How To Put Apple Key Back On Keyboard

Larn how to remove, swap, supercede, repair and clean the keys on your iMac, Mac or MacBook laptop, with our elementary Mac keyboard repair guide. Plus: how to swap key functions around using Mac Bone X and gratis Mac tools.

How exercise I remove keys from my Mac keyboard, then supercede them later? I desire to get underneath to clean up a coffee spill. I might equally well replace the dirty and damaged keys while I'k at it.

Moving and replacing keys on a Mac can exist split into two categories. First, you may desire to know how to physically move the hardware keys around on your Mac keyboard (to change a US keyboard layout into a UK keyboard layout, for case, to replace a damaged Spacebar with a new replacement or to access the innards to more effectively clear upwardly a liquid spill). Second, you may want to use your Mac's Os settings to swap the functions of one fundamental on to another fundamental location on the keyboard.

Whether yous want to know how to physically move, remove and supplant keys on the keyboard of your iMac, Mac Pro, MacBook Pro or MacBook Air, or just remap the functions of Mac keys, we explain the process in this article.

See also: What and where is the Option fundamental on a Mac?

This is the tool we're going to employ to remove the keys from our iMac keyboard. It'south plastic, crucially, and has a slender apartment end and offers good leverage. It was sold to us every bit part of an 'iPhone repair kit', simply similar items are bachelor from electronics shops, hobby stores and online

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How to physically remove the keys from a Mac or MacBook keyboard

Unlike in nearly situations, Macs are distinctly less user-friendly than PCs when it comes to tinkering: Apple tree is quite openly unhappy about the thought of you making concrete upgrades to its MacBooks and desktop Macs. And Mac keyboards are no exception, which may be why yous had to look for assistance online.

Current and recent Apple keyboards have low keys, which gives them a classy feel and a nice typing action but makes it tricky to become under the key and prise it out, peculiarly without damaging the 'scissor elevator' mechanism underneath. And then be very careful in the way you dislodge the unwanted/incorrectly positioned keys.

You demand a flat probe or tool, just it's all-time if it'south plastic or a similar material rather than metal, which rules out virtually screwdrivers. (Metal is more likely to cause damage.) A wiring tool chosen a 'spudger' is well-nigh right; a blast file could too work well.

Slide your chosen tool very gently under the border of the key and lever it up slowly until the key lifts upward and detaches. The precise mechanism will depend on which model of keyboard you've got, but there should be a pocket-sized plastic assembly (which y'all need to be careful about damaging while detaching the fundamental) and a trivial safe nubbin in the centre. Don't remove these.

Here'south how to remove an iMac keyboard key: gently and slowly, using our neat little iPhone tool. Please alibi the long girlish fingernails

And here's what happens when you lever also hard. Luckily the F19 key landed on a colleague's desk, but it's incredibly like shooting fish in a barrel (and frustrating) to lose them

This is what it looks similar under our F19 key. Note the plastic scissor lift frame and the minor safety nubbin in the centre

Here nosotros've raised the key mechanism so you can run into how it works

How to clean up liquid spills and other dirt and mess nether Mac keys

The space you've at present opened upwardly is delicate, but can be cleaned out safely. A cotton wool bud or like soft-ended tool is ideal for soaking upwards small liquid deposits and lifting out detritus. Make certain yous don't stress the fragile plastic of the scissor-lift mechanism.

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How to replace keys on a Mac or MacBook keyboard

Now we'll run the procedure in reverse. Line upwardly the key over the empty slot where you desire it, with the four small plastic nodules over the two holes and the broad gap over the long bar. (You'll only need these directions if it'due south a bare key like a Spacebar, of course – commonly yous tin can just brand sure the letter or number isn't upside-downward!)

Press downward gently but firmly until you feel a little click, and the key is re-fastened. Test information technology out a few times to make sure the connexion is sound and the activity clear.

How remap/swap the functions of keys on a Mac or MacBook keyboard

At present we're back into the realm of software changes, the Mac becomes user-friendly once again. Most of the time the Mac will detect the keyboard you've attached automatically, and offer the right keyboard layout.

All the same, if you've done as we did previously and rearranged the keys yourself – say you're bought a nice US keyboard, but wanted to ready up the keys in a United kingdom configuration – the Os nevertheless views your keyboard in its old, unchanged setup. How do we forcefulness Mac Os X to recall differently?

Go to System Preferences and click Keyboard, so Change Keyboard Type…

At this betoken Mac OS X may endeavour to go through its standard keyboard detection process, then tell you lot information technology can't identify the keyboard. Just click Continue, then press the key next to Shift when prompted. And so press Skip. Finally, Mac OS X lets you choose between the 3 main keyboard layout types: Japanese, European and United States.

There are more than options available than that, of class. Go to System Preferences, Language & Text (this may exist labelled as International in some older versions of Mac Os X) and Input Sources (or Input Carte du jour). If you want to utilize a Polish keyboard layout, say, scroll downward the list on the left and tick Shine, and then scroll support and untick British.

Now when we blazon the meridian row of letters it comes out as qwertzuiop. (The Smoothen layout swaps the Y and Z, likewise as the full cease and comma.)

It'southward possible to add keyboard layouts to the options here – have a expect around for ones that take hold of your fancy. This fairly old one is good for making the UK Apple keyboard map dorsum to a non-Apple Uk keyboard.

If you want to get more involved than that (ie if you want to create your ain custom key layout) you lot'll need a flake of third-political party software, although free options are available: Ukelele is one that'due south worth a try.

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See also:

iMac reviews | Mac mini reviews | Mac Pro reviews | MacBook Air reviews | MacBook Pro reviews

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Source: https://www.macworld.com/article/670651/how-to-remove-move-swap-and-replace-keys-on-a-mac.html

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