How to Reset an Apple Wireless Bluetooth Keyboard, Mouse or Trackpad (Troubleshooting Pairing and Other Common Problems)

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890 thoughts on “How to Reset an Apple Wireless Bluetooth Keyboard, Mouse or Trackpad (Troubleshooting Pairing and Other Common Problems)

  1. Thank you so very much for writing this article! Outstanding information and it worked!!!
    Particularly the step of ‘resetting ‘ the keyboard.
    After upgrading the OS on an iMac, the keyboard was no longer connected via Bluetooth. Trick 2 worked perfectly!

  2. Thank you, my wireless keyboard had lost its connection to my iMac and I could not get it to reconnect. Your instructions worked a treat.

  3. With my desktop Mac, since I don’t have the keyboard to get into ABOUT THIS MAC how am I supposed to make sure BLUETOOTH is turned on.?????

    1. Use the Mouse (and you want the bluetooth preferences, not “About this Mac”). Borrow a USB mouse and/or keyboard (any from a PC will work)

  4. Hi. i have a first gen magic trackpad and i got it pre-owned. Connecting it with my mac is not a problem but when i connect i doesn’t do anything. Do you know the problem or any idea abut how i can solve this ?
    btw i think the guy that i bought the trackpad from sold the mac that it used to be connected with.

  5. So I’ve got the weirdest bug with a ebay bought A1314 keyboard… The left side CTRL and CMD keys both act as CTRL. If I swap using modifier settings, it swaps as normal, but go back to default and it’s messed up. Right side work fine. Anyone else come across that?

    1. I would choose the System Preferences > Keyboard > Modifiers > Restore Defaults option. If it returns to the errant behaviour after that, check for apps that are autorunning that might be making changes to the modifier keys (System Preferences > Users > {User Profile} > Login Options. Also check the Dock for “Open at Login” enabled apps. It’s got to be a software setting, rather than hardware fault.

  6. I’m confused. Why is…messing up the keyboard an option in the first place. Who’s bright idea was it to create a quagmire of options that could lead to screwing up one of the two tools that allow users access to the machine?

    Cars aren’t built with a ‘pour sugar’ option, because there’s no logical reason for it. Why would computers be designed this way at all? I’ve wasted 4-5 hours of my day wrestling with my keyboard, trying to get it to work properly.

  7. This worked! Thank you! I’d spent a long time on the problem to no avail before finding this page. Such a relief. Cheers

  8. Hi I bought a second hand wireless apple keyboard it works just fine but it has the other persons name on it who can I clear the name from the keyboard or rename it ?

  9. Apple is doomed IMO, nothing has ever changed since SteveJob. The various new versions are basically re-styled the older models. They can’t make proper battery for iPhone. My wife is afraid to use her iPhone in case the battery is drained and if she needed for emergency call while my Samsung phone battery can last two to three days, and in saving mode can last 6 days.
    Back to the story, my apple keyboard drained batteries in a day or two with minimal usage on internet surfing, no gaming.

  10. My Apple wireless keyboard first quit working. It was just a few keys, but it was the keys that I use in my password. My iMac is now, not even “discovering” the keyboard. I can’t do any of the steps above, since it can’t find it, and even if it did, I can’t log in. Is it time for a new keyboard, or should I just go to PC?

  11. I followed the instructions on how to fix my apple keyboard
    and nothing worked?

    I have two keyboards because I thought that was the problem
    (thought my orginal 3 year one was the prooblem but it still does not work?

    Not what should I do?

    I would hate to buy a new one again!

  12. I’m unable to pair because the wireless keyboard (2011 version) numeric keys do not work. Specifically, 1 to 4 and 6 to 0. 5 seems ok. The Enter button also doesn’t work. This means I’m unable to enter the pairing code – unless one day it asks for 555555!!!!!!!
    I’ve tried the ideas suggested without luck. I’ve even tried entering the number with the on-screen keyboard, but it won’t allow me to enter anything. Currently having to use an old, wired M$ keyboard!! Help!

  13. Thank you Dave! I had tried other ways, but what worked for me was your trick of “holding down the power button, BUT DO NOT LET GO OF THE POWER BUTTON through the entire process”.

  14. My issue was
    I watched a video youtube, it said I wassupposed to input 0000 if I didn’t know the pin. Infact I didn’t. So was trying to input 0000, I pressed 00000 by accident. Then I clicked join. Then it said wrong pin, and the mouse not discoverable since then

  15. The keys: 789, UIO, HJK, JKL and M,. are all dead on my 09 A1341 Bluetooth kbd. I’m using a 2010 iMac with High Serria. Any suggestions for a “mac novice” fix :o) ?

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