M4 MacBook Air keyboard and trackpad stops working every few weeks

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Level 1

19 points

M4 MacBook Air keyboard and trackpad stops working every few weeks

Every few weeks, the keyboard and trackpad on my M4 MacBook Air become completely unresponsive. Nothing I can do will allow me to input anything. The only way to clear the problem is to hold down the power key and reboot the system. The system will then behave normally for another 3 or 4 weeks and it will randomly happen again. Several SMC resets didn't help, and this problem has persisted through a reinstall of Tahoe and a new installation of Golden Gate, which I had to do when I got a new Apple Watch. It happens when there is nothing connected except the power adapter. I even tried plugging in an external Apple keyboard and mouse and those did not have control.

I searched the logs for any possible errors or warnings preceding the lockups, but they indicated the system was functioning normally right up to the forced reboot.

This has been going on for almost a year now. I think I read somewhere that this could be a hardware issue that is known to Apple. I thought I'd get some input from the community before getting on the phone to Apple. I am not looking forward to trying to diagnose a problem that happens intermittently and infrequently with no specific activity bringing it about.

Thanks!

Ric

MacBook Air 15″, macOS 27.0

Posted on Oct 13, 2026 10:56 AM

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Answer 1

Top-ranking reply

Owl-53

Level 10

121,305 points

Oct 14, 2026 5:09 AM in response to Ric Getter

Based on these symptoms, I would suspect a possible hardware or firmware problem rather than ordinary macOS corruption.

Both the built-in keyboard and trackpad stop responding simultaneously, external input devices also fail, and the problem has persisted through multiple macOS installations. Further reinstallation are unlikely to be productive.

One important clarification: M4 Apple silicon Macs do not have a traditional, user-performed SMC reset procedure like Intel Macs.

Shutting down and restarting is not the same as an Intel-style SMC reset. See Apple's SMC guidance.

The failure of external input devices is particularly noteworthy.

It suggests the problem may extend beyond the built-in keyboard and trackpad, although it does not establish whether the cause is hardware, firmware, or a system-wide software failure.

Regarding a possible known defect, Apple's public service-program listings do not currently identify a specific M4 MacBook Air keyboard-and-trackpad failure program.

However, the absence of a public repair program does not rule out an issue covered by internal Apple service guidance. I would specifically ask Apple Support to check for relevant service notices or known issues for your exact model.

Given that this has persisted for almost a year despite multiple macOS installations, I would contact Apple Support now rather than spend more time repeating troubleshooting steps. Explain the symptoms, the unsuccessful attempts to resolve them, and the fact that even external input devices fail. Ask for the issue to be escalated for investigation as a possible intermittent hardware or firmware fault.

You can run Apple Diagnostics if you have not already, but a clean result does not rule out an intermittent fault, and you do not need to wait for another failure before contacting Apple. Apple's 13-inch M4 MacBook Air repair manual also includes troubleshooting guidance for keyboard and trackpad problems.

Before contacting Apple, back up your data and record your macOS version and the approximate dates of previous failures. Explain that the problem may not occur during a service appointment and ask how Apple can investigate it if the fault cannot be reproduced immediately.

One final diagnostic question: when the keyboard and trackpad stop working, does the Mac continue operating normally on screen, or does the entire computer freeze?

This distinction could help narrow down the cause.

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Answer 2

WheelieNick

Level 9

71,402 points

Oct 14, 2026 4:41 AM in response to Ric Getter

Hi there

Please do this

Back up your data using Time Machine or iCloud before doing anything else.
Contact Apple Support or schedule an appointment at a Genius Bar or authorized service provider
Mention the lid angle sensor specifically when you speak with the technician so they can run targeted hardware diagnostics on the hinge and sensor assembly. If your device is under warranty or AppleCare+, this hardware repair is typically covered

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Answer 3

Oct 14, 2026 9:26 AM in response to Ric Getter

Ric Getter wrote:

I even tried plugging in an external Apple keyboard and mouse and those did not have control.

