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.

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!

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

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.

Had the same problem today as many others of keyboard not turning on after replacing batteries. Took to my Apple Store. It appears that older batteries had leaked a little, could see bits of white stuff in battery compartment. Wiped compartment clean and used metal rod/screwdriver to scrape off a little of the residue on contacts. Works fine now.

13 August Same problem, installed new batteries and no keyboard light.

Followed suggestions to scrape the contacts at both ends of battery compartment

and lightly on battery terminals. May take a couple of tries but it works.

Like so many others, same issue. My solution is slightly different.

I cleaned contacts. No change.

Tried aluminum foil ball, which I've seen elsewhere. No fix.

Finally, tried loose ball of Steel Wool. Voila! Solved.

Just wanted to say that I also had the same problem as everyone else. Even tried to clean the positive contact as discussed in other threads. No luck with that option however the aluminum foil trick worked immediately! Brilliant!! Thanks very much!

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 convin

Is is a possibility that because we're using rechargeable batteries, that the constant inserting of the batteries into the charger is wearing away the metal contacts? This would explain to my mind why the insertion of something metal into the area alleviates the problem.

I had this same issue and the foil worked. When I compared the batteries that I was replacing, which I believe to be the original ones, they are about 1 mm longer than a normal AA battery (Duracell) that I used.

Glad it worked! Thanks for your answer!

Hi,

I have seen this rarely on both bluetooth keyboard and mouse. Usually charging or what else has no bad effects.

For mouse, just plug and unplug lightning wire likely revives it.

For keyboard it seems at first it only works when lightning wire is plugged in, not when removed. Rebooting doesn't help.

ANSWER: there's a little power switch on each having green and red to indicate position. Just turn the device off for a few seconds, turn it back on, keyboard automatically detects

Why? Devices are detected when powered on. If for some reason the bluetooth gets (out of range, say blocked by a book or hand) it will not re-detect until a "powering on" is happening.