Magic Keyboard (Bluetooth) intermittently repeats the last typed key

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Level 1

27 points

Magic Keyboard (Bluetooth) intermittently repeats the last typed key

I know there are issues with the butterfly-style keyboards. This is not that.

I'm using an Apple Magic Keyboard (black) with a 2019 16" Macbook Pro (Big Sur 11.2.1).

Occasionally, as in once or twice an hour, it will repeat the last key until I reach around to the back and turn the keyboard off, or until I disable Bluetooth (I'm using a wireless Logitech Mouse which doesn't use Bluetooth, and have added Bluetooth to the menubar just for such occasions). It's as though the key down event is received, but the key up event is lost.

I finally had to switch to a Logitech MX Keys, which has been rock-solid (again, this doesn't use Bluetooth and, instead, uses Logi's USB wireless adaptor).

I've not seen any mention of this recently on the forums, and so wanted to ask if anyone else is seeing this? It's frustrating because, as a dev, the Backspace key can be disastrous as it deletes line after line of code. Well, not disastrous, since there's always undo, but still...

Anyway, just wanted to get a sense for how many others might be seeing the same thing? This started after upgrading to Big Sur (I think) and I've seen it with all Big Sur releases so far.

I'm not ruling out corporate IT-added cruft (AMP for Endpoints, Code42, Box, Cisco, Microsoft, etc), that is somehow interfering with Bluetooth, in which case I might be the only one experiencing this and so will have to suffer alone. :-(

Posted on Feb 17, 2021 10:15 AM

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Answer 1

quantumonion Author

Level 1

27 points

Feb 25, 2021 4:46 PM in response to drpeppertex

Thank you for the reply drpepper! I'm curious, are you running Big Sur, or Catalina?

After switching to the Logitech MX Keys and using their Unified Adaptor USB wireless dongle, I haven't seen this AT ALL since my post on the 17th, so over a week with no issues. This tells me the problem is very likely Bluetooth itself.

Thanks again!

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Answer 2

Feb 26, 2021 2:11 AM in response to quantumonion

I was working with a targus bluetooth keyboard and I first had this issue. It worked for a few hours and it became lagging, and responds very slowly. Disconnecting the device from bluetooth and resetting the bluetooth or factory setting of the device does not work. I tried every recommendation that I could find online. It only works for a while after I restart my macbook.

So I thought it was the problem of a cheap keyboard so I upgraded to logitech K380 just today. And after 2 hours using it, this problem crept up again. Feels like an issue with Big Sur. Now I have to work with bad ergonomics until I can get a solution to this.

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Answer 3

Feb 25, 2021 4:23 PM in response to quantumonion

I am having trouble continuously too, with two different bluetooth keyboards. The keyboard drops keypresses (it just did!!) or repeats the same key 100s of times until I hit a key on the MacBook Air's own keyboard to stop it..

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Answer 4

quantumonion Author

Level 1

27 points

Feb 25, 2021 9:13 PM in response to drpeppertex

Thanks drpepper. I'd have also transitioned to a wired USB keyboard if it weren't for my kitten, who claims that bumpy rectangle as her own personal space whenever I leave for even a minute. The on/off switches on the back of the MX Keys (and the Apple Magic keyboard) are mandatory until this cute, but devious, thing grows up. :-/

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Answer 5

Feb 25, 2021 5:18 PM in response to quantumonion

I am running Big Sur, with the latest updates (just did 11.2.2), and I've reset the Bluetooth more than once.

I'm considering going to a USB keyboard.

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Magic Keyboard (Bluetooth) intermittently repeats the last typed key

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