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Poor Apple Bluetooth Keyboard Battery Life Since 10.8.3

Mr. McMac

Mr. McMac

Suspended
Original poster
Dec 21, 2009
2,968
364
Far away from liberals
Anyone else experience poor battery life on their bluetooth keyboards since updating to OSX 10.8.3? I get about a week before the low battery warning comes on now. With 10.8.2 I got close to 2 months before I have to swap out my Eneloops. I tested my Eneloops to make sure they're all within spec, they are..
 
No what is happening to me though since getting the 2012 MBP 13" is the keyboard goes offline, and I have to pull the batteries and put them back in to get it to reconnect though.

Never happened with my 2011 Mini, just the 2012 MBP, my sons 2011 MBP and my old 2009 uMB work with no issues on SL
 
Mr. McMac said:
Anyone else experience poor battery life on their bluetooth keyboards since updating to OSX 10.8.3? I get about a week before the low battery warning comes on now. With 10.8.2 I got close to 2 months before I have to swap out my Eneloops. I tested my Eneloops to make sure they're all within spec, they are..
Click to expand...
Make sure the batteries are facing the right direction. I've had the issue in the past if I put the batteries in backwards, it works, but for a much shorter lifespan.
 
Batteries are installed correctly. The problem is with the battery level indicator. I measured the voltage of each battery when they were down to 19%, and the low battery indicator was flashing. I got 1.33 volts on each battery with no load. Then I tested the batteries in a battery tester that actually puts a load across them. They measure good on the scale.
The problem more than likely is with 10.8.3 giving false warnings
 
My magic mouse did that for a bit... Then I let it run down fully until it wasn't working any more then left it for a day. Then I put new batteries in it and its all back to normal. Also try cleaning the connectors with a cotton bud and distilled water...
 
jamesjingyi said:
My magic mouse did that for a bit... Then I let it run down fully until it wasn't working any more then left it for a day. Then I put new batteries in it and its all back to normal. Also try cleaning the connectors with a cotton bud and distilled water...
Click to expand...

I did clean the both + and - contacts with 99% isopropyl alcohol 4 days ago and put freshly charged Eneloops in. So far the battery indicator still show 100%. I've got my fingers crossed.
 
Oh well, it's back to 19% and I just got the low battery warning again after 10 days. I'm convinced it has something to do with 10.8.3. Never had this problem with 10.8.2. I'll leave the batteries in till my keyboard stops working. I'm pretty sure it just a bug in the battery level metering thingy..
 
I'm having this problem since 10.8 has been out. I've used 3 different wireless keyboards since 10.8 came out. I've had an older apple wireless keyboard which used 3 batteries. Bought a new one because they have 2 batteries nowadays. And got the 3rd with my iMac 2012. Also used a wireless mighty mouse and 2 different trackpads. Made me buy the apple battery charger.
 
I am not sure if it is the exact same problem, but I recently changed batteries in my keyboard and just a few days later got the warning that my keyboard batteries are low. That is way sooner than usual.

To verify this, I clicked on the bluetooth symbol on top of the screen to see how much power I have left, but the battery indicator says that my batteries are at 100%.

OS X 10.9. Mac Mini mid 2010.
 
Wireless Keyboard Battery Life

I have 10.9.3 and all of a sudden I get the low battery message after only two days. I am using a brand new Duracell Quantum Batteries and have now used most of the package in just a few weeks.
 
billsjellybean said:
I have 10.9.3 and all of a sudden I get the low battery message after only two days. I am using a brand new Duracell Quantum Batteries and have now used most of the package in just a few weeks.
Click to expand...

This is a simple thing to miss, and may or may not apply in your case: Make sure the batteries are pointing in the right direction.
 
Poor Apple Bluetooth Keyboard Battery Life

The batteries were in correctly.

I did a SMC reset that someone suggested in Battery Life - Mavericks and put in new batteries. We'll see how that goes.
 
billsjellybean said:
The batteries were in correctly.

I did a SMC reset that someone suggested in Battery Life - Mavericks and put in new batteries. We'll see how that goes.
Click to expand...
The SMC has nothing to do with keyboard batteries. Resetting it only addresses issues with Apple notebook computer batteries.
 
keyboard battery life problem solved

I used to have months of life on wireless keyboard and mouse. Suddenly, battery life was down to about a week. Kept replacing. Finally went back to USB. What had changed? I am on OS 10.6.8

Something was keeping the keyboard and/or mouse to continually search for a device, I presumed.

Well, my wife had just bought a new iPhone and was using it in close range of the computer. I reset the keyboard and mouse to the computer. You can also turn off "discoverable" on your device.

Voila, i've been on new batteries for two months and still at 100% power.

http://davemeehan.com/technology/how-to-reset-an-apple-wireless-bluetooth-keyboard-mouse-or-trackpad
 
Wicked1 said:
No what is happening to me though since getting the 2012 MBP 13" is the keyboard goes offline, and I have to pull the batteries and put them back in to get it to reconnect though.

Never happened with my 2011 Mini, just the 2012 MBP, my sons 2011 MBP and my old 2009 uMB work with no issues on SL
Click to expand...
The cheap solution comes form using some tinfoil or cigarette box foil to stuff in the end of the battery hole after inserting batteries
its a 'fix apollo 13 with an old sock' type solution, but it works, because apple keyboards are slightly too big for the batteries, which causes a slight wobble and disconnection problems. The extra bit of folde foil in the end stops this from happening
a bit of paper between the batteries of magic mouse also solves the same problem. reduce the free space where the batteries can wobble, and the connection stays on. Works for me since 4 years now
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1bugman said:
keyboard battery life problem solved

I used to have months of life on wireless keyboard and mouse. Suddenly, battery life was down to about a week. Kept replacing. Finally went back to USB. What had changed? I am on OS 10.6.8

Something was keeping the keyboard and/or mouse to continually search for a device, I presumed.

Well, my wife had just bought a new iPhone and was using it in close range of the computer. I reset the keyboard and mouse to the computer. You can also turn off "discoverable" on your device.

Voila, i've been on new batteries for two months and still at 100% power.

http://davemeehan.com/technology/how-to-reset-an-apple-wireless-bluetooth-keyboard-mouse-or-trackpad
Click to expand...
Thanks interesting as my girlfriend's macbooks also sees my keyboard but it isn't connected, but maybe that proves how my keyboard is sending out signals all day, if not she wouldn't be able to see it from her macbook
Thanks for this info it may have something to do with it.
Do others in this forum thread with the battery problem have other mac devices in the same room as the keyboard they are using? if so, then we have found the probable cause
 
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