30th November 2023

Why did Apple stop making butterfly keyboards?

Apple discontinued butterfly keyboards in July 2019.

They now use a “scissor switch” mechanism that is far more reliable and offers a superior typing feel. However, it follows a 5-year saga during which Apple repaired a huge number of butterfly mechanism based keyboards. The high number of failures saw a lawsuit brought against Apple. Apple then offered to repair keyboards on Macbooks that were out of warranty.

What was the first Macbook with a butterfly keyboard?

The 2015 12″ Macbook was the first to feature a butterfly mechanism keyboard

This model saw the debut of the ill-fated keyboard. You’ll note it wasn’t called a Pro or Air – it was simply titled Macbook.

They then incorporated the butterfly keyboard into the Macbook Pro and early Macbook Air models.

Apple moved to the butterfly keyboard primarily because of how thin the overall unit could be That constituted a major design feature of the Pro and Air models of the era.

What was wrong with Macbook butterfly keyboards?

Why was the Macbook butterfly keyboard so unreliable?

In a nutshell, it was fragile. If you are keen on toast with your breakfast, or eating the occasional biscuit whilst on your Macbook, you’ve almost certainly dropped crumbs on your Mac. Those crumbs could prove fatal to the keyboard. Tiny pieces that entered the internals of the Macbook would frequently become lodged within the butterfly mechanism, causing the keys to stick or offer resistance over time and ultimately leading to complete failure.

What went wrong with butterfly keyboards?

Why was this such a major issue for Apple and users?

The big problem, aside from the inconvenience and annoyance of a failed keyboard or key, was that to replace the Macbook keyboard is no easy task.

Look at your Macbook if you’re on it now. The keyboard sits on top of virtually every single component inside your Mac. To replace it involves the removal of all the major parts in your Macbook! Most butterfly keyboards rest on top of a layer that houses the LED lighting mechanism for the keys. This is situated above the logic board. The SSD drive, WiFi card and other important components are attached to the board. In the Macbook Pro, the keyboard is secured in place with 102 tiny screws! When we say tiny, we really do mean miniscule!

After removal of the screws, they often require complete replacement with a new batch.

The time alone in replacing a keyboard in a butterfly based Macbook Air or Pro is significant – and as we all know, time costs money.

Did Apple recall butterfly keyboards?

Apple offered an extended warranty period on butterfly keyboards

Apple acknowledged the issues with the butterfly keyboards in 2018 and offered an extended keyboard warranty programme – ultimately offering to guarantee them for 4 years and replace failing keyboards free of charge.

If you owned a new Macbook Pro even beyond the date they offered the extended warranty, it applied to those machines too (at least to the keyboards).

How do I know if my Macbook was covered by the extended keyboard warranty?

Apple has published a list of all the models it deemed affected by the butterfly keyboard issues and you’ll find it on the link below:

Apple butterfly keyboard service warranty – list of affected models

Will Apple repair my Macbook butterfly keyboard?

No, it is very unlikely that Apple will repair your keyboard now. The scheme ended some time ago.

Can a Macbook keyboard be repaired?

Get in touch with us if you live in the Newcastle upon Tyne, Northumberland or County Durham regions of the UK.

We can replace almost any Macbook keyboard and we’ll give you a free no-obligation estimate and even offer a free collection and return service if you live in a qualifying region and want to proceed with the repair.