MacBook Pro Touch Bar Not Working | My Touch Bar is Not Working
The Touch Bar on the MacBook Pro has a wide range of shortcuts based on the application, but there are times when it’s not as efficient as you’d expect. Users might encounter unexpected behavior such as freezing or specific keys not working.
If this happens to you, remember that you can fix the issue without needing to restart your Mac. Follow these steps to repair your touch bar when it stops working.
MacBook Pro Touch Bar Not Working | 6 Simple Solutions
Before you try any technique to fix a problem with your MacBook’s Touch Bar, make sure it’s running the most recent version of macOS. Older versions of macOS may occasionally cause problems with the device’s operation. Furthermore, some applications and processes might not function properly in older versions of macOS.
If your MacBook is up-to-date and you’re having Touch Bar-related problems, you can follow the 9 tips for effective hacks listed below.
1. Force Stop App
Do you find that your MacBook fails to react or show dynamic control while you are using one particular application? Stop the app and then launch it.
There are two methods to force an app to shut down on a Mac by using either the Force Quit tool or the Activity Monitor.
Force Stop app for Mac Utilizing the Tool for Force Quitting
Select the Apple icon in the menu bar, and then select Force Quit.
An easier way to open Force Quit is to launch the Force Quit window using this keyboard shortcut: Command + Option + Escape.
Find the app responsible for the failure of the Touch Bar and click the Force Quit button.
Force Stop app on Mac by using Activity Monitor
- Make use of your Command and Shift plus U shortcuts to open MacOS’s Utilities folder. Double-click on the Activity Monitor.
Alternatively, you can launch Spotlight Search using Command + Space bar and enter the word “activity monitor” into the box for search. Double-click “Activity Monitor” in the search results.
- Choose the app that is causal and click the icon located at the top-left edge of the Activity Monitor window.
- Select “Force Quit” to end the application.
If the Touch Bar does not respond when you restart the app, it’s possible that the app has glitches. Visit the app’s settings menu or go to the App Store to see whether there’s an update for the application.
It is recommended that you contact the app’s developers if you notice that the app is still crashing on your computer’s Touch Bar.
2. Refresh Touch Bar
One of the best methods to resolve Touch Bar not working problems on your Intel or M1-powered MacBook Pro is to refresh the Touch Bar process. The refresh process will clear memory and other resources currently being utilized for the Touch Bar. Touch Bar. When the refresh is completed, it will be done. Your MacBook will assign more resources to your Touch Bar.
If you find that your Touch Bar backlight is not working or it freezes frequently, you should try refreshing the Touch Bar on your Mac.
There are two methods by which you can refresh the Touch Bar on MacBooks. It is possible to do this with the Terminal, the activity monitor, or the Terminal. Both involve shutting down and restarting your Touch Bar. We’ll demonstrate how to accomplish this later in this section.
Refresh Touch Bar by using the Activity Monitor.
Activity Monitor is an application that displays all the processes running on your Mac. It will show the consumption of resources by different applications and processes running on your MacBook. This will provide you with a better understanding of the MacBook’s performance.
You can identify the applications or processes that consume the most resources on your computer. Additionally, you can remove processes from Activity Monitor by forcing them to quit. It’s an excellent solution if you’re experiencing a drain on your battery and excessive heat on your MacBook Pro.
- Go to Applications > Utilities
- Open Activity Monitor.
- You’ll see a list of processes. Find and locate “Touch Bar Agent.”
- Force Quit the process.
Refresh Touch Bar by using Terminal
It is a command-line interface for your MacBook. A Mac Terminal is a command-line interface that is installed on the MacBook that lets you be in control of your operating system and alter it through typing commands. It is a speedier method of interacting directly with your system.
- Go into Applications > Utilities and open the Terminal application. If you’re unable to find the app, you can use Spotlight or Finder search.
- Now, type the command- pkill “Touch Bar Agent” or sudo pkill TouchBarServer
- If it asks you to enter the password, simply type it in. Be aware that it won’t show the letters as you type your password.
- Hit Return key
After refreshing your Touch Bar, check if it’s functioning as intended. If you’re experiencing the same issue, move on to the next steps below.
Notice: Copy the command pkill Touch Bar agent into the terminal console on MacBooks running mac OS Sierra (version 10.12) or earlier.
3. Refresh Control Strip
In the event that the Touch Bar shows a blank area instead of buttons or does not respond to shortcuts, it is possible to reset your control strip to fix such problems. Control Strip: The Control Strip can be described as the top section of the Touch Bar that features buttons for Ask Siri as well as buttons to alter other settings such as brightness and volume. So, if your MacBook Pro’s Touch Bar volume isn’t working or you can’t access Touch Bar brightness, you’ll need to refresh the control strip.
Here’s how to refresh the Control Strip on your MacBook Pro:
- Click on Applications > Utilities and open the Terminal application. If you’re unable to find the app, try Spotlight search or Finder.
- Enter the command: Killall ControlStrip
- Hit Return Key
4. Verify your Settings
If your touch screen isn’t working, then you’re experiencing a unique problem since we’ve already identified software bugs and applications that aren’t working. Make sure that your settings are correct.
Click on “System Preferences Keyboard. In it, the Touch Bar is a dropdown list. Ensure that App Controls are selected. Also, ensure that the Show Control Strip is turned on.
If your preferences are exactly as they are, then it’s time to test for your macOS version.
5. Clear The Touch Bar’s Cache Files
Another reason that Touch Bar may get stuck is the inefficient cache files that the app has built up over time. To get rid of this problem, follow the instructions in the following article:
Manual Method:
- Open Finder and go to the location.
- Follow the path: ~/Library/Preferences/
- You must locate the file apple.touchbar.agent.plist and trash it.
- After that you will need to go through Caches in the Caches directory: ~/Library/Caches/
- Once again, you must remove all the contents from the folder into the Trash.
- Be cautious when you delete Caches’ contents folder. Any other deletion could cause other applications not to function correctly.
- Simply reboot your computer to apply the modifications!
Automatic Method:
- Make use of a reliable Mac Cleaner & Optimizer – Disk Clean Pro that will help you find and eliminate cookies, caches, history unwanted files, and other remnants in a matter of minutes.
- When you have launched Disk Clean Pro, click on the Start System Scan button.
- It takes only a few minutes to allow the cleaner program to show all possible contaminants that could hinder the general performance.
- Click the Clean Now for complete removal of any remaining files as quickly as you can and resolve the issue “MacBook Touch Bar Doesn’t Work’.
6. Upgrade macOS to the most recent version
macOS updates are regularly updated to fix bugs and increase internal capabilities like the Touch Bar. Making sure that you are running the latest and most up-to-date version from Apple is a guaranteed method of removing outdated software that could be the reason for the touch bar not working.
Go into System Preferences and select software update. If one is available, install it.
Contact Apple Support Apple Support
If the MacBook’s Touch Bar isn’t working due to a software problem, we’re certain that, at a minimum, one of these tips for troubleshooting can fix the issue.
If it’s still not working, or the Touch Bar continues to malfunction, the issue may be a hardware issue. Call Apple Support or visit an authorized Apple Service Provider in your area to have your device examined for any hardware issues.
