Over time, dust and dirt can easily accumulate on your MacBook keyboard. This might disturb the overall mechanism of specific keys or the entire keyboard. Thus, you might find out that all Shift keys or certain keys are not working at all. How to fix Shift key on MacBook?
Cleaning your MacBook keyboard might be helpful. However, software glitches and interference from third-party applications can disrupt the functionality f a single or all Shift keys. The same problem can happen to Command, Option, and other keys on your Mac keyboard.
Let’s check out how to address a faulty Shift key scenario due to software and hardware failure.
Fix Shift Keys on Your MacBook
How to fix Shift key on MacBook? Before you proceed to the solution, it’s better to check out the reasons first. Eliminating the reason can make the Shift keys work again. The following reasons are reported behind a defective Shift key on MacBook:
- Debris accumulation under the Shift key
- Temporary software bugs
- Interference from third-party applications
- Damaged keyboard
- Broken Shift key
Determine if any of the above-mentioned causes difficulty with the Shift key function. Otherwise, you can carry on with the following solutions one by one:
1. Try the Accessibility Keyboard
The accessibility Keyboard or macOS Keyboard Viewer lets you check if an individual key responds when you press that specific key. How to fix Shift key on MacBook with the macOS Keyboard Viewer?
This will allow you to see whether the Shift key reacts appropriately or if you use the right keyboard layout. Launch the Keyboard Viewer and try to press the Shift key from different spots and angles.
You can see the exact point where you press the key, and if it’s highlighted on the Keyboard Viewer, then only that spot is working. The remaining spots of the Shift key might be blocked by accumulated debris. Here’s how you can launch the Keyboard Viewer:
- Click on the Input menu from the upper right corner of the screen.
- Choose the option that says, ‘Show Keyboard Viewer’.
- Next, start pressing the Shift keys to test their functionality.
If you find the Shift key stuck, tap the respective key from the Accessibility Keyboard. And, it should be free. If you don’t see the Shift key highlighted in the macOS Keyboard Viewer, the key will likely suffer from hardware failures.
2. Clean your Mac Keyboard
Why is my Left Shift key not working on my Mac? Well, Apple has admitted that dust, dirt, and debris can make any key stuck, and the key can stop working. Frequent cleaning removes accumulated dirt and dust below and around keycaps.
How can you clean your Mac keyboard on your own? Compressed air can is the most reliable solution to this. Hold your MacBook keyboard at an angle of 75 degrees. Then, you can use the compressed air can to spray the whole keyboard.
Otherwise, you can use a dedicated cleaning solution. Make sure that you pick up recommended cleaning products for your MacBook. Or else you might end up ruining the keyboard.
3. Restart Your MacBook
Are you still trying to figure out how to fix Shift key on MacBook Pro? A minor glitch with the macOS software might be the culprit here. To eliminate this, you can quickly restart your MacBook. Here’s how you can restart your Mac computer and check if the shift key starts responding:
- Move to the Apple icon from the upper left corner of your Mac screen.
- Once it expands, select Restart.
- Confirm your action by clicking on the Restart option.
Wait for your Mac to restart automatically. Check if the Shift key starts working. If the Mac keyboard doesn’t work, you can hold the Power button until it shuts down. Let the MacBook rest for a minute or so.
After that, press the Power button as you usually do to turn on your MacBook. Now, test if the device has restored its key functions.
4. Have You Turned on the Keyboard?
Perhaps, you use an external wireless keyboard on your MacBook. In this situation, you should turn on the keyboard before using it. Most external wireless keyboards come up with a dedicated power switch.
Power on the keyboard once you plug the device into your MacBook. So, check whether you have enabled the keyboard or not.
5. Modify Keyboard Settings
Inappropriate settings to your MacBook Air keyboard might result in the Left or Right Shift key needing to be fixed. How to fix Shift key on MacBook with dedicated settings? Go through the instructions below to adjust keyboard settings on your MacBook Pro and MacBook Air:
- Open the Apple menu and then select System Settings or System Preferences.
- After that, click on the Accessibility tab and choose Pointer Control.
