MacBook Keyboard Repair and Replacement
A key sticks or types a letter twice, or after a spilled coffee a whole row of keys has stopped responding? We clean, repair and replace keyboards on the MacBook Air, MacBook Pro and the 12-inch MacBook, Intel or Apple Silicon. Before we start, we tell you whether a clean will do, whether one key needs replacing, or whether the whole keyboard has to go.
The butterfly keyboard: the fault we see most
Most of our keyboard work is on the so-called butterfly keyboard. It was fitted to these models:
- MacBook 12″ (2015–2017)
- MacBook Pro 13″ and 15″ from 2016 to 2019 (the 16-inch from late 2019 already has the new keyboard)
- MacBook Air 2018–2019
The keys have very little travel, and the mechanism under them is delicate. A bit of dust or a single crumb is enough for a key to start sticking, to type twice (you press “a” and get “aa”) or to stop working altogether. Apple kept revising this keyboard over the years, but the problem never went away, not even on the last models that had it.
The newer Magic Keyboard (MacBook Pro 16″ from late 2019, the 2020 MacBook Air and 13″ Pro, and every Apple Silicon model) brought back the scissor mechanism and longer key travel. It fails far less often, and when one does reach us, the cause is usually spilled liquid or a knock. The same goes for older models with the classic keyboard, from before the butterfly years.
Cleaning first, replacement only if needed
A sticky or double-typing key on a butterfly keyboard often isn’t a broken mechanism at all, just dirt under the keycap. So we clean it first: with compressed air, and where that doesn’t help, we take the keycap off and clean the mechanism. The keycaps on these models are thin and their clips snap easily, so please don’t prise them off yourself with a fingernail or a knife.
If only the keycap or the mechanism of a single key is broken, we replace just that key. When several keys are failing, when the problem comes back after cleaning, or when the keyboard has had liquid in it, the whole keyboard gets replaced. After a spill, don’t wait for it to “dry out”. What to do straight away is on our page about liquid spills on a MacBook.
Before you bring the laptop in, check the keyboard layout (if Z and Y have swapped places, that’s the layout, not a fault) and make sure Sticky Keys or Slow Keys haven’t been switched on by accident in the accessibility settings. You’ll find more checks in our article on what to do when a laptop keyboard stops working.
Just the keyboard, or the whole top case
On a MacBook the keyboard isn’t a part you can simply lift out. On many models it is fixed to the upper half of the chassis (the top case) with rivets or a large number of tiny screws, and the trackpad, and often a glued-in battery, are attached to that same part. Replacing it means taking almost the whole laptop apart.
Depending on the model, we replace either the keyboard alone or the complete top case assembly. We tell you in advance which one applies to your MacBook and what that means for the price. When the battery is glued to the top case, it has to come out during the job anyway, so if it no longer holds a charge well, it makes sense to have a battery replacement done at the same time.
When the keyboard backlight stops working, it isn’t always a fault: macOS can turn it off by itself when the light sensor decides the room is bright enough. Sometimes it’s the cable, and after a spill the backlight under the keys is often what gets damaged.
Touch Bar and Touch ID: the Touch ID sensor is paired with the logic board, so we move your existing sensor over to the new part. If the Touch Bar doesn’t respond, we first work out whether the fault is in the Touch Bar itself, in the cable or on the board.
Prices — in the official price list
The labour price for a keyboard replacement is in the price list. The price of the part depends on the model and on whether it’s a single key, the keyboard or the whole top case. Diagnostics without disassembly are free, and we tell you the exact amount after the inspection, before any work starts. We do nothing without your approval.
How long it takes and the warranty
A keyboard or top case replacement is usually done the same or the next day when the part is in stock. Rarer parts have to be ordered, and we tell you how long that will take after the inspection. The warranty on the work and the fitted part is written on your service sheet. We don’t touch the data on your drive, but before any repair we recommend making a backup (Time Machine, for example).
Independent service
We are not an authorised Apple service and we don’t present ourselves as one. We use “Apple”, “Mac” and “MacBook” only to describe the devices we repair. We fit quality parts that match your model, and we tell you honestly when a repair isn’t worth it, for instance when liquid on an old laptop has damaged the board as well. For other faults, see our MacBook service page.
Frequently asked questions
A key sticks or types twice. Do I need a new keyboard straight away?
Not necessarily. It’s often dust under the keycap, and a clean sorts it out. If the fault keeps coming back or the mechanism is broken, we replace the key or the whole keyboard. We take a look first, then tell you what makes sense.
A keycap has come off. Can you replace just the keycap?
Usually, yes, as long as the mechanism under it is intact. Keep the keycap and don’t force it back on. If the mechanism is broken too, that gets replaced as well.
I spilled something on the keyboard. What should I do?
Switch the MacBook off right away, unplug the charger and don’t turn it back on to see if it still works. Don’t dry it with a hair dryer. Bring it in or send it by courier as soon as you can: the keyboard is usually the first thing to suffer, but the bigger problem is liquid that reaches the board.
Will Touch ID still work after a keyboard replacement?
If your sensor is fine, we transfer it to the new keyboard or top case and it should work as before. The sensor is paired with the board, so if the sensor itself is damaged, a replacement usually works only as a power button. We tell you this before we start.
How do I get my MacBook to you for a keyboard repair?
Bring it to one of our three shops in Belgrade (Arena, Piramida, Centar) or send it to us by courier. Once it’s repaired, it comes back to you by courier, and we confirm the price before any work starts.
Bring it to a shop or send it by courier
Three locations in Belgrade: Arena and Piramida (New Belgrade) and Centar near the Botanical Garden. If you can’t make it in, send us the MacBook by courier. We repair the keyboard and return it to you by courier.
We cover every Belgrade municipality
Bring your device to one of our three shops or send it by courier — it comes back by courier. Click your municipality for the neighbourhoods we cover and the problems we fix most often: