Q: Wireless keyboard won't turn on after changing battery

Found the solution after almost two years of non-working keyboard!!! (Good thing I didn't throw it away). Took a long thin stick, put around slightly wet piece of bounty paper (make sure it is just dump, not too wet) and cleaned the inside metal circle. Let it dry for few minutes and than inserted new batteries (regular durable from BJ's). Unexpectedly, it worked! I did the same procedure with the alcohol few years ago and nothing happened.

Tin foil works!

I guess it's a contact problem so cleaning the contacts as suggested would also probably fix this issue.

I had the same issue as all.  Battery low indicator.  Replaced with new batteries.  No power.  I shined my iPhone flashlight down the long narrow battery compartment and observed some very mild corrosion around the contact.  Straightened a metal coat hanger and carefully inserted and scraped the contact a few times.  Pressed down on the contact and surrounding plastic ring a few times to check the spring action and Viola!  The keyboard works again!

Hi.

I am writing this post long after the original report, since I found a solution.

My Bluetooth Apple keyboard did not turn on (no green light when pushing the power-button).

I checked the batteries (all three), replaced them even if I knew they were OK.Still, no green light when pushing the power button.

I tested the batteries in another, newer, Bluetooth Apple Keyboard with only two batteries. All worked fine.

I came to think of a fix I have read in another space:

Crunch together a small patch of aluminum foil, and put it on top of the outermost battery. Tried that. Did not work.

I than put the aluminum foil at the bottom.

Voilá… Green power light came on. Seems to be working fine now :-)

Hope this can help others to revive their older keyboards.

I'm a little embarrassed to say this helped me!   Thanks!   Thanks for your willingness to display embarrassment to state what should be a commonly known resolve.   Here I am, nearly 6-1/2 years later, trying to help my husband's 1-1/2 year-old iMac get its keyboard working again.  I asked where do you turn it on?  He said it didn't have an on-off switch.  I looked all over, nothing.   We replaced the batteries multiple times, new batteries, tried both directions but thought we had the right direction, restarted computer, etc., but the keyboard wouldn't light up and work!   Googled for a solution, came across this thread, and was about ready to fashion a paper clip spring or a little ball of aluminum foil when I saw your post.  THANK YOU!   Isn't it amazing that 6-1/2 years later they are still making the keyboard the same design?  It's very classy and sleek, but honestly, how would you notice that on-off switch?   And down inside the battery compartment, there is still the plastic ring showing....don't know if they've changed the design to make it contact better, but it looks exactly like all the descriptions people wrote about on this thread.   Thanks again for stating the obvious, which was not so obvious to us.  Thank you.

Haven't read through entire thread, but this happened to me (replacing low battery, then keyboard didn't turn on) and it was me not replacing the batteries the right way. Positive first. Obvious "duh" moment, but it seems like they should go in the other way and I didn't think to try that.

i took out the plastic piece and exposed the connection to the battery   use toothpick or something to show the terminal that was slightly corroded   steel wool or screwdriver clean the edge and let it go back in.

clean terninal and clean power from battery  aluminun foil should work but this is the real fix

Making sure batteries were in +end first (flat side out) and putting in a pea-size lump of aluminum foil worked for me.

Here's what worked for me, thanks to multiple posters on this thread:

• remove old batteries
• roll up pea-size ball of aluminum foil and drop in battery cavity
• put batteries (2-AA) in, +end first (flat side out)
• screw on cap

Problem solved.

:-)

Worked for me too!!!

Make sure you haven't turned off the keyboard like I did  . Press the button (round circle) on the right side of the battery compartment.

Posting on a very old post is not useful. It is highly doubtful that anyone will read it.

Barry

This is a great solution.  Hadn't been able to turn keyboard on for about 8 months.  Did the paperclip thing and BINGO!  Thanks

I just put a very small ball made of aluminium foil without removing the plastic ring and dumb as it seemed it worked immediately thank you everyone for the very creative advise I have my keyboard working again without expending a penny

Of course you all know you have to press the button on the right side of the keyboard after you replace batteries? I have had multiple battery life problems with my Magic Mouse and my Bluetooth keypad since upgrading to El Capitan 10.11.4. It's a software issue. New batteries don't always fix the lack of connection. Although my device appears on the Bluetooth page, it says not connected. I have spent too much money using non-rechargeable Duracell batteries in my wireless devices manufactured by Apple since upgrading to El Capitan. Get some rechargeable batteries at Best Buy (I don't work for them.) and keep replacing batteries until Apple figures out why El Capitan is draining our Bluetooth devices battery life. Duracell says it's a storage issue, but these were brand new from the store and the package, yet they sometimes only last 24 hours. It's El Capitan. I'm convinced.