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How can I start up my MacBook Pro ONLY using the power button?

Yoms

Yoms

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Jun 1, 2016
411
268
Hi,

I could rewrite the question as follows: how can I prevent all buttons, except the power button, to start up my computer?

Why on earth does Apple make a dedicated power button if you can start up your computer by pressing any keyboard button or even the trackpad? It doesn't make sense. It is so annoying that the Mac starts up when I only want to clean it with a cloth. I hate this.

Is there a magic Terminal command so that only the power button is allowed to start the Mac?

Thanks!
 
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Are you sure? When it’s asleep you might be able to wake it from any key but when it’s turned off only the power button should work. At least, that’s how my MacBook Pro used to be when I had it.
 
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Is this something on the new MacBooks? Mine only boots up using the power button.
 
I cannot say for previous laptops. Mine is a 2018 MBP and before that, I had an 2010 iMac.

I've just performed the 3 following tests:
1) Turn off computer and close the lid => when I lift the lid, the computer starts
2) Turn off computer and clicked on trackpad => it starts
3) Turn off computer and hit a keyboard key => same, it starts

This is really annoying.
 
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Ok, I think I found some stuffs related to the command "sudo nvram AutoBoot" that may help.

EDIT: it only solves the boot on lid open, not the rest.
 
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They've talked about this on ATP before, there's literally no way to stop other keys from causing the Mac to boot.

If your concern is wanting to clean the keyboard, download this free tool https://folivora.ai/keyboardcleantool

You just click a button and then it stops receiving keyboard input until you click it again. So you can clean while booted up.
 
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mikethebigo said:
They've talked about this on ATP before, there's literally no way to stop other keys from causing the Mac to boot.

If your concern is wanting to clean the keyboard, download this free tool https://folivora.ai/keyboardcleantool

You just click a button and then it stops receiving keyboard input until you click it again. So you can clean while booted up.
Click to expand...
Yeah I came to that conclusion as well. It's not only for cleaning though. Once I just wanted to place it in a soft case, but "accidentally" touched a key or the trackpad (can't remember). Then I had to wait it starts just to click on "turn off". Frustrating.

Apple is known to have a strong focus on user experience, but at times they do things annoying as f*** that you can't possible believe.
 
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You cant do that, i hate that too. When i want to clean keyboard i need 3rd party app to block the keyboard
 
Yoms said:
Yeah I came to that conclusion as well. It's not only for cleaning though. Once I just wanted to place it in a soft case, but "accidentally" touched a key or the trackpad (can't remember). Then I had to wait it starts just to click on "turn off". Frustrating.

Apple is known to have a strong focus on user experience, but at times they do things annoying as f*** that you can't possible believe.
Click to expand...
Yeah, I mean I don't think it's a huge deal and not that many people want/need to turn the function off. But I do think, if not a GUI control, at least a terminal command to let you deactivate it would be nice. I'm guessing there's some hardware reason you can't.
 
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I'm not sure who originally thought this would be a good idea, but the boot on open and boot with pressing any key is a solution to a problem that doesnt exist, and a cause of a problem that previously didnt exist. It feels like the same train of thought that led to the butterfly keyboard.
 
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Yeah, you can disable the boot on lid opening, but I don't think there is anything to disable the boot on any key press.
It does make it harder to clean/wipe down the keyboard.

It's just another thing that they added to the 2016 and later Macs. Just like disabling the boot up "bong" sound on them as well.
I am still surprised to see that they brought it back as well on Big Sur. Still surprised to hear it when I turn on my 2018 13" MBP.
 
So what are you doing specifically?
Are you holding the power button down for 10+ seconds to shut down the computer?
Are you going to the apple logo and selecting 'Shut down'?
'Turn off' isn't a command.
If you have done either of those options and it then starts when you touch a key, I'd be surprised.
It's never done that to me.
If you've done something else then you've just put your computer to sleep and then yes, it will come out of sleep when you touch a key.
Additionally, you need to leave the screen open until the computer is completely shut down otherwise it won't shut down properly and xill just go to sleep.
There is no way that just pressing a key reboots the computer if it's been completely and correctly shut down.
No way.
 
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ght56 said:
I'm not sure who originally thought this would be a good idea, but the boot on open and boot with pressing any key is a solution to a problem that doesnt exist, and a cause of a problem that previously didnt exist. It feels like the same train of thought that led to the butterfly keyboard.
Click to expand...
and keyless car keys that make you walk away from your Jeep while it's not in park
 
Ruggy said:
So what are you doing specifically?
Are you holding the power button down for 10+ seconds to shut down the computer?
Are you going to the apple logo and selecting 'Shut down'?
'Turn off' isn't a command.
If you have done either of those options and it then starts when you touch a key, I'd be surprised.
It's never done that to me.
If you've done something else then you've just put your computer to sleep and then yes, it will come out of sleep when you touch a key.
Additionally, you need to leave the screen open until the computer is completely shut down otherwise it won't shut down properly and xill just go to sleep.
There is no way that just pressing a key reboots the computer if it's been completely and correctly shut down.
No way.
Click to expand...
Well, you are completely wrong lol.
 
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After some more searching around it seems like the any key turn on "feature" is only on 2018 and later Macbooks. My 2016 13" MBP turns on with the power button, but my 2018 13" MBP turns on with any key press.
 
At the time of Covid-19, having to rely on 3rd party app to be able to clean your keyboard is just senseless.
Also, why would you even make a Touch ID/Power button that is actually a button you can depress if ANY key can do it as well?

Anyways, I performed the terminal to disable power up on lid open. Other than that, I think we can only complain. It's probably like Cmd+X in Finder 😂. You're not gonna have it.
 
Yoms said:
having to rely on 3rd party app to be able to clean your keyboard is just senseless
Click to expand...
You're making too much of this. Just wipe the keyboard down while the screen saver is on. Nothing will happen as a result of the keypresses.
 
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I agree it is pretty annoying that any lid open or key press will turn the machine on even when not plugged into power, and agree that it makes it a bit of a pain to clean the keyboard and trackpad. I just do it while its sleeping and have my watch off so it won't auto log in and wipe everything down as it sits on the login screen
 
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Ruggy said:
So what are you doing specifically?
Are you holding the power button down for 10+ seconds to shut down the computer?
Are you going to the apple logo and selecting 'Shut down'?
'Turn off' isn't a command.
If you have done either of those options and it then starts when you touch a key, I'd be surprised.
It's never done that to me.
If you've done something else then you've just put your computer to sleep and then yes, it will come out of sleep when you touch a key.
Additionally, you need to leave the screen open until the computer is completely shut down otherwise it won't shut down properly and xill just go to sleep.
There is no way that just pressing a key reboots the computer if it's been completely and correctly shut down.
No way.
Click to expand...
The 'start on any key' and 'start on lid open' are standard behaviour on the 2020 MacBook Air (M1) model. There is a setting in nvram that used to control this behaviour. On resent MacBooks the behaviour could be disabled by issuing the correct command in Terminal. But this option no longer works on the new M1 machine where the behavior apparently can no longer be disabled, I regret to say.
 
Apple never ceases to amaze me with their terrible design choices. It’s like they are desperate for ideas to warrant new products so they randomly mess with things so they have something to fix in the future. It truly hinders progress. Jobs would be rolling in his grave if he saw where the company has gone.
 
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