With Apple Silicon laptops, externally connected devices are complicated. You need to adjust the "Allow accessories to connect" option in the "Privacy & Security" System Settings configured to "Always when unlocked", or perhaps even "Always" (the exact wording changes depending on version of macOS). Prefer the former over the latter if possible.

Usually if you connect a wired USB keyboard & mouse while the laptop is powered off, then those should operate long enough for you to log into macOS. Unless you have that "Allow accessories to connect" option set to "Always when unlocked" or "Always", then the USB keyboard & mouse may stop working after successfully logging into macOS.

Troubleshooting an intermittent issue like this is very difficult. Unfortunately the built-in Keyboard & Trackpad are tied together even when they are not directly & physically wired together (terrible design by Apple BTW). A Trackpad issue can prevent the built-in Keyboard from working (and I believe the opposite may be true as well, but I'm not certain).

@WheelieNick is correct to have Apple inspect & even temporarily disconnect the Lid Angle Sensor if your laptop is so equipped. Not all Apple Silicon Macs use a Lid Angle Sensor though. I have personally seen a defective (usually damaged from accidental liquid spill) prevent the built-in Keyboard & Trackpad from working among other possible symptoms.

Any of the following parts could cause this problem (so you see very difficult to be sure which one is bad especially for an intermittent issue):

Lid Angle Sensor
Logic Board
Keyboard
Trackpad
Internal Keyboard or Trackpad Cable or loose connection

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Answer 4

Ric Getter Author

Level 1

19 points

Oct 15, 2026 11:43 AM in response to Ric Getter

Here's a quick, in progress, follow-up on this. I spent an hour and three minutes on the phone with Apple Support yesterday. With the device that would generally freeze the keyboard/trackpad reliably in a few minutes, we went over the problem in Safe Mode and with a normal boot. Interestingly, on one try, the touchpad froze but the keyboard didn't (never happened before). He then asked that I do an OS reinstall in place. I wasn't very enthusiastic about that because I had tried that back when I was running Tahoe and had installed Golden Gate just a few weeks ago. I agreed to try that and, if that didn't help, he said to do a bare-metal install after wiping the drive and recovering from a backup. This seemed to me to be grasping at straws on the software side.

I convinced him to also set up a Genius Bar appointment so I could have the USB circuitry and, as recommended here, the lid angle sensor. I'll be able to report back on that in four days.

Meanwhile, after the Golden Gate in-place reinstall, the test device (an analog video to USB converter) was no longer freezing things. However, until I tried that converter, the only other USB accessories I used were a variety of USB Ethernet dongles and a dock or two. With them, the freezes, as mentioned, came weeks apart.

I really appreciate everyone's contributions here. Now that I'm retired, I may be able to start giving back to this community a little more. I've been using Macs since they were first shipped in 1984 (yes, I had a 128 that I had upgraded to a 512), and have done enterprise desktop support and enterprise admin and deployments. I hope I can be helpful here.

Ric

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Answer 5

Ric Getter Author

Level 1

19 points

Oct 14, 2026 10:06 AM in response to WheelieNick

Owl,

Thanks so much! This is all very useful and confirms a lot of what I've been reading elsewhere. To answer your question, it appears that this is strictly a keyboard/trackpad/USB issue. In the case of the USB capture device, the effect was almost immediate, however I did get a permission request from the OS, implying that the CPU was still running.

Later last night I was reading a forum discussion that I believe was on Reddit (or MacRumors) theorizing that it's a USB termination issue and that some hubs that have built-in termination is a workaround. Later today, I will try running the capture device through an older OWC Thunderbolt hub I have to see if that changes anything. I was going to return the capture device to Amazon today, but I think I'll keep it around for a while for troubleshooting. Other USB devices, like the ethernet adapter I was using, go for very long intervals between freezes, this seems to do it instantly.

I'm going to try a diagnostics run now to see if anything shows up, but I'm aware that the version we get as customers isn't quite as robust as what the "Geniuses" can run at Apple. I'll report back. It appears that this is useful thread for a number of people.

Ric

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