Screen shakes when I type on a sturdy desk/table (15" M4 MacBook Air)

[helloapple1]

Is anyone else experiencing the issue where their 15" MacBook Air screen shakes when they are typing on a sturdy table or desk?

When I'm typing on the device the screen shakes.

Is this normal behaviour? Could this be a hinge issue? Does anyone know how to tighten the hinge up?

It's a new device with only 10 cycles on it.

 

[bellflyer14]

Nope, mine is perfect.

 

[adrianlondon]

Is anyone else experiencing the issue where their 15" MacBook Air screen shakes when they are typing on a sturdy table or desk?

When I'm typing on the device the screen shakes.

Is this normal behaviour? Could this be a hinge issue? Does anyone know how to tighten the hinge up?

It's a new device with only 10 cycles on it.

Take it to an Apple store and have them look at it - don't try to fix it yourself when it's this new. If you bought it from Apple and it's under 14 days old, swap it out.

If you bought it within the holiday return period (or whatever it's called) then you still have a few weeks to do the swap I believe.

 

[helloapple1]

Take it to an Apple store and have them look at it - don't try to fix it yourself when it's this new. If you bought it from Apple and it's under 14 days old, swap it out.

If you bought it within the holiday return period (or whatever it's called) then you still have a few weeks to do the swap I believe.

Thank you. Guess I’ll go in person and get them to look at it. The screen shakes when I move the device and type on it. Very unusual. Unless this is normal. I’ll check the devices in store too.

 

[Christopher Kim]

Agreed - seems very unusual... If it's a solid table you're on and the screen is shaking, agree with others, bring it to Apple and see if you can recreate it on their tables. I have the 15" M4 MBA, and this doesn't happen at all. Even on a "less than sturdy" like, fold-out TV-Tray Table, doesn't happen. Let alone on an actual desk / kitchen table, etc.

 

[helloapple1]

Agreed - seems very unusual... If it's a solid table you're on and the screen is shaking, agree with others, bring it to Apple and see if you can recreate it on their tables. I have the 15" M4 MBA, and this doesn't happen at all. Even on a "less than sturdy" like, fold-out TV-Tray Table, doesn't happen. Let alone on an actual desk / kitchen table, etc.

Wow it doesn’t even wobble on a less than sturdy table? Is there any micro shaking of it at all?

I’ll make a video later showing what my screen is doing and share here.

 

[DeepSix]

Check the screws by the screen to make sure they're tight.

 

[helloapple1]

I was just in the Apple Store and noticed the lid of the 15” MacBook Airs in store shake briefly when you open them, but not when I type on them though. Then again, I noticed their tables are rock solid sturdy. Seems maybe this is normal!? There’s no unsteady table to try them on in the Apple Store.

 

[Technerd108]

I was just in the Apple Store and noticed the lid of the 15” MacBook Airs in store shake briefly when you open them, but not when I type on them though. Then again, I noticed their tables are rock solid sturdy. Seems maybe this is normal!? There’s no unsteady table to try them on in the Apple Store.

Did you bring your Mac and put it on a sturdy desk too? Then you could have directly tested to see if there was a difference.

Did you get a new Mac? Did you talk to an employee? Any resolution?

In my personal opinion a little shaking might be present in the 15" MBA but the 13.6" MBA doesn't have any wobble. I would not accept a laptop with a shaky or wobbly screen.

Good luck in your endeavors and I hope a good resolution to you!

 

[TokyoKiller]

It sounds like you might have a hinge that needs to be retightened.

 

[helloapple1]

Did you bring your Mac and put it on a sturdy desk too? Then you could have directly tested to see if there was a difference.

Did you get a new Mac? Did you talk to an employee? Any resolution?

In my personal opinion a little shaking might be present in the 15" MBA but the 13.6" MBA doesn't have any wobble. I would not accept a laptop with a shaky or wobbly screen.

Good luck in your endeavors and I hope a good resolution to you!

