I've noticed that my new 16" is wobbling a lot, especially when I type. Does anybody else have this issue on their 16"? Not sure what much I can do to fix it other than swap it out, but I am weary of doing that right now.
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16 inch lid wobble
- Thread starter retta283
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I have not noticed any wobble when I type on a hard surface. It does appear to wobble on my lap, but that is because thighs need more reps to firm them up as hard as a solid desk. 
Also, the screen is bigger, so any movement at the top is larger than say on a 13" MBP. When I pick my 16" up and give it a little jiggle the screen does not move back and forth.
Also, the screen is bigger, so any movement at the top is larger than say on a 13" MBP. When I pick my 16" up and give it a little jiggle the screen does not move back and forth.Yep, firmer thighs are needed to eliminate wobble . Mine has no play, and no wobble if I shake it gently.
. Mine has no play, and no wobble if I shake it gently.
I have also noticed that my 16 inch has more wobbling than the 15 inch used to. Not unusable but a little bit worse.
I've noticed my display is a bit loose too, however everything else is perfect.. I'm afraid to play the lottery to get a less than perfect unit if I return/exchange. If it gets any worse, I'll send it in to apple for warranty.
It wobbles no matter where it is, bed, desk, floor, I think the hinges are just loose in it because if I shake it I can move the display back
Just got my 16" and noticed considerable wobble. A slight bump or normal typing makes the screen flop around. It takes a few seconds for the motion to damp out. Pretty distracting when doing work.
In comparison, hinges on 15" 2012 and 13" 2017 are solid.
Will take into Apple Store and ask for hinge tightening and compare with floor models.
In comparison, hinges on 15" 2012 and 13" 2017 are solid.
Will take into Apple Store and ask for hinge tightening and compare with floor models.
This is my biggest annoyance with new laptops and why I couldn’t keep the 12”. The play in the hinges was terrible, but even the display models had it.
And in case some of you are wondering what the OP is on about, if you sit your laptop on a flat solid table, and you can move the screen without going so far as to make the hinges engage or move, that’s play in the hinges. Which is causing the screen wobble when typing or moving around.
A lot of laptops have it, and it’s normal for new laptops to have slight, very slight play with the hinges, but excessive wobble and or play, shouldn’t happen, so just get it exchanged. On that note, I’ve seen the new 16” at Best Buy and tonight at the Apple Store and neither really had play or wobble, it’s the first thing I check for. I’ll be picking up a 16” next month so hopefully mine is good too.
And in case some of you are wondering what the OP is on about, if you sit your laptop on a flat solid table, and you can move the screen without going so far as to make the hinges engage or move, that’s play in the hinges. Which is causing the screen wobble when typing or moving around.
A lot of laptops have it, and it’s normal for new laptops to have slight, very slight play with the hinges, but excessive wobble and or play, shouldn’t happen, so just get it exchanged. On that note, I’ve seen the new 16” at Best Buy and tonight at the Apple Store and neither really had play or wobble, it’s the first thing I check for. I’ll be picking up a 16” next month so hopefully mine is good too.
I don't think my wobble is too bad. There's definitely some if you bump or knock the table for instance, but it quickly settles down. The hinge feels quite tight to me, just loose enough to open without the base of the laptop lifting. A loose hinge would be far worse.
It sounds like some of you got loose hinges which exacerbates wobble?
It sounds like some of you got loose hinges which exacerbates wobble?
Can we ask a genius to tighten the screws?
The only tMBP that did not wobble at all was a 2015 15".
All others - 2012 15" rMBP, 2017 15", another 2017 15", 2019 16" - wobbled about the same.
Would love to adjust it though!
Tightening the screws isn't going to fix it, I doubt they are even loose at all. The issue is within the hinges and them having some play. I know you're referencing the screws attaching the hinge to the display & laptop etc... but the actual hinge mechanism is most always the culprit for wobble.
The hinge mechanism "should" remain snug/tight as you move the display back and forth, even for small tiny adjustments... But most laptop hinges have some level of play, ie; The hinge can be moved before the tension/spring mechanism engages to keep the LCD firm in place.
Hinges are tiny but still contain a lot of parts, springs/tension mechanism, a pin, bolts etc... and so when you move your screen, think of the movement like a pie slice. You're adjusting your screen by an inch but down at your hinge it's a very tiny adjustment that was made, mm's. This is a bad analogy, but most door handles, your typical room door, that door handle also has play. You can slightly move the door handle before it engages and starts moving the latch assembly. Same concept with hinges, but a heck of a lot small movements.
Anyways, the larger the screen, you can expect some level of wobble, keeping in mind that 16" screen is a lot of weight for such a small hinge. But if I can move a laptop screen back and forth 1-2" without it staying put, I'm exchanging it. ALL the 12" Macbooks I tried, in various stores, Best Buy, Apple Store, and mine were notorious for wobble, you could move the screen back and forth about 1" or more before it would engage the hinge and stay put.
Honestly, You can't really expect to have a laptop on your lap and not have the screen move slightly while you type... I mean maybe if they are industrial strength, super tight hinges but you've got to remember that only the bottom of the LCD screen is being held in place by two small hinges. Nothing is holding the top of the screen in place, so of course it's going to wobble a bit when moved. But excessive wobble, that's 9/10 play in hinges.
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Thanks for such an extended explanation.
I guess that the 15" 2015 that had no wobbling was an outlier (I bought it refurbished, maybe that's why)
I just got both the 2019 MacBook Pro 16 and 2020 MacBook Pro 13 and the hinges are looser in the laptops now than in previous incarnations. I think much of this is due to a redesign of the body mechanism.
For me, the question is whether the lid is floppy when I shift it around. My MBP 13 which I use the most often isn't super tight and honestly it holds up well. I wouldn't want to tighten it too much because I don't want stress fractures in my laptop lid either.
For me, the question is whether the lid is floppy when I shift it around. My MBP 13 which I use the most often isn't super tight and honestly it holds up well. I wouldn't want to tighten it too much because I don't want stress fractures in my laptop lid either.