Is your keyboard not working anymore? Assuming you haven’t spilled your drink on it (it happens to a lot of us), changing the programme settings on your Mac may be all you need to get things operating again.
The procedure for troubleshooting a malfunctioning keyboard differs depending on whether it’s a wired (USB-connected) or wireless keyboard (connected via Bluetooth). It’s also possible that your Mac laptop’s keyboard isn’t working; your MacBook, MacBook Air, or MacBook Pro may be left unused due to a malfunctioning keypad.
It’s possible that the issue isn’t with the entire keyboard. Maybe it’s only a few of keys that aren’t working. We’ll also talk about what you can do if that happens.
How to fix a broken wired keyboard
If your wired keyboard isn’t working with your Mac, here’s what you should do.
1. Verify that there is power.
The first thing to verify if all of the keys on your wired keyboard aren’t working is that it’s properly plugged into your Mac. Make sure the keyboard hasn’t been pulled out of the USB port on the rear of your Mac.
If replacing the USB port doesn’t help, you’ve removed the option that the problem is with the port.
2. Change the connection
If you have another USB port accessible, you should try it. If the other USB port works, that’s excellent, but you could have to deal with an issue with the other USB port.
3. Restart your Mac
Restart the mac; it’s possible that the Mac will recognise the keyboard while it’s rebooting. If you have more than one user account on your Mac, another thing to try is logging out of one and login into another. Log out by clicking the Apple logo in the top left corner. Try logging in with a different account to see if it solves the issue.
How to fix a broken wireless keyboard
1. Check the power
If you’re using one of Apple’s wireless keyboards (or any other wireless keyboard), make sure the batteries are charged and that the keyboard is turned on. A Power button, for example, is located on the right-hand side of the Apple wireless keyboard. To turn on the keyboard, press it. There should be a green light.
If you need to replace the batteries in an Apple wireless keyboard, you’ll need to use a penny to rotate the slot on the left side of the keyboard. Unfortunately, we’ve found that the batteries in wireless keyboards run out frequently, so keeping replacement batteries on hand is usually a good idea (or an emergency wired keyboard).
2. Check the Bluetooth connection
If you have a wireless keyboard, make sure it is connected to your Mac via Bluetooth.
Check that your Mac’s Bluetooth is turned on and that the Mac and keyboard are paired.
Go to System Preferences > Bluetooth to see if Bluetooth is enabled. Check to see if it’s switched on, and if not, turn it on.
If the keyboard is connected to your Mac, it should appear under Devices.
3. Restart your Mac
Restart the system; it’s possible that the Mac will recognise the keyboard while it’s rebooting.
If you have more than one user account on your Mac, you could try logging out of one and logging into another, as described above. Log out by clicking the Apple logo in the top left corner. Try logging in with a different account to see if it solves the issue.