the MacBook's keyboard by using an alternative keyboard.

It does make it a little awkward and you have to put it in front of the MacBook, which then has to be moved a bit further away. However, it depends on the desk. Some have a slide-out tray for a keyboard, so it can be under the MacBook rather than on top of it. (I use this setup with my Windows laptop with the broken keyboard.)

If you can find a place on the desk or under it for a keyboard, use it instead of hammering on the MacBook's keyboard. It is quick, easy and cheap to replace a stand-alone keyboard compared to the MacBook's.

If you want to stick with Apple kit, the Magic Keyboard could be used and, in the US and UK, it costs $99 / £99 from an Apple store (prices may vary in the future).

This Logitech keyboard works with the Mac

For half that you could get a refurbished Apple keyboard either from Apple or Amazon. There are third party keyboards for a quarter of the price of an Apple keyboard that work fine with Macs and have all the required Apple keys.

If your MacBook keyboard fails, a stand-alone keyboard could be used as a cheaper alternative to getting the MacBook repaired.

5 Get AppleCare

If you are buying a new MacBook or if you bought one less than 12 months ago, you should consider getting the AppleCare Protection Plan because it covers hardware problems for three years from the date of purchase.

Given the higher than normal keyboard problems with recent MacBooks, it is worth considering. Obviously, Apple is not going to replace the keyboard free of charge if you spill a drink over it or when they take it apart it is full of cake crumbs but providing it has been used normally and cared for, you are covered.

Prices vary with the MacBook model and may vary in the future - check with Apple

It is not cheap and a bottom of the range MacBook costs (US) $249 and this rises to (US) $379 for a 15in MacBook Pro. However, it does cover all the components inside the computer and not just the keyboard.

6 Use the onscreen keyboard

If disaster strikes and one or more keys on the keyboard stop working, what can you do? It needs repairing or replacing, but if you are up against a deadline and must finish something off, just type as you normally do. Spelling checkers and grammar checkers in word processors detect errors and sometimes fix them automatically, or at least highlight them. Ctrl+click a word with a missing letter and the right spelling is often just a click to replace.

There is also the onscreen keyboard available from the menu bar that can be used.

1. Go to System Preferences
2. Click Keyboard
3. Click the Input Sources tab
4. Tick the box Show input menu in menu bar
5. At the right side of the menu bar is a new icon and clicking it displays a menu with Show Keyboard Viewer.

When the Keyboard Viewer is on the screen, clicking the keys with the mouse is the same as pressing keys on the keyboard, so you can enter characters on keys that are not working. It is a pain, but possible until you get the keyboard repaired.

7 Repair the keyboard

This is not a DIY job and these tips probably won't work but are worth trying. Turn off the MacBook, hold it upside down and gently shake it to dislodge those crumbs from inside the keyboard. Get a can of compressed air and blow out the dust and crumbs but be careful not to freeze the keyboard, a blast of compressed air is cold!

Turn off the MacBook. Press the power button and then immediately hold down Command+Option+P+R until the computer reboots. This resets the PRAM and some people have reported that it fixed the problem. It won't clear crumbs under the keys though!

Some keys are designed to be unresponsive, such as the Caps Lock key, and this is so you don't accidentally activate it. Press and hold for one second or until the indicator light comes on.

Accessibility options affect how the keyboard works and it is worth checking that they have not been enabled.

1. Open System Preferences
2. Click Accessibility
3. Select Keyboard in the list on the left
4. Turn off all the options on the Hardware and Accessibility Keyboard tabs

It is quite difficult to replace the keyboard on a MacBook and it is not something you should attempt if you have never taken a MacBook apart before. Apple can repair the keyboard but might charge you hundreds of dollars to do so.

It is free if the MacBook under one year old or under three years if you have AppleCare.

Third party repair companies are often cheaper than Apple so it is worth asking around or Google something like 'MacBook repairs' followed by the nearest large town.