Thank you. I didn't bring my Mac with me to the Apple Store, but next time I will. I didn't talk to an employee and don't have a resolution. I'm feeling like the wobble may be normal in the 15" MBA like you're saying, but I'm not sure.

I made a few videos to show the issue:

Mind you, this specific table my Mac is on isn't super stable.

Is your guys 15" MBA screen like this too?

 

[1BadManVan]

Thank you. I didn't bring my Mac with me to the Apple Store, but next time I will. I didn't talk to an employee and don't have a resolution. I'm feeling like the wobble may be normal in the 15" MBA like you're saying, but I'm not sure.

I made a few videos to show the issue:

Mind you, this specific table my Mac is on isn't super stable.

View attachment 2581473
View attachment 2581474


Is your guys 15" MBA screen like this too?

My 13" air definitely doesnt do that

 

[Technerd108]

I have the 13" and it certainly doesn't wobble to that degree. It is hard to tell what if any impact your table is making?

I would imagine Apple would want tolerance between all air Macs to be the same including the hinge resistance which leads me to believe from what I can discern that the hinge may be defective or loose and I would immediately exchange for another similar model. If past return period then still push for a replacement in store so you can open up and verify in front of store personnel that the hinge is stable. Doing anything else is just going to exacerbate your situation in my opinion.

 

[helloapple1]

I have the 13" and it certainly doesn't wobble to that degree. It is hard to tell what if any impact your table is making?

I would imagine Apple would want tolerance between all air Macs to be the same including the hinge resistance which leads me to believe from what I can discern that the hinge may be defective or loose and I would immediately exchange for another similar model. If past return period then still push for a replacement in store so you can open up and verify in front of store personnel that the hinge is stable. Doing anything else is just going to exacerbate your situation in my opinion.

Thanks for your reply. It's past due for a return/exchange. The table could possibly have something to do with it, but I'm wondering though if this is only happening on the 15" models because of the larger/heavier screen?

 

[Technerd108]

Thanks for your reply. It's past due for a return/exchange. The table could possibly have something to do with it, but I'm wondering though if this is only happening on the 15" models because of the larger/heavier screen?

Even past return period you may be able to get a replacement. If you have Apple care it would help.

As far as the 15" wobbling I would normally agree that a larger size would be more likely to wobble BUT I would have heard many people complaining about it on these forums and you are the first person I have seen make a post like this so I am still inclined to believe it is a defect and not normal.

Since you are past return period you have 2 options. Go ahead and keep it and don't worry about the wobble or contact Apple to get a resolution. I would do the latter and go up the customer service latter until I reach someone who can help me.

You have a valid concern and from what I can see a possible defective unit with a loose or bad hinge. Apple should repair or replace your unit free. It may take some back and forth and talking to a supervisor to get them to replace but it seems possible to me.

 

[Christopher Kim]

Ok I just tried this on my 15” M4 MBA. So when adjusting the screen angle like you do on your 2nd video, my MBA does the same. It wiggles a few oscillations before settling into its position - it’s not *quite* as much as yours, but I’m also doing it on a stable dining room table.

However on the first video when you’re typing, my MBA screen doesn’t wobble at all. And I type fairly fast (I just did a quick typing test and got 134wpm). FWIW, I’d also say that I don’t type as “vigorously” as you do (lol) in your 1st video, so that may make a slight impact, and it’s also possible this is the point at which it’s the table that is making the difference as well.

If you type the same way on a stable table, does the screen still have that slight wiggle? If so, I agree with @Technerd108, bring your MBA into an Apple Store and do it on one of their tables then you can show them. If it doesn’t wobble on a stable table (at your home, or at the Apple Store), I think it’s probably the table as the primary culprit.

