A key popping off a Magic Keyboard is rarely an isolated accident: under the cap sits a plastic scissor hinge a few millimetres across, and that is what gives way. The cap itself usually survives intact. That matters in practice: if the hinge is split, clipping the cap back on will not survive more than a few keystrokes. Apple sells no individual keys and its service route replaces the whole keyboard; the single key, hinge included, costs €15 here (€20 for a modifier, €30 for the space bar).
Diagnostic
Turn the cap over and look at the keyboard in raking light. Three cases. (1) The X-shaped hinge is still on the keyboard, intact, and the cap is whole: it refits, the simplest case. (2) The hinge is in place but one of its four arms is split or missing: the cap will seat badly and fall off again — the hinge needs replacing. (3) The hinge came away with the cap, or lies in pieces on the desk: order the complete key, it arrives with a new hinge. One thing to check first: if this is the Touch ID key, stop there, it cannot be replaced.
Méthode
- 1
Identify your keyboard: the model number is engraved underneath the case (A1644, A2450, A2449, A3118, A3203 for the compact; A1843, A2520, A3119 with numeric keypad).
- 2
Inspect the scissor hinge left on the keyboard — all four arms must be whole and clipped into their metal hooks.
- 3
If it is intact: lay the cap flat over it, legend facing up, and press straight down in the centre until it clicks.
- 4
If it is split: pick the fragments out with tweezers, then clip in the hinge supplied with the replacement key before fitting the cap.
- 5
Test the key ten times in a row: a badly seated hinge shows up as a soft return or a cap that tilts to one side.
FAQ
Can I just clip the old key back on?
Yes, if the hinge is intact and the cap is whole — it is the first thing to try, and it costs nothing. If the key falls off again after a few strokes, the hinge is split and no amount of refitting will repair it.
What does a Magic Keyboard key cost?
€15 for an ordinary key, €20 for a modifier (⌘, ⌥, ⇧, control, tab, return), €30 for the space bar. The hinge is included and shipping is a flat €4.99 worldwide.
Can Apple replace a single key?
No. The official channel replaces the whole keyboard: no key is sold individually, for any model.
Would a Logitech MX Keys key do?
No. Both keyboards use a scissor mechanism, but the mounting footprints differ: an MX Keys key will not sit on a Magic Keyboard.
What if the Touch ID key came off?
It cannot be replaced, by us or anyone else: it is a biometric sensor bonded to the keyboard's board, not a cap sitting on a hinge.
Most of the time a fallen key refits in seconds without buying anything. When the hinge has given way, the complete key costs €15 — against the price of a new keyboard at Apple, which does not repair the single key.