Apple Offers Technicians Additional Training on MacBook Keyboards With Series of Web Broadcasts

It has been an eventful few weeks for MacBook Pro keyboards.

Last month, Apple finally acknowledged that a "small percentage" of MacBook and MacBook Pro models with butterfly switch keyboards may experience issues with "sticky" or inconsistently functioning keys, and launched a worldwide service program offering free repairs of affected keyboards for up to four years.

macbookpro15inch2018
The issues are widely believed to be caused by dust or other particulates, like crumbs from a sandwich, getting lodged in the butterfly mechanism underneath the keycaps, which are shallower than those on previous-generation MacBook and MacBook Pro keyboards with traditional scissor switch mechanisms.

Then, last week, Apple surprised us with the release of new 2018 MacBook Pro models, which feature an "improved third-generation keyboard for quieter typing," according to Apple's press release. Apple never publicly confirmed if the third-generation keyboard addresses the issues that prompted its service program.

It didn't take long for the repair experts at iFixit to open up the latest 13-inch MacBook Pro with Touch Bar and discover a thin silicone membrane underneath each key, which they said is clearly to prevent "contaminant ingress," or, in other words, to prevent dust and crumbs from getting stuck under keys.

Then, just hours ago, MacRumors obtained an internal document from Apple, distributed to its network of Apple Authorized Service Providers, that clearly acknowledges that "the keyboard has a membrane under the keycaps to prevent debris from entering the butterfly mechanism," as many people suspected.

Now, in another internal document obtained by MacRumors, Apple has announced that it will be hosting a series of 60-minute web broadcast events focused on servicing Mac notebook keyboards and keycaps.

In the broadcasts, which service providers are instructed to watch "in private in an environment away from customers," Apple says it will discuss the anatomy of the current keycaps, focus on troubleshooting and isolating keyboard issues, and demonstrate how to clean keyboards and replace keycaps.

These training sessions are routine for Apple Authorized Service Providers, but given all of the issues surrounding the MacBook and MacBook Pro keyboards as of late, they will likely be very helpful for technicians.

Customers can initiate a repair by reading: How to Get a MacBook or MacBook Pro Keyboard Repaired Free Under Apple's Service Program.

Related Roundup: MacBook Pro
Buyer's Guide: MacBook Pro (Neutral)
Related Forums: MacBook, MacBook Pro

Popular Stories

Apple Watch Ultra Night Mode Screen

Apple Watch Ultra 3 Launching Later This Year With Two Key Upgrades

Wednesday July 2, 2025 1:13 pm PDT by
The long wait for an Apple Watch Ultra 3 appears to be nearly over, and it is rumored to feature both satellite connectivity and 5G support. Apple Watch Ultra's existing Night Mode In his latest Power On newsletter, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said that the Apple Watch Ultra 3 is on track to launch this year with "significant" new features, including satellite connectivity, which would let you...
iPhone 17 Pro in Hand Feature Lowgo

iPhone 17 Pro Max Battery Capacity Leaked

Thursday July 3, 2025 5:40 am PDT by
The iPhone 17 Pro Max will feature the biggest ever battery in an iPhone, according to the Weibo leaker known as "Instant Digital." In a new post, the leaker listed the battery capacities of the iPhone 11 Pro Max through to the iPhone 16 Pro Max, and added that the iPhone 17 Pro Max will feature a battery capacity of 5,000mAh: iPhone 11 Pro Max: 3,969mAh iPhone 12 Pro Max: 3,687mAh...
iPhone 17 Pro in Hand Feature Lowgo

iPhone 17 Pro Coming Soon With These 14 New Features

Friday July 4, 2025 1:05 pm PDT by
Apple's next-generation iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are just over two months away, and there are plenty of rumors about the devices. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models. Latest Rumors These rumors surfaced in June and July:Apple logo repositioned: Apple's logo may have a lower position on the back of the iPhone 17 Pro models, compared to previous...
iPhone 17 Pro Lower Logo Magsafe

iPhone 17 Pro's New MagSafe Design Revealed in Leaked Photo

Wednesday July 2, 2025 8:37 am PDT by
The upcoming iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are rumored to have a slightly different MagSafe magnet layout compared to existing iPhone models, and a leaked photo has offered a closer look at the supposed new design. The leaker Majin Bu today shared a photo of alleged MagSafe magnet arrays for third-party iPhone 17 Pro cases. On existing iPhone models with MagSafe, the magnets form a...
airpods pro 2

