MacBook Touch Bar Not Working? Fix Guide

MacBook Touch Bar Not Working. Which MacBooks have Touch Bar

Touch Bar shipped on the MacBook Pro from late 2016 until October 2023:

• MacBook Pro 13″ (2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020) - Touch Bar models (separate non-Touch Bar 2-port versions also existed)
• MacBook Pro 15″ (2016, 2017, 2018, 2019) - all Touch Bar
• MacBook Pro 16″ Intel (2019) - all Touch Bar
• MacBook Pro 13″ M1 (2020), M2 (2022) - kept Touch Bar
• MacBook Pro 14″ and 16″ M1 Pro/Max (2021 onward) - Touch Bar removed, function row returned

Touch Bar ended when Apple discontinued the 13″ MacBook Pro M2 in October 2023. Current M3/M4/M5 MacBooks use traditional physical function keys.

Step 1 - Restart Touch Bar (Terminal command)

The fastest fix. Open Applications → Utilities → Terminal and run:

sudo pkill TouchBarServer

On older macOS versions the process has a different name: run sudo pkill "Touch Bar agent" instead.

Enter your account password (the cursor doesn't move while you type - that's normal). Press Enter. The Touch Bar relaunches itself a moment later. This often clears a frozen or flickering Touch Bar without rebooting the Mac.

Step 2 - Force restart the MacBook

Hold the power button for a full 10 seconds, release, wait 5 seconds, then press power normally. Forces a clean boot of every macOS daemon including Touch Bar controllers. Fixes the cases where the Terminal restart didn't work.

Step 3 - Reset SMC (Intel only)

On Intel Touch Bar MacBooks the SMC governs Touch Bar power (T1 chip in 2016-17, T2 from 2018). The 13-inch M1 and M2 MacBook Pro have no SMC reset - a full shut-down and restart does the same job.

1. 2018-2020 (T2): shut down, hold left Control + left Option + right Shift for 7 seconds, then add the power button and hold all four for another 7 seconds. Release, wait a few seconds, press power.
2. 2016-2017: shut down, hold Shift + Control + Option (left side) + power for 10 seconds. Release, then press power normally.

Step 4 - Update macOS

Apple ships Touch Bar fixes inside regular macOS updates, so stay current before assuming the strip has failed.

System Settings → General → Software Update shows the newest macOS your model supports; how far each Touch Bar MacBook can go depends on its year.

Step 5 - Safe Boot test

Intel: shut down, then hold Shift while pressing power until you reach the login screen. Apple silicon: hold the power button until startup options appear, select your disk, then hold Shift and click Continue in Safe Mode. Safe Boot disables all third-party kernel extensions and login items. If your Touch Bar works correctly in Safe Boot but fails in normal boot, the cause is a third-party app or driver - for example BetterTouchTool, MTMR, Karabiner-Elements, or a screen-recording app with TouchBar overlay.

Why is my MacBook Pro Touch Bar flickering?

Flicker has three usual causes, and the steps above sort them out in order:

• A hung Touch Bar process - the strip flickers or shows old controls. The Terminal restart in Step 1, or a force restart, clears it.
• Heat - flicker that only shows when the MacBook is hot, under load or in a warm room, and settles as it cools. Keep the vents clear; if it keeps coming back, the strip or its cable is on the way out.
• A failing strip or flex cable - flicker that survives a restart and Safe Mode, green or white flashes, or lines across the strip. That is hardware: the Touch Bar is replaced as an assembly - see Touch Bar repair in Dubai.

When it's hardware (display issues, dead spots)

If after all 5 software steps the Touch Bar is still faulty, common hardware causes:

• Dead pixel rows or columns - physical OLED damage on the Touch Bar strip. Often caused by liquid spill (coffee splash hits the Touch Bar before spreading further). Replacement only.
• Touch unresponsive in specific zones - touch digitiser failure. A wear fault. Replacement only.
• Touch Bar completely black, but Mac otherwise fine - Touch Bar flex cable disconnected (can happen after a top-case repair) or Touch Bar power regulator failed on the logic board.
• Touch Bar shows partial image, flickers, or shows static lines - OLED display panel failure. Replacement only.

Touch Bar repair cost in Dubai

• Touch Bar OLED + digitiser assembly replacement: same-day — use the quote form for your quote
• Flex cable reseat (if disconnected): same-day — use the quote form for your quote
• Logic board Touch Bar power regulator repair: 1-2 days — use the quote form for your quote
• Free diagnostic, no charge if we can't fix it
• Touch Bar strip on its own: use the quote form to compare routes for your model

On many models we can replace just the Touch Bar strip rather than a larger assembly. Use the quote form for today's exact price on your model.

Why Apple removed Touch Bar from new MacBooks

Apple never gave one official reason. The two usually cited:

1. Pro users wanted physical keys back. The function row gave F1-F12 keys you can feel, which matter in video editing, music production and development work. The Touch Bar replaced them with software keys.
2. Repairs. The OLED strip and its flex cable are a regular repair on 2016-2020 MacBook Pros, and the 14-inch and 16-inch models that replaced them went back to a physical function row.

See our MacBook keyboard repair page for full Touch Bar service details.