2016 Macbook Pro Issue - High Pitched Keyboard Clicking Sound

[TripleMoxy]

[QUOTE="
Question: did the 12" Macbook have this issue?[/QUOTE]

I have the 12" MacBook and the keys don't suffer from this issue or the lack of consistency in feel. I believe there were some complaints about keys failing on the forums, but possibly not to the same extent (although it is difficult to weigh the relative dissatisfaction by simply reading forums). I do wonder, though, if the 12" MacBook is spared this problem because it doesn't reach the same temperatures as the MacBook Pro – an irony for a pro machine.

In any event, I hope that they re-think the trade-off between typing experience, consistency of feel between keys, and the quixotic quest for an ever-thinner laptop.

 

[mortenandersen]

Hmmm... I don't know if it's a real issue or if it's the butterfly which is like this.
I wonder if we can get a keyboard with a perfect equal noise for each keycap?

I, however, wonder if we (again) can get a keyboard with a perfect equal silence for each keycap.

 

[wiffle]

So I think I experienced this issue for the first time today on my 2.6/512/460 refurb machine... high battery usage resulting in heating near the TouchBar/top portion of the top case. My "O" key became rather sticky and the tone changed while clicking. The tab and caps lock key also clicked at a higher frequency.

Does this sound in line with the issues that others are experiencing with the keyboard...? What are the best steps moving forward..? Currently out of town and am going to miss the return window by the time I get back so that's not an option...

 

[tow1]

So I think I experienced this issue for the first time today on my 2.6/512/460 refurb machine... high battery usage resulting in heating near the TouchBar/top portion of the top case. My "O" key became rather sticky and the tone changed while clicking. The tab and caps lock key also clicked at a higher frequency.

Does this sound in line with the issues that others are experiencing with the keyboard...? What are the best steps moving forward..? Currently out of town and am going to miss the return window by the time I get back so that's not an option...

You can fix it yourself as I did.
Look at page 30 or 29 there is a video on how to fix it

 

[polee]

Besides the solution proposed on p.30, will this issue ever be resolved in the current 2016 generation of macbook pros. I am looking to buy another macbook and it looks like I may to wait for the 2017 MacBook or the 2015 MacBook Pro 13.

 

[MrGuder]

I can almost guarantee we will see a campaign fix issued from Apple for owners to bring in the Apple Store. However this won't happen till after Oct/Nov so as not to impact sales.

 

[verynice]

I can almost guarantee we will see a campaign fix issued from Apple for owners to bring in the Apple Store. However this won't happen till after Oct/Nov so as not to impact sales.

Sure, however your guestimation is about 3 years off... I'd say they'll announce a global recall in 2020 if ever...

 

[polee]

I'd really wanted this MacBook Pro release to be perfect. Now I will have to wait for either the macbook 2017 or the MacBook Pro 2017, both of which have uncertain release dates.

 

[emde]

This thread seems to have lost momentum... I'm waiting for WWDC and will be doing an exchange for whatever spec bump they offer. My Apple advisor has guaranteed a swap when (if) they come out next month. Anyone else have updates?

 

[TripleMoxy]

This thread seems to have lost momentum... I'm waiting for WWDC and will be doing an exchange for whatever spec bump they offer. My Apple advisor has guaranteed a swap when (if) they come out next month. Anyone else have updates?

I'm still waiting to see if the people ordering replacement machines are finding the quality of the keys to be any better: consistency and absence of squeaky keys.

I think it's a good idea to keep the thread alive in the absence of a moderator pinning it.

 

[yukonsnow]

FYI German customers!
I had two maxed out 15" refurbished with the squeaky/high-pitched keys issue under CPU load. Phone call with Apple in Germany revealed they haven't heard of shims yet and there's no official fix from Apple as well.

 

[parajba]

So at least 6 months have passed and Apple hasn't issued or done anything official about it. Great.

 

[erty]

Haha so this explains why, when googling about the keyboard noise, I mostly found exclamations of "it's p quiet if you keep your fingers in contact with the keys" and similar, which seemed beyond preposterous when 90% of the noise is on key-up.
Took me a while to understand this isn't what it's supposed to sound like, I guess because ever-clicky caps lock aside (esc+hyper so one of my most used keys sadly) it doesn't seem very localised to specific ones on mine, comes and goes on most of them to various extent afaict.

Apart from the sheer loudness I think what bugs me is how eerily spot-on exactly the same it is in both sound and feel to a keyboard affected, but not actually wrecked enough to warrant replacing, by beer spillage. Been there, done that, def not what you want from a brand new $3k laptop.

My keyboard also seems to intermittently miss keypresses, which I chalked up to unfamiliarity / "holding it wrong" but am starting to feel doesn't cut it.

