Macbook Air Keyboard Replacement Guide (A1369/A1466)
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 9 ม.ค. 2016
- A guide to replacing the Macbook Air with a new keyboard and backlight.
This is a fairly difficult process, involving completely dismantling the laptop, including removing the logic board and screen assembly. The old keyboard is destroyed in the process, so make sure you have a replacement purchased and ready.
This video features an 'A1369' Sandy Bridge generation MacBook Air, but the same process applies to other models with minor variations.
This systems keyboard had suffered water damage to the keyboard, and after replacement worked perfectly. - เกม
![Macbook Air A1466 - Keyboard replacement [4k]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/1qOaJ5S7iwE/mqdefault.jpg)
![Macbook Air A1466 - Keyboard replacement [4k]](/img/tr.png)
Hi James,
So much thanks for the time and effort you put in this video.
My Macbook Air A1466 i7 broke after a morning coffee and after the usual drying and praying, decided to ship it to an Apple repair centre (Amac Gouda, the Netherlands) because it not responded well anymore to the keys.
The message was that the keyboard was destroyed but also the logic board, topcover including keyboard, heat sink, touchpad and some small stuff. To expensive to repair.....
I left it alone for 9 months until I decided to charge it and power it on just to see what would happen.
The damn think worked fine except for the enter button.
Hoping that I could give my Macbook Air a second life, I decided to replace the keyboard myself.
I ordered one without backlight and additional screws for €40,- (did not knew I had to order these as well...)
With your video, I managed to tear the device down and replaced the keyboard without major issues.
The backlight came of quite easy with a sharp knife and lots of patience and tape.
For anyone who have issues with it, apply a 1cm width scotch tape along the edges of the backlight foil, that prevents damage and you can apply some force without tearing the black foil.
Your tip to apply parcel tape to the keyboard was great!!!
I managed to reuse (I forgot to order screws..) the rib bits, the majority was sticked to the tape. (the remaining ones I carefully removed them with a small and sharp plier)
I carefully removed the tape from the old keyboard securing that the rib bits remained in place on the tape and used that as a transfer to put the rib bits back to housing.
I used a T8 bits and a small lightweight hamer and managed to get all rib bits back in place without major issues.
I cleaned some coffee residu from the backlight by separation the transparant part from the black foil.
I place the backlight back into its place as well as the remaining parts.
I hit the power button for some second and the damn think booted!!
Everything worked really great, keyboard great and touchpad as well.
The button illumination is slightly darker on the right side however it is not a major issue.
So my Macbook Air is fully back to life again!
Thanks a lot James and keep up the good work!
One comment to Amac Gouda, the Netherlands:
Your repair investigation stated that a lot of parts were damaged but this was absolutely not the case!!!
Not a single residue of coffee could be detected to the logic board, touch pad, heatsink or the other small components.
You fuckers tried to sell me a new Mac and I am happy I refused your so called offer for a new Macbook Pro and bought it somewhere else.
You are not worthy to be a premium reseller.
Followed your instructions to a T and successfully replaced keyboard and worked perfectly well. Thank you much for the video and commentary without which there is no way I would have even attempted to do this. Thank you very much
I've had to replace my wife's keyboard so many times, (like 3 now), I could almost do this video myself. Yours is good and I can honestly say it's helped me. (Several times!)
As a tip, I recommend putting the little screws in loosely then going back an tightening them down or else the keyboard could have a bulge and tilted keys. The rivets, while they may be cursed, do evenly, and securely hold the keyboard against the unibody frame. Using little screws, we're doing the best we can at getting support in the mid section. Absent the rivets, we're depending on the back of the battery and the mother board to provide support in the middle. It's understandable that if the keyboard is to be the top of the 'stack' of components, it's going to be removed only if everything under it comes out first.
Each time I've done this procedure, it's been successful. So I really can't complain.
Rock Stone Amazing idea. We should all do that
which kind of screws i can use? i think to macbook pro keyboard screws.
