Keyboard and touchpad lost after sleep

Hi servo186,

Thank you for contacting Apple Support Communities. Based on what you stated, it seems like the issue beings when you wake the MacBook from sleep. I would recommend you use this article to help troubleshoot the issue.

"If your Mac doesn't wake when you expect

Your Mac might pause a few seconds before it wakes up. If it doesn't seem to wake at all, check for these possibilities:

• Your screen brightness might be turned down.
• If you're using an external display, your display might be turned off. 
• Your Mac might be in safe sleep. To wake from safe sleep, press the power button.
• Check for a sleep indicator light, if applicable, and make sure that your Mac isn't turned off.

If the previous steps don't work

These additional steps may help identify or resolve the issue: 

• Reset the SMC.
• Reset NVRAM.
• Disconnect external devices other than your Apple keyboard, mouse, and display. If that resolves the issue, gradually reconnect your devices, testing each time, until you find the device that is interfering with sleep. Then check the documentation that came with the device, or contact the device manufacturer.
• Start up in Safe Mode to see if the issue is related to non-Apple startup items, login items, or kernel extensions. 
• Try to isolate the issue by using another user account. 

If you still see the issue, contact Apple Support."

If your Mac doesn't sleep or wake when expected

Please don't hesitate to let us know if the steps resolved your issue or if you need additional assistance.

Cheers.

Hey there,

I also have the same issue after Catalina upgrade. However, I can't seem to find other posts regarding this issue.

After waking up from sleep, the trackpad/keyboard take 10 seconds to turn on, but sometimes they don't and I need to put the MacBook to sleep and wake up again in order to have keyboard/trackpad without rebooting. I did reset SMC and NVRAM but didn't solve it.

Is it recommended to reinstall Mac OS or it might be an hardware issue?

Best Regards,

I have a very similar problem. After waking up my MacBook Pro 13” 2019 (with latest Catalina) the keyboard and trackpad need around 10 seconds to work.

I have noticed that if the WiFi is OFF and I put my Mac to sleep it wakes up without issues. But if WiFi is ON and I close the lid for at least 1 minute - keyboard and trackpad are not responding for around 10 seconds. Tapping ESC key on touchbar has some effect - the light changes on touchbar. But it doesn’t do anything more than that.

I have tried resetting SMC and PRAM. No change.

Another thing - tried Recovery Mode and after closing lid there - keyboard and trackpad work.

One Apple advisor told me it’s probably not a hardware issue and reinstalling macOS will help. But I just spent 2 days reinstalling because of another bug (Apple Music not working) and not willing to lose more days.

Same here, Late 2018 15" MBP with Catalina. I'm wondering if this is something to do with the T2 chips.

@Swederell Did you try this thing with WIFI? For me it freezes when WIFI is ON, but works good with WIFI OFF. If it's the same in your case, this would confirm my assumptions that this is related to some code responsible for WiFi.

Well, after two weeks of testing, it appears that after using safe mode, it happens less. Still trying to figure it out. However, after mallow_pl's post, I did test a lot with the wireless, but haven't been able to reproduce it yet (with wifi on and off). I also removed the plist files for the keyboard/trackpad, and that with the safe mode appears to have improved the situation. Will test a little more (including with wifi off) and I'll update this thread if I find something.

I did format my laptop since it was what Apple Support advised me after trying many other things. It didn't solve the problem. My keyboard and trackpad were not lost completely. The were freezing for several seconds after wake up. This is how I solved it: https://discussions.apple.com/thread/250873307 I think it is a bug in Catalina. Even if it's because of some deliberate changes in macOS, IMHO these things should not make the keyboard freeze

I've been experiencing the same issue on my 2019 MBP 13" for a few months now. I've done repair install, fresh new install, PRAM and SMC reset. None of them resolved this annoying issue. The only workaround is closing the lid and let the laptop go back to sleep for a good minute, open the lid back up again to have working keyboard and trackpad.

I've been suspecting this intermittent behavior might have something to do with VMware Fusion. Then.. today, I've came across this post on VMware community. https://communities.vmware.com/thread/622447

Do any of you guys run VMware Fusion? I hope either Apple or VMware acknowledges this problem.

Well I have narrow it down to the wireless card/connection. I do use VMWare Fusion but I did had the issue with the VMWare turned off (application not running at all). It appears to me that if I am connected to one of my wireless AP (I have several) and put the MacBook to sleep, if I am not in a place where it can pick up that AP signal when it wakes up, it will freeze the keyboard/touchpad. The issue occurs less these days (like once every two weeks or something) but it still occurs. Another example is having the machine connected at home, put it to sleep, go to work or other place and after wake up, keyboard/touchpad frozen.

However, it appears to happen a lot more if I put the machine to sleep with a VM running.

Sometimes I can just press ESC several times and get the keyboard/touchpad to work. Other times I need to close the lid or ask Siri to put the machine to sleep for 2 minutes or something to fix it.

I don’t use VMWare. I have also narrowed the problem to WIFI. The same as Azkrath wrote. To check if this is your problem too, put your laptop to sleep for at least 1 minute with WIFI turned on and off and compare results.

I have submitted this bug to Apple few weeks ago through feedback assistant. Without any answer so far. I would suggest that you submit it as well. Maybe they will fix it if the would have more reports.

I have the exact same issue and I am POSTIVE it is not a hardware issue because I actually had to return my MacBook THREE times and exchange it for a new one because we though it was a hardware issue. It is not and Apple is IGNORING this issue completely which is honestly VERY ANNOYING. Nothing I tried seemed to work.

Okay.. I can relay to your AP disconnect theory. I did experience this at work where there are multiple APs.

While I don't have multiple APs at home, I do have a mesh network which basically consist of multiple access points.

R3BOOOT, does it work better with mesh network?

For me (without mesh network), it only works without issues when WiFi module is off in my MacBook before it goes to sleep.