 

[Honza1]

Same as above post ... my M1 MBP Pro shakes similarly to your second movie - opening and closing - and I consider that normal and expected.
As for the first one, I am confused how can that be mechanically possible without table below the notebook yielding or notebook body flexing. There is really no way keyboard key movement itself can shake the screen; the frame = body of the computer - must shake or flex and transfer this into hinges and display.
Have you tried on really strong surface (like kitchen desk which is supported by cabinets)? May be the table is not sturdy enough for your force of typing. I recall from many years ago that typewriters had dedicated sturdy (and separated) tables to prevent annoying shaking transfer to other objects.
One thing which is possible is that as you type the body of computer flexes, which transfers into the display. If that is the case, the contact with the desk may be incorrect - there should be 4 points contact in corners with these rubber feet. Do you have a good contact with table? May be the bottom of computer is bent/bowed out?
If the contact is proper 4 corner points, try adding support in the middle (like some runner layer of proper thickness), and see, if that helps. That would suggest the frame is not strong enough for force of your typing ;-)

 

[helloapple1]

Even past return period you may be able to get a replacement. If you have Apple care it would help.

As far as the 15" wobbling I would normally agree that a larger size would be more likely to wobble BUT I would have heard many people complaining about it on these forums and you are the first person I have seen make a post like this so I am still inclined to believe it is a defect and not normal.

Since you are past return period you have 2 options. Go ahead and keep it and don't worry about the wobble or contact Apple to get a resolution. I would do the latter and go up the customer service latter until I reach someone who can help me.

You have a valid concern and from what I can see a possible defective unit with a loose or bad hinge. Apple should repair or replace your unit free. It may take some back and forth and talking to a supervisor to get them to replace but it seems possible to me.

Ok I just tried this on my 15” M4 MBA. So when adjusting the screen angle like you do on your 2nd video, my MBA does the same. It wiggles a few oscillations before settling into its position - it’s not *quite* as much as yours, but I’m also doing it on a stable dining room table.

However on the first video when you’re typing, my MBA screen doesn’t wobble at all. And I type fairly fast (I just did a quick typing test and got 134wpm). FWIW, I’d also say that I don’t type as “vigorously” as you do (lol) in your 1st video, so that may make a slight impact, and it’s also possible this is the point at which it’s the table that is making the difference as well.

If you type the same way on a stable table, does the screen still have that slight wiggle? If so, I agree with @Technerd108, bring your MBA into an Apple Store and do it on one of their tables then you can show them. If it doesn’t wobble on a stable table (at your home, or at the Apple Store), I think it’s probably the table as the primary culprit.

Same as above post ... my M1 MBP Pro shakes similarly to your second movie - opening and closing - and I consider that normal and expected.
As for the first one, I am confused how can that be mechanically possible without table below the notebook yielding or notebook body flexing. There is really no way keyboard key movement itself can shake the screen; the frame = body of the computer - must shake or flex and transfer this into hinges and display.
Have you tried on really strong surface (like kitchen desk which is supported by cabinets)? May be the table is not sturdy enough for your force of typing. I recall from many years ago that typewriters had dedicated sturdy (and separated) tables to prevent annoying shaking transfer to other objects.
One thing which is possible is that as you type the body of computer flexes, which transfers into the display. If that is the case, the contact with the desk may be incorrect - there should be 4 points contact in corners with these rubber feet. Do you have a good contact with table? May be the bottom of computer is bent/bowed out?
If the contact is proper 4 corner points, try adding support in the middle (like some runner layer of proper thickness), and see, if that helps. That would suggest the frame is not strong enough for force of your typing ;-)

Thanks everyone for your comments and for trying it on your own Mac

What I did recently to test this was put my MacBook on a kitchen granite countertop and I typed like I usually do. The screen didn't wiggle. So I guess this is a non-issue. The screen only wiggle on desks that are not as sturdy as a granite countertop. Any time I move the device on any table top the screen wiggles a bit. I'm assuming this is because of physics and how thin the screen and base are of this device. I don't think I will bother bringing it into the Apple Store, the employees might look at me like I'm crazy lol.

I'm also guessing that the 15" is more noticeable with the screen wobbling than a 13" version because of physics.

These are reassuring from ChatGPT: