It’s because people do not know the Touch ID sensor is a power button.
That’s why Apple designed it to turn on when keyboard is pressed
That’s why Apple designed it to turn on when keyboard is pressed
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My Mac is really annoying me.
- Thread starter mashinhead
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Its not so much as a system is still running, but likely a small chip that's just looking for input from the switches or lid sensor from the MacBook. Basically every key has become the power button. So the OS is still shut down, but the BIOS receives the power on signal from any input.
It's nifty from a "oh look how fast my computer boots, it's like it was never off" standpoint but it kind of flies in the face of 30+ years of computer design and usage. It's a more advanced version of how some PCs can be booted from over a network or other connection versus just the power button. But with those you have the option to *not* enable them. Here we have no choice outside of setting NVRAM variables that aren't readily known. It should be just a toggle in Settings (apparently it was at one point)
It's not just Mac that does this. Windows laptops will also power on if the keys are pressed. That being said. Just minimize any windows and do quick dusting before shutting down. That's what I do. Or I just a duster/brush to brush away dust. But I also generally don't use the keyboard on the Macbooks. I always use an external keyboard. So that's easy to clean. That also has the advantage of no wear spots on the laptops keyboard. Keeping it pristine. My Windows laptop I don't care as much since I use it mainly as my backyard PC. But my macs stay inside on a desk.
Wasn't that button a power button at one time? If so, did Apple merely add Touch ID features to a button that already was a power button?
It used to have a power symbol on it.
But I guess Apple could not have a power symbol while also adding Touch ID.
Because of this, Apple's research team saw that users are dumb ig, so they made all keys the power button.
Yeah, I kind of hate that in principle, but in practice it just doesn't affect me. If I want my Mac powered off fully (which is rare), I'm in all likelihood also going to close the lid to store it. The rest of the time the thing is just sleeping.
Still, I get it. Should be a user-configurable preference, IMO, but Apple has a tendency just decide the simplest way on stuff like this ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
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Good lord. This complaint is just so tired and off-base. Apple doesn't decide on the library of emojis. If the Unicode Consortium came up with new ones and Apple didn't implement them, you'd start seeing blank boxes or something when receiving said emojis from other systems. They're simply keeping up with an existing cross-platform standard. You might as well complain about support for color profiles or something.
The graphic designers who adapt emojis to Apple's existing design language are probably different people than the ones who design MacBook keyboards, I'd wager.
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Have a look at Microsoft all of their new keyboards include a button for emojis!
Maybe something has quietly changed on the M3. I haven't kept track of whether the reports of it not working were on earlier silicons.
I prefer to clean mine when it’s on, perhaps surprisingly.
I do it at the lock/login screen where key presses don’t matter except for filling in the password field.
I can still turn the screen off with the brightness keys, to make sure I get rid of all the glass smears.
Wow, know I know that the touch ID is the power button. Nice! Such an amazing feature so I don't have to reach out to the back of my mac studio anymore; IF I have an Apple keyboard. LOLz
A well placed round with a .40 Cal Glock , will permanently shut that thing down for keyboard cleaning 🤣
It’s a 180 Grain power button (180 Grain is optional, power buttons come in different weights).
It’s a 180 Grain power button (180 Grain is optional, power buttons come in different weights).
That's not how it works – at least not unless you consider a small current being delivered to each key as "the system is running". This is just part of the hardware of new Macs: The same way the Power button can turn on the machine when it's actually off, so can any keyboard key if the wiring in the hardware is appropriate. You can just imagine that while the machine is off, a small switch will route the keyboard keys' signal to the same unit that deals with the power buttons signal.
I have several family members with Apple Silicon MacBooks. And because most of them just close the lid and never really turn it off and shut it down, they forget that the Touch ID key also works as a power button, and that going to the "Apple menu" and choosing "Shut Down" is even a thing.
I have to assume that this is a deliberate choice and not a technical limitation, as I know iPads and iPhones won't automatically turn on by pressing any button except the power button.
It's worth noting that Apple's documentation on cleaning does state you need to remove all power sources and shut down the Mac if you want to wipe any part of it with a damp cleaning cloth.
But no mention on how you're supposed to wipe the keys and avoid turning it on simultaneously.
My best "solution" for OP's issue, without installing a third party app or resorting to a Terminal command, would be to run down the battery completely and then clean the keyboard while it's off and has no power to auto-boot.