AirPods Pro 3 to Help Maintain Apple's Place in Earbud Market Amid Increasing Low-Cost Competition

Thursday July 3, 2025 7:25 am PDT by
Apple's position as the dominant force in the global true wireless stereo (TWS) earbud market is expected to continue through 2025, according to Counterpoint Research. The forecast outlines a 3% year-over-year increase in global TWS unit shipments for 2025, signaling a transition from rapid growth to a more mature phase for the category. While Apple is set to remain the leading brand by...
Wi Fi WiFi General Feature

iOS 26 Adds a Useful New Wi-Fi Feature to Your iPhone

Wednesday July 2, 2025 6:36 am PDT by
iOS 26 and iPadOS 26 add a smaller yet useful Wi-Fi feature to iPhones and iPads. As spotted by Creative Strategies analyst Max Weinbach, sign-in details for captive Wi-Fi networks are now synced across iPhones and iPads running iOS 26 and iPadOS 26. For example, while Weinbach was staying at a Hilton hotel, his iPhone prompted him to fill in Wi-Fi details from his iPad that was already...
iOS 18

Apple Releases Second iOS 18.6 Public Beta

Tuesday July 1, 2025 10:19 am PDT by
Apple today seeded the second betas of upcoming iOS 18.6 and iPadOS 18.6 updates to public beta testers, with the betas coming just a day after Apple provided the betas to developers. Apple has also released a second beta of macOS Sequoia 15.6. Testers who have signed up for beta updates through Apple's beta site can download iOS 18.6 and iPadOS 18.6 from the Settings app on a compatible...

Top Rated Comments

redheeler Avatar
91 months ago
It's a keyboard, one of the most fundamental components of a laptop. It really shouldn't be this complicated.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
redheeler Avatar
91 months ago
...how complicated exactly?

I’m Apple certified, I spent 15 minutes watching an explanation of a particular screw once. I don’t see the problem in comprehensive training on how to do the repair work technicians are paid for, can you elaborate on the issue you have with it?
Fair enough, I see no problem with comprehensive training; but Apple clearly over-engineered this keyboard in an attempt to make it thinner, resulting in all the negative publicity over stuck keys happening with the 2016 / 2017 models, and making it more difficult to service as well.

My guess is the 2015 and before keyboards will still prove to be (on average) more reliable than the 2018 keyboards.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
NT1440 Avatar
91 months ago
It's a keyboard, one of the most fundamental components of a laptop. It really shouldn't be this complicated.
...how complicated exactly?

I’m Apple certified, I spent 15 minutes watching an explanation of a particular screw once. I don’t see the problem in comprehensive training on how to do the repair work technicians are paid for, can you elaborate on the issue you have with it?
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
reteena2048 Avatar
91 months ago
...how complicated exactly?

I’m Apple certified, I spent 15 minutes watching an explanation of a particular screw once. I don’t see the problem in comprehensive training on how to do the repair work technicians are paid for, can you elaborate on the issue you have with it?
At retail stores, technician training has been incredibly weak the last few years with lots of employees that are uncertified being forced to proceed with customer repairs. Notice it’s “routine” training for AASP but not for Apple. It’s a big problem and I doubt that they will offer time for Apple Technicians, especially during “busy back-to-school” season, then new product launch, then holiday.

Please note, there are now Geniuses that have only been trained by videos, and have never handled these physical components before. Especially these newly-designed Macbooks and MacBook Pros, that open quite differently from before (they don’t just unscrew and pop off, as you know actually being certified!)
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Koh Phi Phi Avatar
91 months ago
As someone who suffered from malfunctioning keyboard on my 15" TouchBar MBP, I hope this membrane fixes the reliability issue.

The butterfly keyboard had 3 main issues:

* Reliability
* Lack of tactile fee (no travel)
* Annoying clackiness (noisy)

All in the pursue of shaving 1mm off to the laptop thickness... Was it really necessary?

I dunno... Butterfly keyboard, gimmicky touchbars, one-port mentality, no headphone jack quest... I feel like Apple in the last few years have been stubornly fighting the wrong battles!
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
jhudgins Avatar
91 months ago
But I thought it was to make the keyboard quieter. ::eye roll::
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)