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17 options to repair wi-fi keyboard lag on Mac


Getting insufferable enter delay when typing along with your wi-fi keyboard on Mac? This tutorial lists all of the options to repair this downside and make your typing lag-free.

Magic Keyboard with Touch ID on blue background

The fixes on this publish apply to all wi-fi Bluetooth keyboards, together with Apple’s Magic Keyboard (which I’m at present utilizing).

The issue

  • While you hit a key in your Bluetooth keyboard, the response on the show is seen solely after a noticeable delay.
  • You press a bunch of keys whereas typing, and they don’t seem on the display instantly, however after a brief delay, all of the textual content you typed seems in a single swift circulation.

Observe: It’s regular in your Mac’s wi-fi keyboard, mouse, and trackpad to take a number of seconds to auto-connect and turn into usable after you energy in your pc.

Flip off your keyboard and switch it again on

Search for an influence change in your keyboard and flip it to the off place. In case your Bluetooth keyboard has detachable batteries, take away them.

After ready for 30 seconds, energy in your keyboard, and the lag in keyboard response time ought to be mounted.

Power switch on Magic Keyboard
Picture: Joshin Yamada

Disconnect the keyboard and reconnect it

  1. Open System Settings and click on Bluetooth.
  2. Take the pointer over the linked keyboard identify and click on Disconnect.
  3. Watch for at the least 15 seconds.
  4. Click on Join subsequent to the keyboard identify.

Disconnect Magic Keyboard from Mac Bluetooth settings

You can even disconnect the keyboard by clicking the Bluetooth icon within the menu bar after which clicking its identify.

Cost your keyboard

Earlier than shifting ahead, make sure that your wi-fi keyboard is charged. You’ll be able to see its battery share in System Settings > Bluetooth. Moreover, I like to recommend plugging it into charging for a couple of minutes, even when the battery is charged.

Observe: In case your keyboard makes use of AA or AAA batteries, exchange them with new ones.

Ensure that your Mac and keyboard are within the vary

For many gadgets, the standard Bluetooth vary is roughly 30 toes or 10 meters. You’re nicely inside this vary for those who’re engaged on a desk. But when your Mac mini or Mac studio is mounted on a excessive rack or wall, it could fall exterior the Bluetooth vary of your wi-fi keyboard. On this case, attempt shifting as near the Mac (not its show) as potential.

Restart your Mac

If in case you have not restarted your Mac in a very long time, short-term glitches within the working system could possibly be inflicting this lag. Merely click on the Apple icon  and hit Restart, which ought to repair the issue.

Stop and reopen the involved app

Typically, the keyboard might lag solely in sure Mac apps. For those who discover this sample, stop or drive stop that app and reopen it. In case the issue continues, replace that app or attain out to its developer for an answer.

Flip off gradual keys

Gradual keys is an accessibility setting that means that you can change your Mac keyboard’s response pace. Chances are you’ll discover a substantial delay and likewise hear a sound on every key press if this characteristic is enabled in your pc. Right here’s the way to flip it off:

  1. Open System Settings and click on Accessibility.
  2. Choose Keyboard.
  3. Flip off Gradual Keys.
  4. Observe: If key sounds are vital to you, don’t flip off Gradual Keys. As an alternative, click on the data button ⓘ subsequent to Gradual Keys, set the Acceptance delay to quick, and save your adjustments.

Turn off Slow Keys in Mac Keyboard Accessibility settings

Tweak your keyboard settings

Let’s say you’re excited and shortly need to kind yesssssssssssssssssssssss! To do that, you’ll want to maintain the S key in your keyboard and count on it to maintain typing the alphabet s repeatedly. Sadly, that is disabled by default in macOS. So, first, you’ll have to use a Terminal command to allow key repeats in your Mac.

Assuming you enabled it, while you maintain a key, do you discover a protracted delay earlier than the alphabet is entered repeatedly, or is similar alphabet showing slowly on the display? You’ll be able to repair this by altering these keyboard settings:

  1. Scroll all the way down to the underside of the System Settings sidebar and click on Keyboard.
  2. Drag the Key repeat fee to Quick. After this, your Mac will swiftly enter the identical textual content repeatedly, or for those who press & maintain the delete key, it is going to take away the letters extra shortly.
  3. Subsequent, carry your focus to the Delay till repeat slider. It enables you to determine how shortly or slowly the repeat key will come into motion. For instance, if it’s set to Lengthy, you’ll have to anticipate extra time after urgent & holding a key, and if it’s set to Brief, issues will get into motion sooner.

