Your Mac’s keyboard is built to be fairly durable; however, there are instances where the letters on it may wear. For external Apple keyboards this can result in a blank white key, and for backlit keyboards you may find the sharp-edged letters are now a splotch of translucent white. This can have you considering a replacement, which can be expensive for MacBook systems. If you are noticing fading keys on your Mac, then there is an easy way to prevent the problem from spreading, and even fix a key that is already faded.
Identifying key fade
The best way to tackle keys fading is to identify those that are about to fade. There are four stages to the wear on most keys:
- Texture Wear — As you use your keyboard its textured finish will become smooth. This is almost unavoidable, but keep an eye on those that are progressively smoother than others.
- Delamination — The top layer of plastic may wear through and when viewed at an angle, show a boundary that looks like a liquid stain. This suggests the key’s color is about to strip away. You may see the backlight show through this area a little.
- Edge fading — This is where the color is being eroded, to the point where it is affecting the edges of the letters. This area usually fades first because this is where most of the wear occurs.
- Letter loss — The edges of your letters fade enough so that you can no longer make them out.
Granted the first stage is always going to happen, but the second and third stages of key fading can be halted, and even the final stage can be somewhat recovered.
Preventing key fade
For keys at stages 2 and 3, you can prevent further damage by covering your keys. Of course there are numerous third-party silicone covers that will work, but an easy and extremely effective solution is to use standard clear cellophane tape (household, or packing tape):
- Use a dot of mild hand soap on a damp towel to wash the affected keys.
- Dry the keys thoroughly.
- Hold a piece of tape with a pair of fine tweezers.
- Cut the tape into a square that will amply cover the fading letter, but not be wider than the key itself.
- Place the square down on the key and press it firmly (a rolling motion from one side to the next will help prevent trapping air bubbles).
When done, the tape should become almost invisible, and texture differences should be minimal. This will give your key a solid barrier to any more fading.
What about washing hands?
Even though keeping your hand clean is a good idea, especially if you have obvious grime on them, the problem may simply be unavoidable. The issue here is essentially corrosion of the key’s plastic, which seems to happen most from the oils on one’s skin. Therefore unless you wear gloves, or meticulously wash your hands, if your oils corrode the keys, then you are going to see them fade faster than others. The cause for this may be from stress, gender, genetics, or anything, but there overall seems to be no rhyme to why it happens. In some cases keys may fade exceptionally fast, while for other people the original key texture may be preserved for months and even years.
Tackling a faded key
If your key is already faded and you can no longer see the character on it, then the solution is easy. First use a fine-tipped permanent marker to re-draw the missing character, and then use the steps above to protect this drawing with a coat of cellophane tape. You can also consider artfully filling in missing black areas to restore the translucent character for backlit keys, so it will still appear as it originally did.
Beyond this, the only option besides a silicone key cover is to have your system serviced, or if you are using an external keyboard, then simply replace it.