Mac keyboard not working? 7 fixes to try

2 min read · 7 steps · Updated 2 October 2026

A keyboard that types nothing, types slowly or types the wrong characters is often caused by a setting, not a defect. Apple lists the checks below.

Menu names are from recent versions of macOS, where the settings app is called System Settings. The pictures are our own screenshots from macOS Tahoe 26 on a MacBook Pro.

Step by step

1. Wireless keyboard: power and Bluetooth

   Make sure the keyboard is switched on and charged, and that Bluetooth is on at the Mac. Switch the keyboard off and on again.

   Done

2. Wired keyboard: plug it in again

   Unplug the cable and push it in firmly. Try another USB port and, if you use one, leave out the hub.

   Done

3. MacBook: connect the charger

   If the battery is almost empty, the Mac may show a warning you cannot see and stop reacting to keys. Connect the power adapter.

   Done

4. Switch off Slow Keys

   Open System Settings, Accessibility, Keyboard. If Slow Keys is on, each key must be held down for a moment before it counts. Switch it off.

   Done

5. Switch off Mouse Keys

   Open System Settings, Accessibility, Pointer Control. With Mouse Keys on, some keys move the pointer instead of typing.

   Done

6. 

   Check the keyboard layout

   Open System Settings, Keyboard and look at Text Input. If the wrong input source is selected, keys such as Y and Z or the punctuation produce other characters. Choose the right layout from the input menu in the menu bar.

   Done

7. Use the on-screen keyboard meanwhile

   The Keyboard Viewer shows a keyboard on the screen that you click with the trackpad or mouse. It also shows which key the Mac thinks you are pressing.

   Done

Good to know

The Caps Lock key and the Media Eject key react with a short delay on purpose, so that an accidental touch does nothing. Press them a little longer.

If single keys stick or repeat on a MacBook, crumbs under the key are a common cause. Hold the MacBook at an angle and blow the keyboard out with compressed air. Do not lift the key caps.

After liquid has got into the keyboard, switch the Mac off and take it for service. Do not keep typing.

If the whole Mac is frozen and not just the keyboard: Mac keeps freezing or showing the spinning wheel.

In short: Power and Bluetooth, replug, charger, Slow Keys off, Mouse Keys off, check the layout, Keyboard Viewer.