Apple is finally sending checks for its faulty MacBook keyboards

People are starting to receive checks from Apple to compensate them for having to spend money when the MacBook’s butterfly keyboards didn’t work well. As payments go through, Apple is closing the book on an issue with stuck or unusable keys that has plagued owners of Mac laptops made between 2015 and 2019.

The checks are the result of Apple’s $50 million settlement of a keyboard class action lawsuit in 2022. People who filed during the claims period that began late last year were eligible for payments of $50, $125 or $395, depending on the extent or frequency of repairs. A court in June ordered Apple to start paying outside. Border Reporter and smart home expert Jennifer Pattison Tuohy received one for the maximum value, offered to anyone for whom the problem occurred after replacing the keyboard. 9to5Mac’Michael Burkhardt reported getting two checks on the weekend too.

Starting with the 2019 16-inch MacBook Pro, Apple began phasing out butterfly keyboards, which had extremely low key travel but seemed deeply unreliable and prone to failure. The whole saga finally ended when Apple released a 13-inch MacBook Pro without butterfly switches in 2020.