Apple May Owe You Money for a Butterfly Keyboard for Your MacBook
MacBooks, for the most part, have been known for having some of the best keyboards in the business. For the most part . However, from 2015 to 2019, Apple “revolutionized” its laptops with the butterfly keyboard, a keyboard with low travel that is prone (or doomed) to failure. Sticky keys and double-tapping plagued so many users that Apple eventually abandoned the design altogether. But they didn’t get off the hook because of poor design choices. In fact, they may owe you money for your pain and suffering.
What happened to Apple’s butterfly keyboard?
Apple’s butterfly keyboard was a disaster from the start, but the company was never willing to admit its fault. Shortly after Apple implemented this design across its entire line of MacBooks, MacBook Airs, and MacBook Pros, users began to complain, and with good reason: while the small keyboard travel was controversial (I personally always liked it), the design made crumbs, dust and debris all too easy to get trapped, turning every key into a time bomb. You could happily hum until one day your E key turned into an “EE” key due to a double-tap issue. Other keys may start to “stick”, making an inconsistent typing experience virtually unacceptable.
Apple did try to adjust the design over time by introducing a membrane to prevent debris from getting on the butterfly switches, but this change couldn’t fix a fundamental design flaw . In the end, Apple conceded defeat and returned to a more familiar keyboard design with the 2019 16-inch MacBook Pro. Soon the company replaced the butterfly keyboards with the rest of the line, and new customers did not understand anything.
But for those of us who bought these things, the trauma is still there. Apple launched a keyboard repair program offering to repair the keyboard for free, but this only solves the problem. The repair does not change anything in the design, so it is possible / most likely that you will encounter a similar problem in the future. If you do, very bad, as the program is only distributed to your computer for four years after the original date of purchase.
This whole situation is bullshit, and the law knows it . Seven states have filed class action lawsuits against Apple over the keyboards, alleging that Apple knowingly sold defective products to its customers. Although the company never admitted wrongdoing, it agreed to a $50 million settlement. And some of that $50 million could be yours if you meet the right criteria.
How to get paid for an Apple keyboard
Unfortunately, the scope of the claim is very limited. First, the payout only applies to victims who bought affected MacBooks in California, Florida, Illinois, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, or Washington. Unless you bought your laptop in one of these seven states, you unfortunately don’t have a case.
Of course, the MacBook, MacBook Air, or MacBook Pro in question must have a butterfly keyboard. But this applies to most MacBooks released from 2015 to 2019. Finally, an Apple Certified Repair Shop must repair your butterfly keyboard so you can qualify. If you outsourced it to a third party specialist, no payouts for you. If Apple refurbished your MacBook with Magic Keyboard, that doesn’t count either.
If you meet all the requirements, congratulations! You may receive compensation. The amount will depend on the complexity of your repair. If you have certain keycaps replaced, it costs $50. If Apple replaced the entire butterfly keyboard, it would cost $125. And if the company replaced your butterfly keyboard more than once, they owe you $395.
Under the terms, you must be contacted directly if you qualify. However, your mileage may vary. I meet all the requirements on paper, but have not yet heard from anyone about the settlement. If you’re in the same boat, you’ll soon be able to get in touch with the law firms that set up the deal at keyboardsettlement.com . Theoretically – the site is currently under development.
Whether you spend that $50, $125, or $395 on a new Mac is up to you. If you’d rather pocket your money and keep your computer as long as possible, there are a few tricks you can try to fix your incompatible butterfly keyboard .