Apple will finally pay eligible MacBook owners as part of class-action settlement
Two years after settling a class-action lawsuit over defective MacBook keyboards, Apple will finally start sending compensation to eligible individuals. The latest update to MacBook Keyboard Dispute Resolution Siteas discovered by MacRumorssaid payments would be made for approved claims in August 2024.
To be eligible for the settlement, you must have purchased a MacBook with a butterfly keyboard between 2015 and 2019. You must also have repaired or serviced the keyboard on your system.
Based on emails sent to eligible MacBook owners, if you replace at least two top covers within four years of purchase, you could get up to $395. If you replace just one top cover, you could pay up to $125. The top cover mostly covers the battery, keyboard, and some smaller components. If you order just the key covers, your payment will be no more than $50.
Also: Sorry, Apple: This Logitech Keyboard Is My New Choice for Macs
Regardless of which repair you received, you must have filed a claim by now, as the deadline passed on March 6. In your claim, you must state that the repair did not fix the keyboard issue. If you have already filed a claim, there is nothing more you need to do. Apple will send you an email notification once your automatic payment has been sent.
The whole process has been quite lengthy. Although Apple settled the case in July 2022, the court did not approve Apple’s settlement until May 2023, and the payment order was not issued until June 27, 2024.
The class action stemmed from Apple’s move to switch the MacBook from a scissor-style keyboard to a butterfly design with shorter key travel. The goal was to make the keyboard thinner and the laptop thinner.
This backfired spectacularly when MacBook owners began complaining that the keys were prone to sticking or jamming due to dust, bread crumbs, or other small objects. Popular tech blogger John Gruber even called the new keyboard “aworst products in apple history“
The lawsuit alleges that the butterfly keyboards used in the MacBook, MacBook Air, and MacBook Pro are defective and faulty, causing challenges for consumers unfortunate enough to purchase one of these products. settle the caseApple has not admitted any wrongdoing, has denied all the allegations in the lawsuit, and insists that MacBooks are not defective. Despite the denials, the company has shipped its MacBooks back to standard scissor keyboard in 2019.
