Macbook Pro 2016 arrow keys not always clicking

Having a similar issue with my space bar on my MacBook Pro 2016 15" model ( Spacebar issue on my 15" Touch Bar model). It seems something in the mechanism kind of gets stuck as the issue disappears and comes back every now and then.

This appears to be a design issue due to the tight tolerances - I just did this (MacBook 12"spacebar problem) and it is now working again. I took 30 seconds to sort it out. Hopefully you other guys and gals have the same success.

Hi CCbeyer,

Yep... me to, just got this laptop 5 weeks ago, started coding and since today the up and down arrows dont respond all the time, it always clicks but sometimes the cursor just stands still. And im a gentle presser, so thats probably not helping, im i hammer down it works ok. But the noise!!! So thats not working for me.

Does anyone knows how apple treats these problems, how long your laptop is gone etc, as mentioned im a coder.... so its a vital piece of machinery for me.

Thanks!!

Hey ccbeyer,

Yep me to. Just got this laptop 5 weeks ago, a mbp 15 inch with touchbar. And after 5 weeks of coding the keys start annoing the crap out of me.

Does anyone know of a recall program or did you guys just contacted apple directly?

Thanks

I'd just like to chime in as another person experiencing the same issue with my brand new one (with the down arrow). Hopefully Apple will take notice and do something if enough people report this problem.

I also have similar issues with unresponsive clicking/dragging on this needlessly huge trackpad - but that's for another thread, I guess.

Brand new Macbook Pro w/Touchpad... same issue: up/down arrow keys click 100% of the time... but don't register every time. Even more worrisome: A tech at a local Apple store said, "the keys aren't working outside of design parameters -- and so I wouldn't authorize a return." I believe this tech doesn't understand "design parameters": If a key clicks, it should register as a keypress. If my fingers feel a click, they move-on to the next key. This issue is causing typing mistakes and is completely unacceptable.

Luckily, Apple-Corporate doesn't agree: This one is getting shipped back. But, rather than a refund, Apple is sending a new one, and after reading this string, and personally testing several more brand new machines, I can see that this is a issue for all of these machines and mine isn't an isolated problem, so this story likely isn't over.

As a side note, I also own a new Macbook with similar butterfly key design -- and it's PERFECT -- no issue with the up/down arrow keys.

I experienced this same problem right out of the box on my 15". Up arrow needs to be pressed very firmly to register a press. The down arrow occasionally has an issue, but not enough to be at the same level of annoyance for a programmer like me.

I was in at the Apple Store for my repair appointment today, where the tech immediately tried to explain it away (without even trying the button) as an intentional design decision. He compared it to caps lock, saying that there is an intentional delay between press and activation to prevent unintentional activation from an accidental press. I am aware of the caps lock delay, but on the arrow keys? These are keys I hit the most rapidly during coding sessions, and it does not make any sense that there would be a delay on them. I asked him why the left and right do not have a problem at all, and the down arrow only occasionally. He did not have an answer for that, but stuck to his original story. I told him that in 30 years of computer use, I have never seen arrow keys behave this way on any keyboard.

He eventually tried the key, but could not get it to behave the way I (and my wife, who was also present) could. He appeared to be a pretty heavy presser. He told me "you aren't even pressing the key", when I attempted to demo the problem to him.

In essence, he was telling me that I was wrong, then he told me I was wrong about him telling me I was wrong. Then he told me that he never bought "first-gen" products like this MacBook Pro for himself or a family member.

I can't explain to you how frustrating the experience was. Unfortunately, it is how I usually feel when I go in to the Genius Bar.

However, he say they would repair or replace the computer. Given that I am still within the return period, I believe I will return it. Perhaps I will exchange it for another.

Interesting, I tried four of the Pros in-store (three 13" and one 15"), and their up/down arrows behaved okay. So, I don't think that this is a problem on all Pros.

Hearing that someone here got a replacement that behaves the same makes me believe that it is a bit of a die roll when purchasing these things. I wouldn't like it if the next one behaves the same way.

Adding another "me too" to the list in the hope it helps bump up the priority of this issue. Spoke to Apple chat who recommended I took the device in to be looked at - although I think I'll wait and see how this plays out a little bit longer and whether Apple officially recognise it as an issue.

EDIT: for me, the down arrow key is noticeably worse than the up arrow key. I can almost consistently make it fail to recognise presses if I press it in the right way (and a way, I should add, that would certainly have registered as a press on my old MacBook Air).

It's rather disheartening to see all of these people with the same problem, but it's a crappy keyboard. I wonder how many people have to sign on to this thread before Apple notices.

In related news, my machine has now been at the repair center for 10 days on a keyboard repair. Why the **** does it take 10 days to swap out a keyboard?

I just got some news from Apple's customer support people: Apparently, when there's a keyboard problem, they have to replace the entire top case & battery assembly as well. The support rep I spoke to contacted the service center where my machine is, and discovered that they can't repair my machine because there is a "nationwide backorder" on the top case/ battery unit.

So, that says to me that this is a big problem that Apple was entirely unprepared for.

Having the same issue with the arrow up/arrow down keys (MacBook non TB). Even with a replacement its the same.

It just dont behave like a normal keyboard should behave.

I'll go for a cash refund and go to a store and try every mbp they got to finally get a working keyboard.

Such a sad story, with the new butterfly mechanism keyboard in all new pro models, there is now device i would like to purchase from apple.

I will give u guys an update on this.

Just returned my mbp non-tb and went to two different shops to test some devices. On every single pro model (with new butterfly mechanism) u will face this problem - honestly, I tested it on 5 devices. Hope apple will start a recall and fix this.

Well, I finally got a brand-new replacement machine in the mail today... and... same problem. In fact, it's WORSE. The first one (a 13" with touchbar) only registered up-arrow keypress about 70-80% of the time.. This new one only works about 50% of the time. The key "clicks" every single time, of course... but (at least the way I type -- and I'm a very fast touch-typist, about 120 WPM) it just doesn't register every time it "clicks." Such a shame. This is Apple's "top of the line" laptop? Now I'm just praying I get a full refund so I can go buy another MODEL -- although the only retina laptops that don't have this problem seem to be the new super-slim Macbook -- which is much slower. Sigh....

I sent mine back for repair... took about 2-weeks... new one came back WORSE than the one I sent back. Now fighting for a refund so I can buy a 2015 model....

Because Apple hasn't formally responded here, I'm now reaching out to several Mac journalists to see if we can get their attention.

I'm having the same issue as everyone else here. 13" with TouchBar and my down arrow has been getting progressively worse. The left side of it only responds to pretty hard presses.

This is extremely frustrating and under no circumstance should this be happening with a laptop that's supposed to be this "high-end."

Has Apple acknowledged this issue yet?