I mean as far as issues go it's some first world **** if I've ever seen it, and I'll be on the road for months so not in a position to get service (doesn't seem like a good idea anyways at this point), but no way am I accepting this in the long run.
But would it still be best to give Apple a heads up immediately, as far as ability to get decent service or a swap later in the year when the issue has hopefully gotten a proper fix?

 

[emde]

Hopefully a spec update at WWDC for these models. Maybe a "secret" engineering fix on the new batches? I'll be swapping mine if they do bump them. Rumors are a 32GB RAM option which would be nice.

https://9to5mac.com/2017/05/09/apple-press-invite-wwdc-keynote-dates/

 

[sometimes1]

Finally i got a perfect keyboard. My new 2,7/455/512 with build date 20 feb hos no clicking sound.
My old 2,6/450/256 with the same build date that i returned had terrible noise from the RTYUGH buttons.

So there are perfect keyboards out there.

 

[sneak3]

Finally i got a perfect keyboard. My new 2,7/455/512 with build date 20 feb hos no clicking sound.
My old 2,6/450/256 with the same build date that i returned had terrible noise from the RTYUGH buttons.

So there are perfect keyboards out there.

please dont give people false hope

 

[jeroenvip]

I had the same problem with the macbook pro 2017. Bought mine in the second week of march.

First time the X and the C where making the noise. Went to the genius bar and they replaced the bottom part of the macbook.

Second time the Y and the I where making the noise. Went to the genius bar and they repaired the Y and I keys with these so called "key caps"

Third time the 2 and the R where making the noise. Went to the genius bar. They offered me to look at the keyboard once more or give a refund. Picked the refund option.

WWDC hopefully comes with a solution for the keyboard problem. So i can buy that version. For work and casual gaming the machine is a wonderful piece of hardware.

Regards jerome

 

[MrGuder]

WWDC hopefully comes with a solution for the keyboard problem. So i can buy that version. For work and casual gaming the machine is a wonderful piece of hardware.
Regards jerome

Will you be the first to buy after June 5th and then let us all know?

 

[testudoaubreii]

I have a brand new 13" MBP arriving today. I had no idea about any of this. I am a brand new user, as well.

How worried should I be about this?

 

[polee]

I have a brand new 13" MBP arriving today. I had no idea about any of this. I am a brand new user, as well.

How worried should I be about this?

Give your macbook a chance, you do not need to push your macbook to its limits but work as you would on it. Once it gets warm, see if your keys become extra clicky or it become unusable. If you are very worried, then please ask for a refund and wait for the new version to be released.

 

[jeroenvip]

Will you be the first to buy after June 5th and then let us all know?

Ill do my best. And if i am not convinced the problem is solved ill buy the 2015 model instead

 

[Dmitriy777]

MacPro 15/2016 touch bar/id, same issue but i fix it by using simple compressed air duster. Blew out all the dust from under the buttons and it works. Idk for how long but its third day already. Fingers cross! Shame that i need to do such a think with an expansive laptop but i think there is now other solution that will solve this problem. I hope it will help to others.

 

[Brookzy]

MacPro 15/2016 touch bar/id, same issue but i fix it by using simple compressed air duster. Blew out all the dust from under the buttons and it works. Idk for how long but its third day already. Fingers cross! Shame that i need to do such a think with an expansive laptop but i think there is now other solution that will solve this problem. I hope it will help to others.

I nearly reached the same conclusion, however I realised that the compressed air was merely cooling the key... a few minutes later once it heated up again the noise would be back.

 

[Dmitriy777]

I nearly reached the same conclusion, however I realised that the compressed air was merely cooling the key... a few minutes later once it heated up again the noise would be back.

I had problem with more than one button and now its ok. So maybe u need to clean more. Hope it will help.

 

[sublunar]

This seems to be an obvious issue with the 2016 models with heat making keyboard noise more apparent. I wonder if this is also a function of using the old battery design rather than the newer terraced style design from the Macbook which caused last year's desktop refreshes to be aborted?

Either way, the UK refurbished store has seen loads of variations of the 2016 Macbook Pros for a sustained period for several weeks. These could be repaired models, returned models, or even ones that Apple are putting in to the store just to boost sales because prices in the UK have gone up massively since the 2016 models went on sale. I don't recall the 2012 Retina models being so prevalent in the store for so long and in so many variants.

Apple could very well be planning a 2017 model to launch in October but should they instead be launching a replacement sooner than that - perhaps at WWDC? Kaby Lake CPUs should be available, allowing better energy efficiency, built in support for Thunderbolt 3 on the motherboard, and most importantly, the chance for engineering improvements to eliminate some of the issues that have arisen these last few months including a terraced battery.