But, like on an iPhone or iPad, there's probably always enough power left that it would keep powering on to show you the "needs to be charged" warning screen. You would have to leave it off for several hours or days until it's completely drained, I guess.
I don't know if that's a good idea even if doable.
But this is definitely dumb if there's no native fix.
🤷♂️
It’s not notably harmful, that is, unless you leave the battery in a very low charge state for weeks or months. Although, waiting for the battery to be sufficiently depleted to cause an auto-shutdown is probably the opposite of convenient for most users.
My thought is Apple only references it as a power button for troubleshooting purposes. For example, the first words from the MacBook Pro (13-inch, 2016, Four Thunderbolt 3 Ports) Quick Start guide:
Apple said:
I wasn’t aware of these auto-boot triggers until semi-recently as my last MacBook was a mid-2007 model. And I can easily accept the lid open triggers startup but don’t think the key and trackpad press trigger is typically helpful when the unit is shut down — in sleep mode, totally sensible. As for auto-boot on power connect, the following video also mentions a valid scenario to which that’s not ideal.
Apparently, the nvram setting only disables the auto boot on display open/lift and when connected to external power. However, a key or trackpad press supposedly still initiates auto boot. That is, unless you can demonstrate otherwise.
There are many more threads, including on Apple’s Discussion Board:
Search - Apple Community
Start your search above. Be sure to include device and other relevant details to get the best search results.
Within those results are mentions of an Apple Silicon version of the auto-boot setting (i.e., “AutoBoot” for Intel and “auto-boot” for M series). HOWEVER:
Disabling auto boot upon lid open for M2 … - Apple Community
Does setting M1 Mac NVRAM "auto-boot" to … - Apple Community
Nevermind, actually it does turn on on every button. Seems I did not wait long enough for it to shut down properly. I can see how that can be annoying.
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HobeSoundDarryl
macrumors G5
They need to be careful with this AI crap.. some of us are ex military and are fully willing to introduce the AI to the business end of a sidearm
Yes, but as we've seen in good(?) sci-fi, it's only a matter of time until the A.I. starts firing back.
or I beg to differ. The trackpad also turns the machine on and this trackpad is not a mechanical button - try pressing it with a small wooden dowel and you'll see that it doesn't actually move. The trackpad is a type of capacitive surface and only reacts when something changes the electrical conductivity of the surface. Once it is touched the haptic engine engages to make it feel and act like a mechanical button. This implies that something is still running to be able to know that the capacitive nature of the trackpad has changed.
I submit that this machine has two operating systems; macOS and bridgeOS.. and I think bridgeOS is always running in the background. I think the Touch ID sensor/button is also a small capacitive surface, similar to the Touch Strip on older Mac Pro's, and bridgeOS works with this button and the trackpad to power up the machine.
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I think the autoboot is setup for the find my purpose so that the MacBook is always traceable.
But they should add a keyboard clean mode, if enabled then the keyboard or touchpad won't respond till 10 minutes (or a configurable time period) and to exit the mode before the time then some key combination is required.
But they should add a keyboard clean mode, if enabled then the keyboard or touchpad won't respond till 10 minutes (or a configurable time period) and to exit the mode before the time then some key combination is required.
What’s the problem really? I just lock it and clean it, no need to power off. Yes you will press keys but that doesn’t matter, does it? What key or combination are you actually afraid of hitting? Is there a combination for self destruction? I don’t think so.
Edit: I know it's been a while, but I have come here again to admit I am wrong. While I still think it is no major issue I do now see how it can be annoying. After cleaning, my MBP would not let me in, despite my password being correct. I tried lots of times, and I am sure. I don't know what key combo triggered that behavior. A restart fixed it. I never had this issue, so for me that happens definitely less than 1% of times I clean my MacBook.
Edit: I know it's been a while, but I have come here again to admit I am wrong. While I still think it is no major issue I do now see how it can be annoying. After cleaning, my MBP would not let me in, despite my password being correct. I tried lots of times, and I am sure. I don't know what key combo triggered that behavior. A restart fixed it. I never had this issue, so for me that happens definitely less than 1% of times I clean my MacBook.
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Just because something "works for you", or makes sense to you doesn't mean it's good for everyone. That way of thinking is exactly why this situation exists.. because this whole thing made sense to Apple. Newsflash: there are other people on planet earth besides you.
How does the machine powering on affect cleaning the keyboard?