Apple introduced the Touch Bar on the models. MacBook Pro In 2016, only to be removed from 2021 MacBook ProWhile function key enthusiasts will appreciate this move, others who made the best of the Touch Bar will definitely miss it. It was useful, except when it froze and suddenly stopped working. If you experience this frequently, don't worry. There are some simple solutions to address this issue. Here are the best ways to fix a Touch Bar not working on your MacBook and restore its functionality.
1. Force restart your MAC
The good old solution for most problems is to restart your Mac. Press and hold the Power key for a few seconds to force restart your Mac if the Touch Bar is stuck in a frozen state.
Press and hold the power button with the Touch ID sensor until the screen turns black and the Apple logo appears. Release it and wait for your Mac to boot up. Sign in to your account, and the Touch Bar should work again.
2. Restart the TOUCH BAR server via the Activity Monitor screen.
The Touch Bar is programmed to display certain keys and functions based on the application you're using on your Mac. Sometimes, the software responsible for handling Touch Bar duties can fail to function as intended. One way to fix this is to terminate the TouchBarServer activity from the Activity Monitor on your Mac. Here's how.
Step 1: Click on Command key and space bar simultaneously to show Spotlight Search on your Mac.
Step 2: Look for Activity Monitor and turn on The application By clicking on it.
Step 3: Switch to CPU tab At the top of the window.
Step 4: After that, use Search bar In the upper right corner to search for touchbarserver.
Step 5: Click TouchBarServer Activity Then click off button above.
Close Activity Monitor and wait for Activity Monitor to restart. This should fix the Touch Bar perfectly.
3. Restart the control bar via the activity monitor.
Like TouchBarServer, there's another activity related to the Touch Bar. If restarting the previous activity doesn't help, you can try stopping the Control Strip process. This should ideally resolve your Touch Bar issues. Here's how.
Step 1: Click on Command key and space bar simultaneously to show Spotlight Search on your Mac.
Step 2: Look for Activity Monitor and turn on The application By clicking on it.
Step 3: Switch to CPU tab At the top of the window.
Step 4: Next, use the search bar in the upper right corner to find Control Bar.
Step 5: Click Control Strip Activity And click Stop button above.
Close Activity Monitor and wait for Activity Monitor to restart. The Touch Bar should return to normal.
4. Enable the display control bar
If your MacBook's Touch Bar isn't frozen, but some options like media and brightness controls are missing, there's a good chance the Touch Bar is disabled. Here's how to turn it back on.
Step 1: Click Apple logo In the upper left corner of Mac screen.
Step 2: Locate System Preferences.
Step 3: Now, click Keyboard option.
Step 4: next to Touch Bar Shows option , select the check box next to Show control bar.
This will re-enable the control keys on the Touch Bar.
5. Uninstall third-party apps related to the Touch Bar.
The Touch Bar can also display certain functions or keys from third-party apps. There are several apps, such as TouchSwitcher and Touch Bar Piano, that you can use to expand the Touch Bar's functionality.
However, these apps may interfere with the normal functioning of the Touch Bar and cause problems. If you have third-party apps installed on your Mac, try uninstalling them to see if the Touch Bar returns to normal. We recommend checking out our guide on how to completely uninstall an app from your Mac.
6. Update your MACOS version.
Some versions of macOS may introduce bugs that can change the way certain components on your MacBook work. Upgrading to the latest version of macOS can fix these issues. Here's how.
Step 1: Click Apple logo At the top left of your screen.
Step 2: Locate About This Mac option.
Step 3: You will now see a pop-up window with details about your Mac. Click upgrade software.
Step 4: Wait while your Mac searches for Last updatedIf there is. Update available , it will be displayed.
Step 5: Click “Update now” And wait for the process to complete.
Wait for the update to install and restart your Mac. Check if the issue is resolved.
7. Reset the PRAM on your MAC
PRAM (Parameter RAM) stores important data about your Mac, such as the default values for the startup disk, virtual memory, and even some hardware components. Resetting the PRAM can help restore the Touch Bar to its default state if none of the above solutions work.
Here's how to reset the PRAM on your MacBook. This step only works with Intel-based MacBooks. It doesn't work with MacBooks with Apple Silicon because the PRAM/NVRAM works differently on them.
Bring your Touch Bar back to life
Follow these steps, and you'll be able to restore your MacBook's Touch Bar to its normal state. The Touch Bar can be useful for controlling various settings on your Mac, and for various purposes, such as predictive text, adding emoji, and more.
