Mac Keyboard Not Working? 7 Simple Fixes for You to Try!

MacBook Pro/Air Keyboard Not Working

A keyboard is an important part of a computer; no matter you are using a Windows PC or a Mac, you can type something into any web browser or write any document. However, if your keyboard stops working, you cannot do anything useful with your machine. How frustrating it is!

In our previous post – Here Are 5 Methods to Fix Laptop Keyboard Not Working Windows 10, we have mentioned how to fix Windows keyboard not working. Today, let’s focus on Mac keyboard not working.

Usually, this issue happens on MacBook Pro, Air, or other models. Why does your Mac keyboard stop working? The possible reasons for this could be dust, some software issues, apps interference, connection issues, etc.

In the next part, some useful solutions are introduced and you can try them one by one to easily get rid of the situation.

Fixes for Keyboard Not Working Mac

Clean Your Mac Keyboard

If some keys stop working, the simple solution is cleaning your keyboard because dust or other junk may cause this issue. Just hold the machine at a 75-degree angle, use a can of compressed air to spray the keys from left to right and repeat the same operations after turning your Mac on its other side.

Update macOS

macOS update is helpful to fix keyboard-related problems if they are caused by software issues. To fix MacBook Air or MacBook Pro keyboard not working, try to perform a system update.

To do this, go to System Preferences and click Software Update. The system will start checking for updates. If there are some available updates, install them.

Delete Recent Apps

Sometimes Mac keyboard stops working due to app interference. If you recently installed a new app and then the keyboard didn’t work, consider removing it.

If you don’t know what apps you have added, you can go to Finder > Applications, click the sort options at the top and then choose Sort By > Date Added.

Delete .plist File

macOS can store settings in .plist files. If software settings are changed, the issue of Mac keyboard not responding or working appears. Deleting these .plist files could be a solution.

1. Open Finder and press Cmd + Shift + G.
2. Type in ~/Library/Preferences/ and click Go.
3. Go to find apple.keyboardtype.plist and delete it.
4. Reboot your Mac.

Reset SMC

SMC, short for System Management Controller, is responsible for many functions of your Mac including the keyboard. When your Mac keyboard stops working, you can choose to reset SMC.

How to reset SMC? Based on different computers, the ways are different and you can refer to this official help document – How to reset the SMC of your Mac.

Check USB Connection

If you encounter the issue of Mac wired keyboard not working, you should check the connection. Disconnect the keyboard and then plug it back in. Or check if the USB port is fine or not.

Re-Pair Your Keyboard with Mac

If your Bluetooth keyboard cannot work, the issue may be related to the Bluetooth setting. To fix it, try to re-pair it with your Mac.

1. Go to System Preferences and click Bluetooth.
2. Find your keyboard and click X to remove it.
3. Go to System Preferences, click Keyboard, and then choose Set up Bluetooth keyboard to start pairing.

Final Words

These ways above can be helpful to fix Mac keyboard not working. Try them now. If you have any other suggestions, let us know in the following part.