In 2016, Apple debuted a new feature called the touch bar on some MacBook Pro models. Fans of the function keys will likely welcome this change, but others who preferred the touch bar will be disappointed. It was useful except for the times it suddenly froze and stopped responding.
Don’t worry if this happens frequently to you. This issue can be fixed with a few straightforward steps. Here are some tried-and-true methods to restore functionality to your non-functioning MacBook touch bar.
1. Force Restart the Mac
Restarting the Mac is a tried-and-true method of fixing just about any issue. If the touch bar is frozen, a forced restart can be performed by holding down the power button for a few seconds.
To switch off your device, press and hold the Touch ID power button until the screen goes dark and the Apple logo displays. Put it down and let your Mac boot up. Upon logging in, the touch bar should begin working normally once more.
2. Restart the Touch Bar Server via Activity Monitor
Depending on the app you have open on your Mac, the touch bar will present you with a unique set of keys and options. The touch bar’s functionality depends on the software which doesn’t always perform as expected. One possible solution is to quit the TouchBarServer process using the Mac’s Activity Monitor. What you need to know is listed below.
Step 1:open Spotlight Search by pressing the Command key and the space bar at the same time.
Step 2: After you’ve located Activity Monitor, open it by clicking on its icon.
Step 3: click the Central Processing Unit tab at the top of the screen.
Step 4: in the upper-right-hand corner, type touch a server into the search bar.
Step 5: Choose the TouchBarServer task and then the Stop button.
Get ready to close the Activity Monitor and start over. A functioning touch bar should result from this.
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3. Restart the Control Strip via Activity Monitor
An additional touch bar-related task exists beside the TouchBarServer. If resuming the prior action did not solve the problem, you can abort the Control Strip job and try again. You shouldn’t have any more problems with the touch bar after doing this. To explain, I’ll show you the ropes.
Step 1: Open Spotlight Search by pressing the Command key and the space bar at the same time.
Step 2: After you’ve located Activity Monitor, open it by clicking on its icon.
Step 3: click the Central Processing Unit tab at the top of the screen.
Step 4: To find the control strip, step four is to use the search bar in the upper right.
Step 5: Choose the Control Strip task from the list and press the Stop button.
Get ready to close the Activity Monitor and start over. Once you do that, the touch bar should function normally again.
4. Enable Show Control Strip
If the touch bar on your MacBook hasn’t frozen but features like volume and brightness adjustments are missing, it’s possible that Apple has disabled the strip. Here’s how to get things working again.
Step 1: Select the Apple icon from your Mac’s menu bar.
Step 2: Head to the Settings menu.
Step 3: Select the Keyboard menu item.
Step 4: choose the option that says “Show Control Strip” under “Touch Bar shows.”
5. Uninstall Third-Party Apps Related to The Touch Bar
Apps with their own features or keys can be shown on the touch bar as well. The touch bar’s capabilities can be expanded with the use of third-party programs like TouchSwitcher and Touch Bar Piano.
Unfortunately, these apps may impede the touch bar’s regular operation and lead to problems. If you find that the touch bar has become unresponsive after removing such an app, you can always return to Apple’s official software. If you need help entirely removing an app from your Mac, have a look at our handy tutorial.
6. Update the Macos Version
If you update to a newer version of macOS, you run the risk of encountering flaws that could alter the behavior of your MacBook’s hardware. The most recent macOS update addresses these problems. What you need to know is listed below.
Step 1: Locate the Apple icon in the upper left corner of the screen and click it.
Step 2: The second action is to click the About This Mac menu.
Step 3: Next, a window will appear with information about your Mac. Select “Update Software” from the menu.
Step 4: give your Mac some time to check for updates. In the event that an update is available, it will be shown.
Step 5: Select Update Now and then wait for the update to finish.
Sit tight while the update downloads and your Mac restarts. Look into whether or not the problem has been fixed.
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7. Reset the Pram on Your Mac
The Parameter RAM (PRAM) is where your Mac keeps key settings like the startup disc, virtual memory, and hardware settings. If none of those options worked, resetting the PRAM can restore the touch bar’s factory settings.
Follow these steps to clear the PRAM on your MacBook. Apple MacBooks powered by Intel processors are required for this phase. PRAM and NVRAM don’t function the same on Apple Silicon, thus you can’t use them on a MacBook.
Get Your Touch Bar Back to Life
If you follow these instructions, you should be able to restore the normal operation of your MacBook touch bar. The Mac’s touch bar can be helpful for a number of tasks, including adjusting system preferences, using predictive text, adding emojis, and more.