Got a MacBook or MacBook Pro with sticky keys? Apple has a free service program for you

For some time, a number of MacBook or MacBook Pro users have complained about problems with their keyboards -- specifically that keys either stop working completely, fall off, or become "sticky", resulting in repeated characters.

Now, after two years of complaints and a lawsuit about the butterfly mechanism in its keyboards, Apple has finally acknowledged that there is a problem. The company has also launched a keyboard service program so those affected by the problem can get it addressed, free of charge.

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Apple does not go into a great deal of detail about either the program itself, or the reasons for it, but the company does say that the service "may involve the replacement of one or more keys or the whole keyboard" for some people. Anyone who has already had their keyboard repaired at their own expense is invited to get in touch with Apple as they may be eligible for a refund.

Launching the program, Apple says:

Apple has determined that a small percentage of the keyboards in certain MacBook and MacBook Pro models may exhibit one or more of the following behaviors:

• Letters or characters repeat unexpectedly
• Letters or characters do not appear
• Key(s) feel "sticky" or do not respond in a consistent manner

Apple or an Apple Authorized Service Provider will service eligible MacBook and MacBook Pro keyboards, free of charge. The type of service will be determined after the keyboard is examined and may involve the replacement of one or more keys or the whole keyboard.

The repair program is not a free-for-all, and it is limited to a name range of MacBooks and MacBook Pros:

• MacBook (Retina, 12-­inch, Early 2015)
• MacBook (Retina, 12­-inch, Early 2016)
• MacBook (Retina, 12-­inch, 2017)
• MacBook Pro (13­-inch, 2016, Two Thunderbolt 3 Ports)
• MacBook Pro (13-­inch, 2017, Two Thunderbolt 3 Ports)
• MacBook Pro (13-­inch, 2016, Four Thunderbolt 3 Ports)
• MacBook Pro (13-­inch, 2017, Four Thunderbolt 3 Ports)
• MacBook Pro (15-­inch, 2016)
• MacBook Pro (15-­inch, 2017)

If you have a laptop affected by the keyboard problem, head over to the Keyboard Service Program for MacBook and MacBook Pro page for details of getting your device looked at.

Image credit: lovemydesigns / Shutterstock