How To Fix Keyboard Lag Issue On Mac

Do you intermittently experience the keyboard lag issue on Mac?

It is convenient to use a Bluetooth keyboard and mouse. This is especially true when using specific Apple products like iMac, MacBook Air, and Pro. This is where the Magic Keyboard comes into play.

Apple introduced its Magic Keyboard which has an elegant, sleek design. It also has a long-lasting built-in rechargeable battery. Moreover, it offers a comfortable and precise typing experience.

But recently, there have been some reports in the Apple Discussion Community wherein the Magic Keyboard is showing intermittent keyboard lags. At times, it doesn’t seem to be responding when you type. Then the letters slowly turn up until they all appear. This has been a major issue for some users as this disrupts them, especially when working.

Do you happen to be one of these affected users? If that is the case, you are in the right place! We have collected a list of fixes that you can try. Hopefully, they resolve this annoying issue.

So let’s jump right in!

1. Restart Keyboard.

In some instances, restarting the keyboard does the trick. Since the keyboard is connected via Bluetooth, connection issues can happen. The fastest way to test this on your end is to flip the switch off, then wait for a few seconds before switching it back on.

With that out of the way, observe if you will still experience any keyboard lag issue on Mac. If it did not reoccur, that means it was a temporary malfunction between the keyboard and the Mac.

2. Turn Off Slow Keys.

One of the easiest things to try is to tweak your setting under the ‘System Preferences’. If your keyboard responds way too slowly, the ‘Slow Keys’ may have been enabled. Mac’s keyboard has a preference that can modify the response time between when the key is pressed and when your Mac responds. 

Here’s how you can change the keyboard’s response speed in Catalina (or higher):

1. Begin by clicking the Apple menu and select System Preferences.
2. Next, select Accessibility and then Keyboard.
3. After that, go to the Hardware tab.
4. Finally, uncheck Enable Slow Keys if it is enabled. Otherwise, toggle the option by enabling and disabling it.

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Here’s how you can change the keyboard’s response speed in Mojave (or lower):

1. Begin by clicking the Apple menu and select System Preferences.
2. Next, select Accessibility and then Keyboard.
3. Finally, uncheck Enable Slow Keys if it is enabled. Otherwise, toggle the option by enabling and disabling it.

Now, check if the keyboard lag issue will still occur on your Mac. Fortunately, this is the only fix that you need. But do not worry as we are just at the start of our list.

3. Debug Bluetooth.

Another method that some users found to be effective is debugging Mac’s Bluetooth. It seems that the issue is being caused by the Bluetooth modules. Similar to restarting the keyboard, connection issues can happen since the keyboard is connected via Bluetooth. 

It is a good thing to debug the Bluetooth to make sure that the Bluetooth modules will be fixed. But make sure to remove any wired devices and connect all Apple devices via Bluetooth before starting.

Here’s how you can debug the Bluetooth:

1. Begin by clicking the Apple menu and select System Preferences.
2. Next, select Bluetooth and enable Show Bluetooth in menu bar.
3. After that, press and hold the Shift and Option buttons at the same time and click on the ‘Bluetooth icon’ at the menu bar.
4. Now, select Debug and choose Factory reset all connected Apple devices.
5. A window should open up on your screen. Select Remove to continue.
6. Next, after a few minutes, press and hold the Shift and Option buttons again. Then click on the ‘Bluetooth icon’ at the menu bar.
7. After that, select Debug and choose Reset the Bluetooth module.
8. A window should open up on your screen. Select Remove to continue.
9. Next, after a few minutes, press and hold the Shift and Option buttons again. Then click on the ‘Bluetooth icon’ at the menu bar.
10. After that, select Debug and choose Remove all devices.
11. A window should open up on your screen. Select Remove to continue.
12. Finally, reconnect all your devices.

Once you are done with all of that, check if this has fixed the keyboard lag issue on your Mac. The steps may look complicated, but they are just easy to follow. 

4. Restart Mac.

Once you have done all the previous recommendations in our list, the next step is to restart your Mac. It is rational to do this after tweaking some settings on your System Preferences. 

At the same time, restarting your Mac is effective in fixing malfunctions and temporary bugs in your system. It can also reset the cache and will allow your Mac to reload its resources.

Here’s how you can restart your Mac:

1. Begin by clicking the Apple menu and go to Restart.
2. A window should open up on your screen. Click Restart to continue.
3. Finally, wait for a few minutes for your Mac to restart.

Now, monitor if you will still experience the same problem. Luckily, a good restart is all that you need as a fix.

5. Update OS To The Latest. 

If a restart did not work wonders on your Mac, then it’s time to update your OS to the latest version. If you have been postponing an update on your Mac, this is the right time to take action.

If Apple had released a fix on this annoying keyboard lag, it would be wise to perform an update. This is to make sure that you are utilizing the fixes included in the latest release.

Here’s how you can restart your Mac:

1. Begin by clicking the Apple menu and select System Preferences.
2. Next, select Software Update if an update is available.

3. After that, click Update Now.

4. Finally, restart your Mac.

With that out of the way, see if you will still experience the keyboard lag issue on Mac.

If you are also experiencing the issue with your mouse cursor disappearing on Mac, it will also be a good idea to update to the latest OS.

6. Try CleanMyMac X.

If nothing still works from our previous recommendation, then it’s time to try CleanMyMac X!

CleanMyMac X can replace many tools for your Mac. It has 30+ tools to help you fix the most common Mac issues. It can be a macOS cleaner, a performance monitor, a malware remover, and so much more.

CleanMyMac X also cleans unwanted files and can remove clutters inside iTunes, Mail, Photos, and even huge hidden files. 

To add to that, it is applicable for macOS 10.10 and higher. It is also available in 13 languages. Plus, it also has a rating of 4.9 stars, based on 539 user reviews in the App Store. 

So what are you waiting for?

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Try CleanMyMac X Now! 

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7. Contact Apple Support.

Unfortunately, if nothing in this list worked for you, you should now contact Apple Support. In case they are still unaware of this issue, it is better to report this issue for their awareness. They may or may not be able to fix the issue, but you still have an option to go to any Apple store to have your keyboard replaced.

If that is what you have decided to do, check your service and support coverage first. Then you can proceed on going to your nearest Apple store to have your keyboard checked by Apple-certified technicians.

Finally, we have reached the end of our article! If you happen to find other solutions that have worked for other users, comment below to help other affected users as well.

If this guide helped you, please share it. 🙂