Great old A1016 Apple Wireless Keyboard - just ONE problem on Big Sur

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Great old A1016 Apple Wireless Keyboard - just ONE problem on Big Sur

Hey guys,

I'm typing this on my old but great A1016 Apple Wireless Keyboard on a 16" MBP running Big Sur with all of the updates installed. No problems except that the keyboard loses its bluetooth connection after restart. Not the pairing, that stays, but the connection itself.

I read that in the past, Apple had firmware updates for that keyboard, but I haven't found any. I would (perhaps) be able to install those with my older MBP 17 running High Sierra…

Since writing is a big part of my profession as a filmmaker, I don't want to exchange that keyboard against any of those new ones. The A1016 writes beautifully and so much faster than the aluminum ones, and it is sooo "clicky" ;-)

If anybody has an idea about this, where to get that old firmware or with what terminal hack to prevent the keyboard's dementia, it would be really appreciated.

Best from Vienna…

MacBook Pro 16″, macOS 11.2

Posted on Mar 15, 2021 5:50 PM

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Answer 1

Best reply

ibrazhko

Level 1

4 points

Jun 6, 2021 12:50 AM in response to Dirk van den Berg

Hi Dirk, did you manage to resolve this somehow?

Also, did you have this problem on Catalina?

I just purchased the A1016 keyboard, it works so great with my 2013 MacBook Air (Big Sur), but this reconnection issue is frustrating.

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Answer 2

Jun 14, 2021 4:59 PM in response to Dirk van den Berg

Hi Dirk, were you able to get this resolved? This keyboard worked for me on Catalina, it was my secondary keyboard. My primary is out of commission and now I can't get the a1016 to connect on Big Sur. I remember hitting some keyboard command to pair it, this was two years ago. I did a search and couldn't find anything.

Please keep me updated because it's a lovely chunky keyboard with good feedback.

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Answer 3

Jun 14, 2021 5:22 PM in response to DCarlson93

So the workaround to getting this keyboard paired is to go to:

User > Library > Preferences and delete com.apple.Bluetooth.plist. Open control center and I was able to pair the keyboard after entering a code.

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Answer 4

Jun 17, 2021 2:48 PM in response to DCarlson93

I have done that many times but it doesn't change the basic problem: once connected the keyboard works perfectly well (and it is gorgeous, still). But every time my Mac comes back from deep sleep or from a restart, it won't recognize the keyboard and I have to "forget" and reconnect it. Really a minor flaw in comparison to many others. But once in a while it would be nice if Apple remembers the "good old days" when their hardware was still made in Cork, Ireland and help us users to continue using it even more than a decade and a half after it was produced…

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Answer 5

Jun 30, 2021 8:44 AM in response to Dirk van den Berg

The problem continued to persist, almost daily. The 1016 is in the garbage as I'm typing on Matias keyboard =).

Seems that Apple creates built in obsolescence as their products get older, they don't work in the new Big Sur ecosystem.

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Answer 6

Meg The Dog

Level 6

13,567 points

Mar 15, 2021 6:52 PM in response to Dirk van den Berg

Have you tried forcing your mac to disconnect and forget the keyboard by removing it in the Bluetooth Preferences pane, then re-connecting it again?

MtD

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Answer 7

Mar 16, 2021 1:32 PM in response to Meg The Dog

Of course I have. Thanks for the suggestion though.

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Answer 8

Apr 24, 2021 10:06 AM in response to Dirk van den Berg

Have you got this keyboard to work better yet? I was thinking about picking one up for my Mac Mini M1 running Big Sur.

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Answer 9

Jun 7, 2021 6:31 AM in response to ibrazhko

Hey ibrazhko, no I haven't tried this since I moved to Big Sur - actually your post is a very good incentive to try how that works. Will let you know asap! Best…

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Great old A1016 Apple Wireless Keyboard - just ONE problem on Big Sur

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