You are currently browsing comments. If you would like to return to the full story, you can read the full entry here: “How to Reset an Apple Wireless Bluetooth Keyboard, Mouse or Trackpad (Troubleshooting Pairing and Other Common Problems)”.
Travelling Through Life
You are currently browsing comments. If you would like to return to the full story, you can read the full entry here: “How to Reset an Apple Wireless Bluetooth Keyboard, Mouse or Trackpad (Troubleshooting Pairing and Other Common Problems)”.
Confused by your description of resetting mouse since you used keyboard example. Do you turn off keyboard to reset mouse? If not, is the mouse turned off? If so, how do you click on bluetooth for pairing?
No, don’t not turn off the keyboard. This trick only works on the mouse if it has a momentary power switch. Those with slide switches it won’t work on. The general advice regarding batteries and re-pairing still applies though.
Actually, I think your advice does help for slide switch mouses, just hold the mouse down instead of the power button.
Hi there, my kid was playing some game after which my keyboard has stopped functioning in normal way. Alaphabet and number keys are not working, shift and other function keys are working. Pressing few keys one can see the arrow on the screen sliding.
I uninstalled the game.
I re-paired the keyboard many times.
Replaced battries.
Called apple, they suggest there might be physical damage, which i doubt since some keys are working normal.
Do you suggest re-pairing with long press?
It seems you have Mouse Keys enabled, which is an Accessibility feature. See here for instructions to disabled: https://support.apple.com/en-gb/HT203157
I got stuck this morning after upgrading to El Capitan 10.11.3 beta. No luck in any Apple forum. The issue seems quite frequent, and I did not realize it had been kind of common.
Thank you so much for posting this working solution !
Thanks so much! Held the ON button down and it paired immediately. I was out of ideas. Really appreciate your sharing this fix. I continue to amaze my husband 🙂
THANK YOU! You fixed it! 🙂
Hi – love your site – but don’t love my bluetooth problems!! 🙂
Hoping you can help me….
I’ve got an bluetooth mini apple keyboard (model A1314) that won’t connect to my 27″ Imac- Im running El Capitan 10.11 (my location is UK). Ive tried the power key hold-down – and also new batteries. There are no other bluetooth devices in range. The computer previously paired with the keyboard has been sold some time ago.
In Bluetooth preferences the keyboard is quickly discovered and the pairing code appears but it only lets me enter the first three digits (of the 6 digit pairing code) – when I come to type the fourth digit it freezes and then eventually times outs saying could not pair.
This has happened over and over again – Im about to give up!!
Thanks for your help x
Thanks Dave. This is a great article; much more useful than all the snake-oil suggestions on the Apple forums.
For me, a combination of changing the batteries and the old hold-the-power-button trick did the job.
(I’m also particularly impressed that you’re still getting, and responding to, comments on this article three years after you posted it. Nice work.)
Hi Dave,
on Apple Support someone gave a link to this site to repair the problem of the MAC bluetooth keyboard not working in Bootcamp Windows 7 or XP after upgrading to El Capitan. My keyboard works fine in OS and will also work in Windows XP safe mode but not in normal mode. Any ideas, please on how to fix this problem as you cannot log in to Windows without a keyboard?
Hi Dave,
I’m having exactly the same problem described above by Ray.
My keyboard works fine in OS but after upgrading to El Capitan a couple of days ago my keyboard will not work in bootcamped Windows 7.
I’m not having any luck finding an answer to my dilemma elsewhere, but am heartened to hear others are having the same problem. I have tried a little fiddling with the Bluetooth settings but hot having any luck.
Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Interestingly enough, in OS X 10.11.3, when you hold shift and option and then click Bluetooth>Debug, they have added an option to “Factory Reset All Connected Apple Devices.”
Thanks for the Debug menu tip!
Great Advise. had this frustration and my keyboard would be connected , but when I take my mac out and come back a few hours later it would not connect, till I read your blog. Holding down the power for 3 seconds and repaired the keyboard yo mac
Worked like a charm
This just worked for me when everything had failed. For me it was the pairing of my Magic Mouse which used to work then suddenly stopped working. I had a wired mouse so have been using that and meaning to get around to trying to reconnect my Magic Mouse. Tried with new batteries, 2 different “mice” and nothing worked until I unpaired my keyboard. WOW! THanks!
Thank you so much. I’ve read a lot of website but only this one could help me. I was near to go and buy a new one.
Thausend thanks
Thx you !! your help is better than the apple support !
The green light on the keyboard just shines for a few seconds, then turns off by itself. Does not care if I keep the power button of the keyboard pressed for long time, still not pairing.
I have the opposite problem: My macbook thinks it has a connected bluetooth mouse, and so has disabled the clickers on the track pad. It also disables the clickers on a USB mouse. I’m quite willing to unpair everything. How do I select the bluetooth icon without a mouse?
your awesome man thanks a bunch!!!!
Thanks for this, it was very helpful in a crunch time. Its a nearly timeless piece at this point
Works!
excellent. Thanks for giving what apple support did not!
Dave, many thanks for this 2013 post. As of today, it still really helpful and help me to fixed my wireless keyboard paring problem. The key in my case was to unpaired the keyboard with the iPad…
Thanks again for your help.
Good luck and all the best for the next adventure.