Customers have reported the annoying problem of their Mac keyboard becoming slow, freezing, or getting stuck. Below you'll find several strategies to fix a slow or laggy keyboard on your Mac.
Slow or creeping keyboard on Mac
It can be really annoying when you can't work properly on your Mac because your external keyboard gets stuck, runs out of letters, or becomes painfully slow.
The slow Mac keyboard issue isn't limited to Apple's Magic Keyboard, but has also been reported by customers of Dell, Logitech, and other Mac keyboards.
In our experience, this problem appears to be the result of interference from USB 3.0 devices .
1. Keyboard On/Off
Customers have reported that the Laggy Magic Keyboard can be repaired simply by turning the keyboard OFF and then turning it ON again.
The same answer should work on Dell, Logitech and other keyboards.
2. Remove USB related devices
As we said before, the problem could be interference from USB 3.0 devices connected to your Mac.
Remove all USB-related devices from your Mac (other than keyboard and mouse dongles) > Restart your Mac and check if the problem is resolved.
3. SMC Preset
This methodology is included to fix the issue of the space bar key and other particular keys not being engaged on the most recent variations of MacBook (2018 and later).
1. Click Apple Brand > Cease and wait for your Mac to shut down completely.
2. Turn off all your Mac equipment and wait 10 seconds.
3. Press and hold the power button on your Mac. The Apple logo appears on the screen and disappears.
Note: Continue holding down the Power button when the Apple logo appears on the screen and release the Power button as soon as the Apple logo disappears from the screen.
4. Observe for 10 seconds and press the power button to restart your Mac.
If that doesn't help, you can reset the SMC by following the steps in this information: How to reset the SMC on your MacBook, Mac Mini, and iMac.
4. Disable sticky keys
Make sure the issue is not caused by enabling graduated and sticky keys on your Mac.
1. Click on Apple icon > System Preferences > Accessibility.
2. On the accessibility screen, uncheck Sticky keys and Graduated keys.
5. Reset the Bluetooth module
Most MacBook keyboard issues are likely due to Bluetooth problems.
1. Click on the Apple icon in the top menu bar and choose System Preferences from the drop-down list.
2. On the System Preferences screen, click the Bluetooth icon button.
3. On the next screen, look at the small field after the Bluetooth Icon note in the top menu bar on your Mac.
4. Next, load and hold Shift + Choose keys > click Bluetooth icon in the top menu bar > hover over Debugging and click Reset Bluetooth module.
After that, check if the Keyboard now works properly on your Mac.
6. Reset the Apple Keyboard manufacturing unit
If resetting the Bluetooth module did not help, try the steps below to reset the Apple Keyboard Bluetooth to factory defaults and see if this helps resolve the issue.
1. Save Equipment + Choose keys > click Bluetooth Icon located in the top menu bar.
2. Move the mouse up to Debug > and click Manufacturing Unit. Restart all paired Apple devices.
3. Restart your Mac and try pairing the Bluetooth gadget with your Mac.
Note: This arrangement is hardly relevant for Apple devices.
As you may have noticed, an accented pop-up menu appears when your Mac's keyboard is having problems.
Some customers have reported that they have noticed an improvement in keyboard typing speed after disabling the accented popup menu on their Mac.
1. Open Launchpad on your Mac and click the Terminal Icon button.
2. In the terminal window, type default NSGlobalDomain ApplePressAndHoldEnabled -bool false and press Enter.
3. Close the Terminal display window and restart your Mac.
Note: If necessary, you can enable the context menu for accents on your Mac at any time by typing NSGlobalDomain ApplePressAndHoldEnabled -bool true in the Terminal window.
- How to Fix a Slow or Laggy Mouse on a Mac
- How to Print Screen or Take a Screenshot on a Mac
My name is Javier Chirinos and I am passionate about technology. Ever since I can remember, I have been interested in computers and video games, and that passion has turned into a job.
I have been publishing about technology and gadgets on the Internet for over 15 years, especially in mundobytes.com
I am also an expert in online marketing and communication and have knowledge in WordPress development.