How did you prevent the rivots from getting stuck each time
you must be an expert by now
As a ASE Master Tech since 78, I am intrigued by all things that need fixed. You are skilled and it shows. When installing tiny screws into plastic, like the keyboard rivets, it requires a “Feel” because some resistance is felt but knowing to stop when the force required indicates it is bottomed out is a learned talent. I am saying this for those who may not be use to this type of repair. Also the screws as there are 2 I believe, one is a Pentalope TS4 or called “1.2 mm” and a TORX #5. I am familiar with TORX screws & bolts in the automotive industry. They are not to make people mad, but allow a higher torque and easier to remove if decent quality tools are used. I have seen parts like the keyboard that appears to be the first thing installed and the last to come off.
Great video, explanation and lighting.
Blessings!
Thanks a lot for this tutorial!
For anyone attempting to remove the remaining rivets: with some information from the ifixit forums i tried positioning a screwdriver as flat as possible to the rivet and hammering against it a few times. Three of the rivets broke, the rest all went out perfectly; took me about 15 minutes.
Good luck everyone!
Excellent tip and it helped me immensely. Thanks :)
Jesus, thanks Apple. This is like having to disassemble the entire car's engine, just to change the radio.
Which is exactly what you'd have to do if you car was 1/2" thick.
@@GregorHalenda-Saku-Moto IF???? Worked on a modern car, lately?
Honestly I'm so pissed off just seeing this.
this is why i hate Apple brand :(
lol .. yep, that's about right
Thanks man. Took apart a MacBook Pro laptop today using this and it works like a charm. The only thing I would add to a that I used 3 paper plates with several strips of double sided tape on them. Then as soon took the screws out I labeled them on the tape with the driver type (T2,T5,T7, etc) and location. It made it a ton easier to put it back together.
Yeah, no. Not even going to think about attempting this. Good guide, though.
Fantastic - thank you so much for this. Trickiest part is obviously the keyboard rivets: I had about 40 left after removing the old keyboard. However, as someone suggested below, with the side of the base against a sturdy wall, I used a thin flat-blade screwdriver at a shallow angle against the rivet and whacked it (gently) repeatedly until it came out. A lot easier and quicker than you might think, and I only had one that sheared off.
Good tip.
I just changed mine, it was challenging but works like a charm, thank you mate for the video! it helps a lot!
Glad it helped
Thanks for the tutorial. The easiest way to remove the rivets is to place the case against a wall or something sturdy, then place a small flathead screwdriver flat against the rivet and use a hammer to knock the rivet loose. Only took me a couple of minutes with a 100% success rate :).
This video was very helpful. I managed to replace the keyboard on my Macbook Air following these instructions. In some parts the video is difficult to follow when talking about some of the tiny cables/connectors because the camera isn’t close enough but it’s descriptive enough to figure out. Thanks again
Glad it helped!
Thank you sooo much. I was going to do this without watching a video, but I'm so glad I watched yours.
Thanks so much for sharing the knowledge with such clear and easy to follow instructions. I suspect my mid 2011 Air's keyboard ribbon cable is damaged as two rows of keys only work intermittently. Apple have just told me they won't touch it as its age means it's now "vintage", even though the rest of the machine is in excellent condition and perfectly usable. I could get a 3rd party to repair it, but with resources like this to help there's no excuse for not just doing it myself. Thanks again!
Thank you very much. I've just given our old MBAir a new life!
Thanks for this video! I was able to replace my daughters keyboard in her macbook air with the help of this video. Had no issues whatsover. I used a dab of superglue on the areas where the rivets were still there and couldn't put the screw in but most areas I can screw in just fine. It was obvious the only reason the keyboard went bad in the first place was because she had spilled a drink or 2 in the keyboard along with crumbs etc. Took me about 3-4 hrs total.
Glad it helped!
i know this video is pretty old but used it as reference to replace a keyboard on my daughters laptop i did panic a little when you said "from here just put the stuff back" but i figured it all out and its working great thank you for the tutorial i would not have a clue without it
Successfully replaced the keyboard in a MacBook Air 11inch with help from this video, thanks
Excellent, glad it helped!
My sister spilt some soda on the macbook back in like 2015. Just decided to fix it up. Thank you so much for this!
Thanks for the video. Your delivery is exceptionally good.I can't believe how steady your voice and hands are throughout with all those tiny parts! Maybe a spot light and a few more closeups of the cables would work for the extra fiddly bits. Would also like a wide shot of your super clean work area. I had the clamshell Mac and the first white one and the keyboard lifted right out to put in the airport Wifi! Two minute job - don't think I'd get this right.
