You may have run into a problem where your MacBook’s built-in keyboard stopped working or you may want to use an USB-connected keyboard instead. Perhaps, you have children with curious fingers or a pet who steps on your laptop. In any of these instances, learning to disable your MacBook’s internal keyboard can be useful.
Use a Shortcut Key
The first step to disable your keyboard using a shortcut key. Simply press Ctrl + F1 to disable your keyboard controls.
Use Apple Script
To use apple script, open the Terminal app through the Applications/Utilities folder and disable your keyboard by inserting the following command:
load/System/Library/Extensions/AppleUSBTopCase.text/Contents/Plugins/AppleUSBTCKeyboard.text/
If you want to enable your keyboard, insert the following command instead:
Sudo kextload/System/Library/Extensions/AppleUSBTopCase.kext/Contents/PlugIns/AppleUSBTCKeyboard
Use Third Party Apps
A third way to easily disable your MacBook keyboard is to use third party apps. The main software available to disable your MacBook keyboard, like Karabiner, Keyboard Clean Tool, and Lockey.
Karabiner
Karabiner is a free software that can customize your keyboard. This app can disable and enable your keyboard, but it can also change the key mappings and apply special functions to regular keys. There are several possible modifications that can be made that are all available upon download.
To disable your keyboard:
- Download the Karabiner app and open the download file.
- Install Karabiner on your laptop and launch the app.
- Enter “disable” in the search box and click on the box that corresponds to the internal keyboard.
Keyboard Clean Tool and Lockey
Keyboard Clean Tool is another free app that disables your keyboard with a mere click of a button. Additionally, Lockey allows you to disable both your mouse and keyboard to prevent any accidental key strokes or keyboard clicks.
Conclusion
Disabling your MacBook Pro keyboard has several advantages. Whether you need simply need to replace your built-in keyboard, but do not want to trade in your still functional laptop, or if you just want to preserve the quality of your keyboard, the steps above can easily help you claim some control over your keyboard.
Hello! The two first options don’t actually work. Is there any other thing one can try that doesn’t involve downloading third-party software? Thanks.
I just discovered that same thing. And it’s difficult to execute while your defective key board is typing “L’s” over everything you type using your external USB keyboard.
-bb
Karabiner works well. It completely disables my broken MBP keyboard so that i can use an external bluetooth keyboard without any problems.
Edit to this, Karabiner has now stopped working with the tild and command keys both left and right randomly pressing even with a usb keyboard attached. I suspect this is now a motherboard issue…
kabriner is now faulty. stoped working.
I cannot find any of these options in my system preferences, except the one to use f1^ with ctrl, to turn off keyboard, and that doesn’t work either. I attempted to look up Kabriner and nothing was found in the google app store or the google extensions play store. Not really sure how to turn off the keyboard. I’ve tried everything. My letter is starting to stick, and it automatically archived all of my emails. I am currently typing from a USB keyboard, which is fine, but I need to turn off the built-in laptop keyboard on the Macbook Pro. Any suggestions?
You need to download Karabiner Element and not Karabiner since it has stopped working for newer versions of MacOS.
Use Karabiner Elements Instead
@IrisFarrenadwin
Here’s the link to karabiner
https://karabiner-elements.pqrs.org/