Maybe you plan to replace your Mac keyboard keys, or you look forward to cleaning them. Either way, you have to remove the keys from the keyboard before you start to do anything. But fortunately for you, this procedure can be easily accomplished from the comfort of your home and with some regular household tools.
Your Mac keyboard is designed with an idea that best serves the macOS. The keyboard is slick and it has a good feel to it. The keys do not pop up much as compared to other keyboards and hence, removing the keys can seem a bit tricky.
Nevertheless, rest assured because we are here to guide you through each step with a brief explanation. Once you get the basics, the process is pretty straightforward and you might not even need a guide the next time you decide to remove your Mac keyboard keys.
Types of Mac Keyboard
The core working mechanism of Mac keyboards mainly differs on the type of switches used. Generally, when talking about a Mac keyboard, we usually think of either a keyboard with butterfly switches or a keyboard with scissor switches.
Underneath a butterfly keyboard’s keycap, there’s a hinge located at the center of the components, ultimately resembling the shape to that of a butterfly’s wings. This type of architecture was designed to minimize the key travel and to make the keyboard look thinner.
But, unfortunately, the butterfly keyboard keys are known to get jammed with dirt and debris getting accumulated underneath the keycap. Macbooks designed between the years 2015 and 2019 were usually incorporated with this butterfly switch.
Although scissors keyboards have been around for a long time, Apple decided to opt for butterfly keyboards for a thinner look. However, the limitations of the butterfly keyboard gave a chance for the scissor design to rise back up. Hence, new Macbook models utilize the scissor-switch concept.
The keys in a scissor keyboard are attached to two individual components that are interlocked together in the shape of a scissor. So, when the key is pressed, the switch depresses and makes contact with the circuit board.
How to Remove Mac Keyboard Keys
Macbooks have been known to be a bit more difficult in the customization field than their counterpart,a Windows PC. However, that doesn’t mean that you may’t apply some methods to work around the issue you’re facing. Macbook keyboard keys can easily be removed, cleaned and replaced, if you know how to do it the right way.
And, if you do not, that’s what we are here for. So, let’s shorten the talk and get right to the point.
A dirty key doesn’t feel right when pressed. All the dirt allocated underneath the button makes it sticky, unresponsive, and downright unsatisfying. So, the first thing you have to do is to think of a way to pry out the keycap.
This can be easily done with a toothpick, guitar pick and if you get your hands on it, a keycap puller. It is also possible to do so with your fingernails as well. So, once you have the necessary tool ready for use, here are the steps to pry out a keycap without breaking it:
Once the keycap is out, you’ll now see a switch that was previously underneath the cap. If your aim is to only replace the keycap with something new, you don’t have to follow this step. However, if you plan to clean theunresponsive keys,removing and cleaning the switch is a crucial step. So, whether it’s a butterfly switch or a scissor switch, here are the steps on how you may remove the switch from its place.