You my good fellow just saved me $1000! Thank you so much for the upload!
Great video! I managed to replace my keyboard, and to my amazement, it worked. I've read many guides and watched videos online, and this one is the best I've seen. The tape trick to catch the rivets is genius.
I definitely recommend buying a backlight with your keyboard. My backlight basically shredded when I pulled it off, even though I was trying to be careful. The new one was easy to attach. I also got screws to replace the rivets, but I'm not entirely sure they do anything. I was able to screw them in, but I don't think they actually screwed into anything. Many of the rivets didn't completely pop off, either. I don't think it matters; they keyboard feels secure.
Reconnecting the ribbon cables, particularly the flipped-over one for the keyboard, was probably the hardest part. I used tweezers, but be careful if you do; the cables are flimsy and you could easily damage one.
Glad it helped :)
How mch wold it be to replace mine?
yes that ribbon he actually looked like he put a crease in it!
Thanks for a great video that saved me £100 in getting a tech' to replace my 2013 MacBook Air Keyboard! I actually did the disassembly in a slightly different order to the way that you showed it but only after understanding what you'd shown - I just got the battery and speakers out of the way earlier. One thing I didn't need to do is remove the hinge screws and hence the screen. I didn't have the right Torx bit and realised it wasn't necessary to remove the main board. Instead I protected the screen with a cloth as I went on. Oh and in my model (1466) there was no screw behind the SSD so no need to remove that in my case.
One thing everyone should be aware of is that if you drop one of the keyboard fixing screws into the keyboard it can be very hard to retrieve so be careful and perhaps shield the keyboard in some way.
Now not only do all the keys work reliably now but the backlight has been restored. I think all the years of crud had stopped it working properly. The replacement keyboard (£25 from Amazon) looks good and feels much like the original by the way. So I'm very happy!
Awesome work, so glad it helped!
Like you say, removing the screen isn't essential, but if you have the right screw driver bit it only takes a minute and saves risking damaging the most expensive part to replace on these machines.
Excellent video. Following the process you describe worked for us!
Awesome video, thank you for putting the time and effort into this and sharing it. Once again thank you
Thanks so much for posting this video. Would not have had the nerve to rip the old keyboard out had I not seen your technique.
Thanks for making this breakdown tutorial. I had to replace my keyboard twice. First, spilling coffee and 2nd applying to much disinfectant spray. Now, I'm smart enough to buy a keyboard protector.
Ouch. Well glad the video helped and at least the rest of the laptop wasn't damaged!
Cant even see what three cablesyour talking about after bat cable. ☹️. Still a great vid with no time wasted and worked like a charm. Had to reset smc after restart to get backlight to work.
Thanks man, your 26:55 helped me, we were trying to connect it from the other side. Youre a cool human being
Thanks. Glad it helped!
great video, it helped my change my keyboard successfully at home. I am not an engineer and I do not handle this type of work on a daily basis and I was able to pull it off. The keyboard works great and since it was dismembered I also changed the battery. If you have good dexterity you should be able to pull it off without any issues.
Highly helpful! Thanks. (Took me about 8 hours, not counting the time it took to order the screws that didn't come with the keyboard.)
Glad it helped!
Thanks for the explanation. This video helped me decide not to go through with the complete replacement. I actually just needed to replace some keys
Glad it helped! If you do need to replace the keyboard in future an easier option can be to replace the whole palmrest/keyboard assembly - they're just harder to source and more expensive.
Thanks for posting this. Very helpful indeed!
This was a great video to reference for changing out the keyboard for my wife's MacBook Air. Your presentation techniques and rate of speech are spot on. The only issue I had with this video is that you didn't use a bird's-eye-view versus an angled view to for your presentation. I still gave you a thumbs up for a quality video. It also gave me a chance to see the quality of an Apple laptop versus Sony or Toshiba; night and day by the way. Very simple layout in the MacBook. Thanks again!
You call this PoS "night and day" in Apple's favor? LOL! Clearly you know nothing about computers, design and engineering. I replace my PC laptop keyboards in under 2 minutes and for just 20 bucks, yet this JUNK from Apple takes 1 hour and twice the money at best. And most laptops are like that. This is what makes a GOOD and simple design a favorite for technicians who want to keep their sanity instead of Apple's crap designs with 40 screws and 20 rivets for something that simple!
