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Apple finally tweaks its troubled 'butterfly' MacBook keyboard


Apple finally tweaks its troubled ‘butterfly’ MacBook keyboard: Tech giant promises to fix faulty boards that stick and break as long as users bought it in past four years

  • Apple has updated its ‘butterfly’ keys with an unknown ‘new’ key material 
  • The mechanism is used to keep Macs thin but supposedly gets jammed with dust
  • The malfunctions include keys not registering, duplicating and sticking
  • A membrane was added under the keys last year but complaints have continued 
  • The repair service now extend to all ‘butterfly’ keyboards on Mac laptops

It’s been called Apple’s worst invention ever and now MacBook’s ‘butterfly’ keys will be fixed by the firm, free of charge.  

Newer MacBook keyboards has faced continuous complaints since its introduction in 2015 and any bought in the last four years can be sent off to Apple for repair.

The feature is named after the wing-like structures used to create the key-spring mechanism but often stick or break, frustrating users. 

Apple has updated the keys again on its new MacBook Pro laptops with Touch Bar in a bid to correct the issue but has also expanded the range of models it will mend.  

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The 'butterfly' mechanism used on MacBook keyboards has been bombarded with complaints since it was introduced in 2015. The new MacBook Pro (pictured) released this week has updated keys

The ‘butterfly’ mechanism used on MacBook keyboards has been bombarded with complaints since it was introduced in 2015. The new MacBook Pro (pictured) released this week has updated keys

The so-called ‘butterfly keyboard’ has received a flood of complaints after MacBook owners claimed keys would repeat unexpectedly, respond inconsistently, or stop working entirely on their notebooks. 

Apple has previously confessed that there is no easy way to fix it. 

Last year Apple said it had added a silicon membrane under its butterfly keys, in an attempt widely seen to stop dirt and debris getting trapped in the tiny space between the key and the base of the keyboard.  

Now the tech giant says it has changed the ‘material’ of the keys, making them less likely to become faulty.

The company’s latest update claims to use a ‘different material’ in the newest Macbook Pro 13 and 15-inch models that have a Touch Bar, although it has declined to reveal what this is. 

On its repair service website, Apple writes: ‘Apple has determined that a small percentage of the keyboards in certain MacBook, MacBook Air, and MacBook Pro models may exhibit one or more of the following behaviors: Letters or characters repeat unexpectedly Letters or characters do not appear Key(s) feel “sticky” or do not respond in a consistent manner’ 

The butterfly part refers to the mechanism of the key, which has 'wings' and is found on MacBook Pros and Airs from 2015

The butterfly part refers to the mechanism of the key, which has ‘wings’ and is found on MacBook Pros and Airs from 2015 

The latest tweaks to new MacBooks are aimed to improve the double-typing and missed key presses, according to a report from The Verge. 

In the specifications for its new MacBook Pro with Touch Bar, Apple writes: ‘The MacBook Pro keyboard features a butterfly mechanism — providing four times more key stability than a traditional scissor mechanism, along with greater comfort.’

‘The 13- and 15‑inch MacBook Pro models with Touch Bar feature a keyboard with a quieter typing experience. And the spacious Force Touch trackpad gives your fingers plenty of room to gesture and click.’

The company is also making all butterfly keyboards eligible for free repairs, including the latest models, if they fail to perform to expectations. 

To this end they have extended the range of laptops eligible to include all butterfly keyboards, in order to keep customers happy.

Apple has confessed that some of its laptops are experiencing faults with its keyboards, and is offering to fix them for free. The so-called 'butterfly' keyboard is prone to failure when debris gets underneath the keys, and it has emerged that there is no easy way to fix it (Stock Image)

Apple has confessed that some of its laptops are experiencing faults with its keyboards, and is offering to fix them for free. The so-called ‘butterfly’ keyboard is prone to failure when debris gets underneath the keys, and it has emerged that there is no easy way to fix it (Stock Image)

From now on, all laptops featuring the butterfly keys get a free examination and potentially replacements of the whole keyboard. 

To do so users need to find an Apple Authorised Service Provider and make an appointment to have their machine examined. 

Users who paid to have their keyboard repaired can also contact Apple about a refund.    

Thirteen models are covered in total. The support page that Apple posted describing the programme, notes that devices will now be supported for all 'butterfly' keyboard purchases (Stock Image)

Thirteen models are covered in total. The support page that Apple posted describing the programme, notes that devices will now be supported for all ‘butterfly’ keyboard purchases (Stock Image)

The Cupertino-based company has already been hit with three class-action lawsuits around the super-thin keyboards.

Apple first introduced the new keyboard design in 2015, with the launch of its 12-inch MacBook.

To accommodate a full-size keyboard into the small frame of the notebook, which measures just 0.35 cm (0.14 inch) at its thinnest point, Apple reduced the travel of the keys with its new ‘butterfly-mechanism’.

The company stated this new design helped to improve the stability of each key when it was depressed by the user. 

WHAT MODELS ARE ELIGIBLE FOR A FREE NEW KEYBOARD?

Apple has recognised and admitted that some of its laptops are performing unexpectedly. 

Reports have been swarming for a while about Apple’s ‘butterfly’ keyboard, with them allegedly double-typing the same letter, being ‘sticky’ or jamming.  

Apple has announced that it or an Apple Authorized Service Provider will service eligible MacBook, MacBook Air, and MacBook Pro keyboards, free of charge and provide replacement of keys or the whole keyboard pending the examination.  

Eligible Models include: 

  • MacBook (Retina, 12-­inch, Early 2015)
  • MacBook (Retina, 12­-inch, Early 2016)
  • MacBook (Retina, 12-­inch, 2017)
  • MacBook Pro (13­-inch, 2016, Two Thunderbolt 3 Ports)
  • MacBook Pro (13-­inch, 2017, Two Thunderbolt 3 Ports)
  • MacBook Pro (13-­inch, 2016, Four Thunderbolt 3 Ports)
  • MacBook Pro (13-­inch, 2017, Four Thunderbolt 3 Ports)
  • MacBook Pro (15-­inch, 2016)
  • MacBook Pro (15-­inch, 2017)
  • MacBook Pro (13-inch, 2018, Four Thunderbolt 3 Ports)
  • MacBook Pro (15-­inch, 2018)
  • MacBook Pro (13-inch, 2019, Four Thunderbolt 3 Ports)
  • MacBook Pro (15-­inch, 2019)

To identify your computer’s model and to see if it is eligible for this program, choose Apple menu > About This Mac on the device.

For those experiencing issues, Apple has a new support document detailing the MacBook and MacBook Pro keyboard service program. 

You can get your keyboard repaired by: 

Going to an Apple Authorized Service Provider.

Making an appointment at an Apple Retail Store.

Mail in your device to the Apple Repair Center.

To prepare your unit for service, you should first backup your data. 

The servicing will be done free of charge. For anyone that was already experiencing the problem and had to pay for servicing through Apple, the company will be refunding customers the cost of the repair.

 



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