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Selling your MacBook? Here’s how to repair the butterfly keyboard for free and get more money

Ready to pick up the 16-inch MacBook Pro with the scissor switch Magic Keyboard? If you’re thinking of selling your current MacBook to upgrade to Apple’s latest, follow along for how to repair or replace your current butterfly keyboard for free to get more money when you sell your notebook.

Apple’s butterfly keyboards in MacBooks that date back to 2015 have seen serious problems with debris being caught under keys. This causes keys to not work, or in some cases the computer registering a double press when keys are just pressed once.

All of Apple’s MacBooks with butterfly keyboards are eligible for the free service program. The 2018 MacBook Pro and MacBook Air featured the third-generation butterfly keyboard that includes a new gasket, but that didn’t fully solve the issue for many users.

Finally, even after 2019 MacBook Pro models included a new material in the keyboards (a fourth iteration), they became eligible for the keyboard service program as soon as they debuted.

So if you’re looking to sell your current MacBook, particularly on eBay, Swappa, Craigslist, or to a friend or family member, you’ll likely be able to sell it for more with a fully functioning, and maybe brand-new keyboard (and you’ll probably feel better handing it off knowing the keyboard isn’t glitching too 😄).

Per Apple’s keyboard service program, in some cases, they will replace the entire keyboard, and others may repair certain keys.

How to replace your MacBook butterfly keyboard for free and get more money when selling

  1. If you’re not sure, check your MacBook or MacBook Pro model ( → About this Mac)
  2. Check if your MacBook is part of the keyboard service program here or below
  3. If it is, get in touch and Apple will begin the repair or replacement process
  • MacBook (Retina, 12-­inch, Early 2015)
  • MacBook (Retina, 12­-inch, Early 2016)
  • MacBook (Retina, 12-­inch, 2017)
  • MacBook Air (Retina, 13-inch, 2018)
  • MacBook Pro (13­-inch, 2016, Two Thunderbolt 3 Ports)
  • MacBook Pro (13-­inch, 2017, Two Thunderbolt 3 Ports)
  • MacBook Pro (13-­inch, 2016, Four Thunderbolt 3 Ports)
  • MacBook Pro (13-­inch, 2017, Four Thunderbolt 3 Ports)
  • MacBook Pro (15-­inch, 2016)
  • MacBook Pro (15-­inch, 2017)
  • MacBook Pro (13-inch, 2018, Four Thunderbolt 3 Ports)
  • MacBook Pro (15-­inch, 2018)
  • MacBook Pro (13-inch, 2019, Four Thunderbolt 3 Ports)
  • MacBook Pro (15-­inch, 2019)

Note: No other Mac notebook models are part of this program.

Earlier on in the keyboard repair program, Apple was sending out MacBooks with keyboard issues with a typical three- to five-day turnaround. Back in April, Apple started offering in-store keyboard repair and replacement with next-day turnaround for many customers.

Read more on the 16-inch MacBook Pro:

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