@@daspec You probably need to have a few more drinks before you try popping off about being a technician. If you were a real service tech, it would be cake for you to work on Apple devices. Btw, even Android devices share the same complexities as Apple but I'm sure you would find some way to complain about that, too. In short, stop whining and if you have a job in the tech world, be happy that you have a job. I can't believe you used PC and laptop in the same sentence. A laptop is a PC. What a moron.
Hi James, thanks for a very thorough and detailed video on how to replace my daughters Macbook Air keyboard, 2 letters had stopped working, oddly enough it was the "i" and the "o" (input and output haha). The flow you presented, as well as key tips on how to save the backlighting (which I was able to do), making sure to follow which cables to disconnect and note the different side screws for the fan. Of course I didn't have your fancy cool set, but enough that I was able to complete the effort in ~3 hours, and the big moment was when I hit the power button and you get that lovely Mac startup chime, definitely not annoying this time. Again, many thanks to your tips, a very helpful video, -glad to buy your next dream when you are in San Francisco, Nathan M.
Hi Nathan, really glad it helped and good work!
Thank you!! Very helpful and entertaining!!
- Vittorio
Many thanks for the video, great help using tape to save the rivets.
Thanks for the video! I took the initiative and repaired my own mid 2012 model. I found a blog with some close ups of some of the steps would be helpful. As sometimes it just looks a little black in there and I get it while you have a job to do setting up the camera makes this lengthy job twice as long!
I did find a couple of things after my repair
a) My backlight is very uneven- not sure if I have a duff one though I can see light all around it looks uneven with most light around the middle clearly this is not a big deal I mean loosing the coma and dot have caused havok with EVERYTHING! Imagine not having them for a week :) It was hell for my work I used this tool which takes a sequence string and converts it to a snippet so that was useful but still a bad state to be in, I am so glad.
b) my trackpad seems looser? I never even thought it actually moved before the repair. The edge closest to me now moves down I am trying to remember if it did before. I saw a tutorial that talks about a couple of pads that wear down and stop working so maybe in my moving around the keyboard dislodged something..
But thanks for a vey helpful video! I wish I had not got apple to replace my battery now.
Oh yes and I think tell people that the pentelobe will be missing from a standard torx set! So they are not waiting on ordering this screwdriver set.
I did struggle to source a keyboard with backlight and screws but found one eventually!
Great and very instructive video. Thanks !
Well done sir! Super great Tutorial! Informative and professional (y) love it :-)
Watch at 1.25 speed.
Also: I really like the way you've done your work area. Quite efficient.
i'd like to repair that fast too
Hi! Thank you so much for your video! This definitely makes it easier and less scary to work on my macbook air A1466 to replace the keyboard. Quick question. Which size screwdriver did you use to unscrew the final (about 40) little keyboard screws? I saw a toolkit like the one you have in the video for sale but I want to make sure that's enough tools... Don't want to be stuck in the middle of the process haha. So far I heard you used a T5 and a T8, but the tiny screws probably call for a JIS or phillips? Thank you again!
Thank you so much for a brilliant demonstration!
You're very welcome!
Thanks Just ordered a eyboard and baclght and screws so hope t goes well.
Thank you very much for the video! Can you please tell me, what is the size of ‘rivet-replacement‘ screws? Are they of the same size as the keyboard holding screws or smaller? I bought my replacement keyboard without the additional screws.
Thank you so much, It’s very useful. I am from Vietnam
Glad it was helpful!
I replaced my keyboard thanks to you. Just a remarque, please make another video because it is sometimes very difficult to see what you are doing because your fingers are in the way. And then you should warn people it is much more difficult to put everything back together : those cableconnections are very difficult to put back in place (you can "flip" it out but you can't flip it back in ! It took me 3 hours to get the keyboard out and 4 hours to put everything back together. Luckily it worked again. After his cofee shower the mac wouldn't even turn on again after 5 days of drying. Now I am saving everything on a usb stick, you'll never know how long it will work altough I don't think the motherboard was touched. Thanks !
Have just watched your video and will now embark on replacing the keyboard of an old Mac Air for my grandson to use. Can you please recommend a tool set - I like the look of the one your using?