- Next, choose the Alternative Control Methods panel.
- Deactivate the option called ‘Enable Mouse Keys’.
- Head towards System Preferences and click on Keyboard.
- Now, click on Hardware and disable ‘Enable Slow Keys’.
Check if the Shift key issue persists.
6. Reset NVRAM
MacBooks store peripheral data on NVRAM, and that’s why you might benefit from resetting it. Attempt this hack if your Mac’s left or right Shift key is stuck due to a software glitch. To reset NVRAM, you must go through the following instructions:
- Turn off your Mac computer.
- Wait for a while and turn it back on.
- Immediately press the following keys and hold them until you hear a startup sound: Command, Option, P, and R.
- Keep holding on to these keys until the system restarts on its own.
- Release them when the system starts up.
7. Erase the Keyboard Preference File
How to fix Shift key on MacBook when it still doesn’t work even after an NVRAM reset? Try deleting the keyboard preference file, which might omit your MacBook Pro’s abnormal behaviour. Here’s how you can trash the keyboard preference file on your MacBook:
- Explore Finder on your system.
- After that, click the Go option followed by the Go to Folder option.
- Now, type ‘/Library/Preferences’ and press Enter.
- Next, find the file named com.apple.keyboardtype.plist and delete it.
Restart your device and check if this prevents the Shift key from working.
8. Pair the Keyboard Again with the MacBook
Are you using a wireless or Bluetooth keyboard on your MacBook? In that case, several keys, including the Shift ones, aren’t working properly. You must unpair and re-pair that keyboard to eradicate the improper pairing process.
Disconnect and reconnect the wireless keyboard. Ensure that the dongle of the wireless keyboard isn’t defective. If you use a Bluetooth keyboard with your Mac, then here’s what you need to follow to re-pair them:
- Go to System Preferences or System Settings on your MacBook.
- Then, select the Bluetooth option.
- Once the Bluetooth menu opens, locate the keyboard that you currently use and right-click on it.
- Next, select the Remove option from the pop-up menu.
- Again, click on the Remove button to confirm your action.
- Shut down your keyboard and turn it on after a few minutes.
- Now, pair up the keyboard with your MacBook from scratch.
For further details regarding the pair-up process, refer to the user instructions for your Bluetooth keyboard.
9. Reset SMC
System Management Controller of any Mac controls power options. How to fix Shift key on MacBook with an SMC reset? Resetting the SMC might resolve the hardware conflict and free the Shift key.
If you own Intel-based Macs, try resetting the SMC and check if it restores the Shift key. Here’s how to reset SMC on a Mac with a T2 chip:
- Shut down your Mac device.
- Long-press the Control, Shift, and Option keys for 7 seconds.
- After 7 seconds, hold the Power button and keep holding all 4 buttons for another 7 seconds.
- Release those buttons or keys. Wait another 5 seconds before you turn on the MacBook by pressing the Power button.
If your Mac has a non-removable battery, you have to follow the instructions below to reset its SMC:
- Power off the Mac.
- Hold the Control, Option, and Shift keys at the same time.
- Next, long-press the Power button along with these 3 keys.
- Keep holding them for 10 seconds or so.
- After 10 seconds, release all keys. Press the Power button to turn on the computer.
However, you can opt for a similar reset on M1 and other Apple silicon Macs in the following way:
- Turn off your MacBook and detach its power cable from the outlet.
- Now, wait for 15 seconds or so.
- After 15 seconds, plug your MacBook into the power source.
- Don’t turn it on immediately. Wait for at least 5 seconds before you power on your MacBook.
- Afterwards, press the Power button to turn your MacBook on.
Get in Touch with Macbook Repair India
Are you still stuck on how to fix Shift key on MacBook? Try uninstalling recently-installed apps on your MacBook. If it doesn’t work, then your MacBook might have failed at the hardware level, requiring expert intervention.
Contact Macbook Repair India for keyboard repair and replacement, especially when you run out of warranty. They specialise in repairing Magic, Butterfly, and other cutting-edge keyboard technologies innovated by Apple.
