MacBook Pro 2016 Random Key Repeat Keyboard Issue

Since "upgrading" to 10.12.4 I have noticed that my comma key often repeats now when editing code. Prior to this update i.e. earlier the same day I never experienced this issue.

I guess I am seeking clarity as to whether this is a software issue or a very coincidental hardware issue ... I really don't want to lose the use of the machine while it is being "repaired" if it turns out to be a software issue.

I am using a 15" MacBook Pro with Touch Bar bought December 2016

Do Apple ever actually acknowledge issues like this? Do they have an issue tracker?

I have a 2016 late MBP 15" which i bought in Feb.

I had the same key repeating issue with "n"key.

So i went to a genius bar.

They originally were going to replace my keybaord but ended up replacing many things...

I hope this solves the problem. But frankly i am disappointed with the quality and for the fact that my new macbook had to go the major replacement. :( ...

Has any found a solution to this? I've had my MBP for a few months and after 5 weeks, the letter L stopped responding. I called Apple and they had me follow these steps:

How to test an issue in another user account on your Mac

Reset the System Management Controller (SMC) on your Mac

How to reset NVRAM on your Mac

Use safe mode to isolate issues with your Mac

How to clean the keyboard of your MacBook or MacBook Pro

However, none of that worked. I found an alternate solution online which corrected the problem, but for the life of me, I can't find the link again! Fast forward to today, and now my letter N isn't responding. I tried the same suggestions from Apple, to no avail. Any suggestions? I've already tried cleaning the keyboard with compression air.

Hi,

I had the same problem (with T Key) (15-inch, 2016, 2,7 GHz Intel Core i7, 16 GB 2133 MHz LPDDR3), I made an appointment and was told that I had to replace the keyboard (14 days without a computer...) I said I'd delivered at a later date. Two days ago I upgraded to the beta 10.12.4 (16E163f) and the problem has disappeared.

This is a brief update to my earlier post regarding the problem I was having with the comma key occasionally repeating.

I read on another thread that someone persevered with their keyboard issue for a couple of weeks and found the intermittent repeat issue they had eventually resolved itself. Having read this I thought what would happen if I tried to "exercise" the comma key by pressing it repeatedly in rapid succession.

I opened a text editor that showed the repeating comma issue and then proceeded to type rows of 10 commas - so type 10 commas then new line, 10 commas new line .....

The idea being that any unintended repeats would be easy to see since those lines would be longer than the 10 comma lines thus I could gauge the frequency of the problem.

Sure enough I found that about 15% of the time I would see the repeated comma. However, more surprisingly for me the more lines I typed the less frequent this repeat issue became until I stopped the test (somewhere around line 120).

I have been using my MacBook Pro normally since then and have never noticed a recurrence of this issue...

I have no explanation for this change in behaviour as I know I had not noticed the issue prior to the macOS update and did notice it almost immediately after and yet after my brief experiment the issue seems solved... it is almost as if it "learned" how it should interpret the key... Coincidentally the same update on my iMac had another keyboard side effect in that it forgot I had specified a UK PC keyboard layout for the Ducky One keyboard I have attached and in stead tried to get me to configure a bluetooth keyboard.

Wanted to post this in case this technique worked for anyone else.

I have a similar problem, but with an external usb connected apple keyboard. when i type various other keys a "p" is added randomly. this behaviour is not being exhibited on the macbook's own keyboard. I have tried connecting the keyboard via various methods eg via my external thunderbolt connected screens (connected to the macbook via a thunderbolt to usb-c adaptor), and directly via a standard usb to usb-c adaptor, same results. Problem has been intermittent until recently, but now I can't use the external keyboard at all. Very frustrating and poor for a piece of kit that is so expensive. (macbook pro 12in 3.3gb i7 1TB, with touchbar).

@Univeracity - in your case I would be more suspicious of the external keyboard than of the MacBook Pro. I saw something similar on a battery powered external USB keyboard a couple of years back.

Do you have another device you can test the keyboard on?

The caps lock misses key presses since day one. Tab key started double registering after around 2 months. A week ago it was turn of the b (typed that 3 f^*#&G times) missing key presses, and now the left arrow as well. And, as the cherry on the pie, the right tweeter blew up. I travel around and need the machine to work, so I can't afford to remain without laptop for 2 weeks while they (maybe) repair it. What am I supposed to do, uh? Thank you Apple, thank you.

My 15" 2016 MBP TB started with the 'N' key either not registering, or registering twice. Genius Bar couldn't even get their keyboard diagnostics test to complete. They also noted the machine was unusually hot for the processes they were running. They sent the whole unit in for repairs. I'd prefer a full refund. That new keyboard design is a disaster. Huge mistake by Apple. My 2008 Air works better and still types perfect. They should have never changed their keyboard mechanisms.

I have similar keyboard problems. Some of my keys don't work when I press them. I almost have to hit them to make the keys do their job. For example the "n", and the backspace keys. This is really frustrating, because this MacBook Pro is 2 weeks old...

I received my 2016 MPB 15" back from service just last Friday. It took about a week for the repair. They replaced the entire top half of the laptop - it's all glued together as a single piece. New keyboard, battery, touchpad, touchbar & top half.

Haven't had long enough to test, but at least it was still covered under warranty. Otherwise it would have been like $800.

My Mac bookpro is not even a year old and I have had problems with my keyboard where I had problems with the arrows not working properly. They fixed this and now I have the same problem where I have the really put pressure on my space bar otherwise it doesn't work. Has anyone else experience this. and will I have to keep taking my Mac in also what if this keeps happening after the warrantee runs out?

My 'b' key was not responding and the keyboard was replaced under warranty through depot repair. A month after the replacement the 'b' key started to act up again.. this time the 'b' key randomly repeats. I hope Apple will recall these since the repair will be expensive after the warranty is over.

After my "n", "b", and "v" key problems, my left "cmd" key just refused to work yesterday. I had to hit it really hard to make it do it's job. I restarted the system, and the problem disappeared. It is still not clear if it is a software or a hardware issue. It would be nice from Apple if they would make a statement about these keyboard problems.

For me, the problem was caused by something stuck under the keyboard. I took it to the Genius Bar and they blew some of those dust remover sprays under it and it fixed. Either try that on your own or go to the Genius Bar and have them do that for you. It is a pretty common issue, apparently.