Hello, I'm intriguing and curious about the failure which you mention at the beginning of your video. My 2015 MacBook Air has been working good all these years then for some reason, while in standby mode over night, it would turn off. So I rebooted, it worked, I entered the session and quite rapidly it turned off by itself. I re-booted again, it worked, entered the session and same self-turn off. After say 3 or 4 times, now it is impossible to turn ON the MacBook Air. My wife has a 2017 MacBook Air so I've swapped both batteries to see of it was battery problem. All worked fine so the turn on failure is not related to the battery. What easy test can I do to check if the issue is related to my KeyBoard ?
Thank you for advising or guidance.
Thank you...Mission accomplished for under US$30
James do forgive me if you've covered this below... I've done the keyboard replacement with new backlight assembly - I was able to replace all the rivets with screws and thankful as the author who uses the computer types millions of words each year. I do have one question - the backlight since replacement seems to "cut in and out" in that with the display opened past about 70 degrees, the backlight up/down button returns an unavailable icon onscreen and the lights go out - less than 70 degrees it comes and goes - any suggestions about something I've missed? I had the cover off to check the cables etc and with the cover screws out but cover in place, it works across the range of motion of the display. With the cover screws tightly installed the keyboard backlight cuts in and out... I'm grateful to have found the guide as I have a second MacBook Air to do after this one, your guide was spot on and I've actually transcribed it as instructions since I could not watch it backwards to reassemble.
Hi, thanks to your video I could replace the macbook keyboard, but I can't find the screws for the rivets, where I can buy them, Thanks and congratulations for the tutorial. I follow it.
Thanks! The screw driver set you're using looks great. What product is it?
Thank you so much for this. I followed your instructions and it worked perfectly!!
Glad it helped!
@@BrueComputing can you give any advice?the internal speakers no longer work after replacing the keyboard, they do not show as an ouput option in the sound settings, nor does the internal microphone show as an input option. Also, neither the headphone jack nor airpods work.
@@gregpenfold8670 I'd try a PRAM reset, but possible you damaged something when removing the mainboard. Did you reconnect all the ribbon cable for the IO/power board correctly?
@@BrueComputing I've tried a PRAM reset (and a SMC reset), as far as I can tell all the ribbon cables are connected properly
Thank You! You helped me save $354
Thanks, very helpful (although video angle was a bit iffy), got the job done perfectly, well, one tiny keyboard screw left over :)
Thank you so much for this video,
i have done it too.
A note for others that take this on: I thought I had damaged my trackpad during the keyboard replacement. It was behaving quite erratically after everything was back together. I'm guessing that there must have been some metal detritus that found its way over to the trackpad during the keyboard removal. To remedy, I removed the trackpad and gave it (and its mounting location in the chassis) a good wipe-down with an alcohol-dampened rag. Everything works like new again. :)
Thanks for this - great video! I notice that when you put the backlight on, you didn't remove the clear plastic coating (the side that goes next to the keyboard). Is this because it's part of the backlight? I've seen other guides remove it, so I'm not sure what to do.
thanks and very help ful video
Nice and well done video. Thanks
What do I do if my Mac book doesn't have a backlit keyboard? Can I put the Backlight as kind of like an upgrade or would it not have the connector for it? The model is A1369
Can you tell me where you ordered your keyboard, backlight, screwdriver set,and all from -- when I attempt this I would want to have your items and tools.
Thanks for sharing. As a result my son has a new to him Apple MacBook Air. (Oh yeah, I got the new one to replace this while I waited for the new keyboard.)
Now... where's my T-shirt!?
thanks for the great guide. I managed to replace my keyboard just looking on this guide and saved a lot of money. Thank you very much
Thanks, this was useful!
Thanks, excellent video!
Maraming salamat din po sa iyong pinakitang video.
Good instruction, except for the removal of the rivets by ripping out the keyboard..... Now I’m in some trouble because not enough rivets came out 😢 Don’t know how to remove the remains, because when I try to grip them with pliers they deform and don’t come out. Any thoughts?
Would a chain breaker tool for a bike chain work? I think the head of that maybe would be small enough to both work around the keyboard openings but also press the rivet out through the frame holes...
Are the rivet replacement screws the same size as the outer edge ones?
