Q: Stuck key on 12 inch Macbook keyboard

My macbook is 2 days old - and my i key is now stuck. This is definitely a design / manufacturing issue.

Same here!!! I'm on my second one. First display now keyboard. (it took me 3 tries to type the b from keyboard right). Frustrating and Aggravating.

First it was the right return key that was sticking. I took it to the Apple store where the tech tried to brush any crumbs away. He said the battery was right under that key and so he couldn't use any thing that might puncture the battery and release noxious fumes. Lovely.

It came back good as new but now the caps lock is completely un-responsive. Is the new Macbook the 'new' Newton. I'm losing patience.

I got mine back from repair and they replaced the whole outside bottom and top and keyboard.  So far I haven't had an issue with keys not being responsive but my warranty is up in April so I am worried.  If this is a design issue which is understandable with a new design it would be best if Apple acknowledges it rather than letting us just report if it happens to us.  With close to 5000 views on this thread its seems likes it happening to a lot of Macbook owners.

You could look into the links I posted in another reply to see

how they may work to remedy your MacBook 12-inch retina

keyboard situation; the reply here has several items inside...

2015 Macbook: Keyboard produces keystrokes without touching it (for only the T key)

An Apple support article on how to clean the keys with canned air,

is one; and others discovered earlier when I was curious are there.

And relates to an earlier thread where the issue was a different key.

These ideas may be helpful.

Good luck & happy computing!

I Am now about to be in my third macbook since I got the first one in July last year.

The first one the space bar was sticking and the top case was replaced. It then within a month started happening again at which point they tried to repair and realised that they couldnt fix it. This is when I got the second machine.

IVe had the second machine for 3 days and the same sticking is happening again. I took it into the store and they refused to comment that this is a known issue with this type of model, instead suggesting that perhaps this model wasn't for me because I was t using it right.

what is interesting also on testing all of the demo models in the store - there were 4 MacBooks that had the same issue with the space bar sticking. I find it terrible that this model continues to be sold.

A Member of the technical team told me that this is a known issue and that whilst they can try to repair they can't promise the issue will be resolved . Today they would not acknowledge the issue.

I recommend cleaning the whole keyboard with compressed air (from a can). It took me a few seconds and fixed the problem for me more then once.. I guess, most of the time its dust or crumbs which prevents the lower part of the key from beeing pressed correctly.

I had the same issue; left-hand alt/option and command keys were sitting lower than normal, had lost most of their click, and were hit-and-miss when pressed (they required more force to register). My 12" retina MacBook is still under its initial 1-year warranty, so I took it in to the Apple Store. The Genius tried the keys and then immediately took it for repair; it was away from me for six days, but only because of a mix-up in ordering the new topcase (a US keyboard arrived, whereas I'm in the UK), which delayed the repair by 48 hours. The repair itself was done at my local Apple Store here in Edinburgh, Scotland - the MacBook didn't have to be sent away.

They replaced the entire topcase (contrary to how it sounds, that's the top part of the lower half of the MacBook, which has the keyboard and trackpad components). The entire keyboard was brand new and unmarked when the laptop was returned, and it's all working perfectly again. I didn't lose any data during the repair either, so the internal drive wasn't touched.

It it hadn't been under warranty, the replacement would have been £147 for the part and £24 for labour (figures from 28th Jan 2016; these were listed in the repair work authorisation email from Apple). As an interesting aside, apparently the most intensive part of the post-repair testing procedure is for the Force Touch Trackpad.

I've used just about every Apple keyboard from the last 20 years, and the new MacBook's keys are usable enough but a little too shallow. I think the new 2015 model wireless Magic Keyboard is the best keyboard I've ever used, though - with just a tiny gripe about the MacBook-like full-height left/right cursor keys. They make the up/down cursor keys hard to distinguish between by touch. I'm hoping Apple will go back to half-height left/right cursors again in future. It'd also be great if the next retina 12" MacBook had the kind of key travel that the Magic Keyboard has, but that'd probably mean making the laptop slightly thicker, so I doubt it'll happen.

Have you noticed whether you run your hand over the trackpad when you are typing? I have noticed this same problem when I am typing and the cursor jumps lines, and I begin typing two or three lines above or below... I discovered that my palms just seem to drag a little over the trackpad which seems to make the curser show up in a different place and I begin typing in a completely different line.

Hi

How did you manage to solve the sticking keys?

I had to do take mine in to the Apple Store and have them replace the keyboard. They were able to fix a couple of the keys, but not all of them, so the whole thing need to be switched out.

Thanks, only one key on a new computer.

Sent from my iPhone

I've had this Macbook for a year and consistently get this problem. Took it in twice -- the first time they fixed it, the second they just gave me a whole new laptop. But it keeps happening every now and then and I can't be bothered taking it back in again and again. But I HAVE found a bit of a hack: if you turn the Macbook upside-down and flick the problematic key a few times (at different points of the key seems to help.) Seems to unjam it a lot of the time.

Yes.  Same here.  FIxed!!!!!!

What is happening is debris and even the slightest dust will make these keys stick.  They have very fine tolerance to avoid LED backlight leakage.

Solution???   I blew on mine with my breath a few times very forcefully then did a light vacuum with the brush nozzle and all keys back to perfect working order.  Cheers!