Key repeat rate and Delay until repeat in Keyboard settings on Mac

Take away newly linked Bluetooth gadgets

Was the response time between your wi-fi keyboard and Mac fantastic till you linked a brand new Bluetooth gadget to your pc? If that’s the case, think about disconnecting that new gadget and see if it solves the wi-fi keyboard lag.

Overlook the keyboard and reconnect it

Nonetheless having the identical lagging points? Fully eradicating the paired keyboard and re-pairing can tackle the issue:

  1. Go to System Settings > Bluetooth.
  2. Click on the data button ⓘ subsequent to the paired keyboard.
  3. Click on Overlook This Machine > Overlook Machine.
  4. Now, change off your keyboard utilizing its energy button.
  5. Swap it again on after 30 seconds and put it in pairing mode (if wanted).
  6. Return to System Settings > Bluetooth and join the keyboard.

Forget Keyboard in Mac Bluetooth settings

Swap off Mac’s Bluetooth and change it again on

Earlier than you do that in your Mac mini, Mac Studio, Mac Professional, or iMac, you will need to have a wired mouse or trackpad linked to your Mac. For those who don’t, you will notice a popup saying:

Bluetooth Can’t Be Turned Off. You received’t be capable of management this pc whereas Bluetooth is turned off. Join a keyboard and a mouse or trackpad utilizing the USB connector earlier than turning Bluetooth off.

Bluetooth Can't Be Turned Off message on Mac

Observe: On MacBook, you should utilize the built-in trackpad.

After that:

  • Open System Settings > Bluetooth and switch off the change subsequent to Bluetooth.
  • Watch for 15 seconds and switch Bluetooth again on. Now, join your keyboard if it doesn’t join mechanically.

Get the most recent model of macOS

In case your Mac will not be operating the most recent macOS, replace it from System Settings > Common > Software program Replace. On macOS Monterey or earlier, go to System Preferences > Software program Replace.

Reset Mac’s Bluetooth

While you reset your Mac’s Bluetooth, it is going to take away all paired gadgets. So, be sure you have a wired mouse connected to your Mac desktop so that you could pair your wi-fi keyboard and mouse after resetting the Bluetooth. On MacBook, you should utilize the built-in trackpad.

Replace your keyboard

Some keyboards can obtain firmware updates to repair points. Do an internet seek for your keyboard mannequin and phone the producer’s assist staff to study extra about it.

Updating Magic Keyboard

Outdated Apple keyboards used to obtain firmware updates, and you’ll witness this by visiting these Apple Help pages from 2009 and 2010.

Aluminum Keyboard Firmware Update on Mac

Even the present ones, like Magic Keyboard with Contact ID, present a (firmware) Model while you hit the data icon ⓘ subsequent to their identify in Bluetooth settings.

Nevertheless, I couldn’t discover any official technique to replace the firmware of the present Magic Keyboards. Most definitely, if Apple has to push an replace for its Magic Keyboard, Mouse, or Trackpad, it occurs within the background when they’re linked to your Mac. The method could also be just like how AirPods are up to date.

Do this keyboard with one other pc or iPad

In uncommon instances, it could actually occur that each one settings are fantastic in your Mac, however the keyboard has some points.

To substantiate this, join the keyboard to a different Mac, Home windows PC, or iPad and see if it lags there. In case it does, you possibly can contact the keyboard producer for a alternative.

Scale back wi-fi interference

We already talked about having your Mac and keyboard within the Bluetooth vary. It’s additionally vital to don’t have any wi-fi interference between each gadgets.

Issues like steel or exhausting enclosures in your Mac mini, Mac Studio, or wi-fi keyboard could possibly be a purpose for a laggy Bluetooth connection. So, take away these for those who’re utilizing them.

Secondly, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth each use the two.4GHz wi-fi frequency band. Nevertheless, nearly all comparatively newer gadgets, like iPhones, iPads, Android telephones, and computer systems, also can connect with the 5GHz Wi-Fi band. So, in case your Wi-Fi router helps each these bands (it almost certainly does), you possibly can transfer some gadgets to the quicker 5GHz band, which might cut back the variety of energetic gadgets on the two.4GHz band, thus serving to your Bluetooth connections.

Apple Help has a helpful publish on this matter you can take a look at.

Take into account going the wired route

Finally, if nothing helps, you possibly can select the wired technique by getting a wired keyboard or utilizing the (supported) wi-fi keyboard by connecting it through a USB cable to your Mac.

For instance, even when I flip off Bluetooth on my Mac, I can join my Magic Keyboard to my Mac mini through a Lightning cable and use it in wired mode. It requires zero setup.

The wired method has zero lag or another irritating points like disconnection, low battery, wait instances throughout system boot, and so forth.

Try subsequent:

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