Thanks for your efforts. I could have used a better angle. Your hand sometimes covers what you're doing. Maybe work a bit slower and show what you're doing better and closer.
exactly, I couldn't even actually see what he was doing half the time, so for that reason feel totally unable to attempt this myself. Poor lighting didn't help
Anyone wondering how to get the backlight thing off in one piece, I used a small portable heater I have (it's basically the same size as a hair drier), and I applied heat between the keyboard and the backlight as I pulled up, while also use a small knife to cut the bits of glue that were sticking down still. It came off all in one piece without any tears (and no tears from myself either :D)
Amazing video, thank you for sharing! What is that plastic cover for at 15:40, does it help with minor spills, etc?
Its part of the backlight.
For the rivet stumps I use xcelite 170's down on the base, give it a gentle squeeze NOT enough to cut and twist gently sideways... For the screwdrivers I take the cheap ones included in an Iphone screen kit and shorten the tip on a belt sander....
Thanks for your video I just quit to replace mine
For the rivets, a micro flathead and a small hammer pop them right out with a tap or two.
It does indeed, good tip.
Hi what screws did you use to fix the keboard and replace the rivets?
Hello James, good video tutorial, I was wondering if it is possible to change the keyboard of the "Function" keys and replace them with the Touchbar even if it is on an old macbook pro's keyboard lol It would be great if there was a video tutorial to change those keys and thus avoid buying the new Macbook Pro computer that is already configured with the touch bar. lol
Greetings!
I don't think you can convert any non-touchbar models to have the touchbar - there would be no cut-out for it in the palmrest or a connector on the logic board.
Apple seem to be be abandoning the touchbar anyway, having got rid of them in the latest MacBook Pro models.
Could you possibly let me know where you purchase these keyboards. Thank you.
Great video! Thanks a lot! (:
seems easy enough... last time i tried to DIY on one of my apple devices it was nearly a catastrophe. (even with the right tools & prepping) ie. the connecting wires are paper thin & tear just as as easily. def enjoyed the vid though thanks
at 3:05 you say final cable on IO board... I just broke that cable, do you know what that goes to?
Any site you recommend to purchase parts from ?
iFixi???t
Thanks for the very helpful video. I've followed-along and my keyboard replacement works perfectly. I think it took me close to 3 hours to do the whole thing, as I proceeded very carefully. A nice side-note: When I pulled out the keyboard, ALL of the rivets came out. Annoyingly one of the little screws I put in to the rivet holes sheered-off, so I have a single screw missing. But 1/14,792 screws isn't too bad. Thanks for the video!
Awesome, glad it helped!
Is it an original apple keyboard, if so can you give me the link of the keyboard please?
3:05 in the video, that last one is a slide out BTW. Wasn't mentioned, angle was interesting, lifted up like on the others, took the connector with it. Luckily I was halfway considering replacing the power board anyway, now I'll just be a few more days assembling this Macbook Air as I wait for the other part.
Very sorry I didn't clarify that!
Wonderful video. I just wish it had more light on the board. :(
This is great. Thanks for sharing! - Just a note - It would have been even better if you'd mention the screw size of those 40 screws; that's what I came to find out.
I actually don't know the exact screw size - I just buy MacBook Air Keyboard Screws.
If all the screws are out, why are their rivets holding it in place that you replace with screws? So confusing.
what is the name of a good screw kit to use
Are the 2012 and 2013+ top case truly different? I'm in the market for a used one and some listings have this generic statement that 2012 parts and 2013+ parts are not compatible but the top case looks identical. Is this clever marketing or are the differences too subtle to pass the eye test?
Looking at photos of the the screw locations and port positions they look the same to me, but I've never checked or tested to see if they are interchangeable.
Where to buy A12 \ 86 original keyboard.
this guy is excellent
Good Job! Thanks!
what is the size of the screws? (23:45)
Can you remove the keyboard like you did to fix keys that had water damage or should I just buy a new one even though it's expensive?
no ..just replace it..
I have one question in nvidia geforce 745m star Wars battlefront ca n play star Wars on this geforce? im sorry for language bet i form poland
Where do you buy the new keyboard ?
Thanks but I could not see most things you did as you covered with your hand.
Didn't you review this video before posting it ?
Thank you