How to Reset MacBook Touch Bar: 3 Methods That Work
Your Touch Bar is frozen but your Mac is working fine? You don't need to restart your entire computer. Here are three ways to reset just the Touch Bar.
Quick Answer: Reset Touch Bar Command
Open Terminal and run this command:
pkill "Touch Bar agent" && killall ControlStrip && killall TouchBarServerYour Touch Bar will restart automatically in 2-3 seconds.
Why You Need to Reset Your Touch Bar
The MacBook Pro Touch Bar runs as a separate system from your main computer. It's controlled by three background processes that can crash or freeze independently of macOS. When this happens, your Mac works perfectly fine, but the Touch Bar becomes unresponsive.
Resetting the Touch Bar means restarting these three processes:
- TouchBarServer — The main process that controls the Touch Bar display
- ControlStrip — Manages the system controls (brightness, volume, etc.)
- Touch Bar agent — Handles app-specific Touch Bar content
The good news: you can restart these processes in seconds without losing your work or restarting your Mac.
Method 1: Terminal Command (Fastest)
This is the fastest way to reset your Touch Bar. It takes about 30 seconds and requires no software installation.
Step-by-Step Instructions
-
1
Open Spotlight
Press
Cmd + Space -
2
Launch Terminal
Type "Terminal" and press Enter
-
3
Paste the reset command
pkill "Touch Bar agent" && killall ControlStrip && killall TouchBarServer -
4
Press Enter
Your Touch Bar will briefly go blank and restart automatically
Pro Tip: Create a Shortcut
If your Touch Bar freezes often, you can save this command as an Automator Quick Action or a shell alias to run it faster next time.
Method 2: TouchBarFix App (Easiest)
Don't want to deal with Terminal commands? TouchBarFix is a simple app that resets your Touch Bar with one click.
What it does:
- • Runs the same commands as Method 1
- • Shows visual progress feedback
- • No typing required
- • Works on macOS 13+
How to use:
- Open TouchBarFix
- Click "Fix Touch Bar"
- Done in 30 seconds
Price: €2.99 one-time purchase (includes lifetime updates)
Get TouchBarFixA free open-source version is also available for developers.
Method 3: Activity Monitor (No Terminal)
If you prefer a graphical interface but don't want to install anything, you can use macOS's built-in Activity Monitor.
Step-by-Step Instructions
- 1. Open Spotlight (Cmd + Space) and type "Activity Monitor"
- 2. In the search box, type "TouchBarServer"
- 3. Select the process, then click the X button in the toolbar
- 4. Click "Force Quit" in the dialog
- 5. Repeat for "ControlStrip" and "Touch Bar agent"
Note: This method takes longer than Terminal commands because you need to quit three processes manually.
What If Resetting Doesn't Work?
If your Touch Bar stays frozen after trying these reset methods:
- Try a full restart — Sometimes a complete system restart is needed
- Reset the SMC — For Intel Macs, hold Shift+Control+Option+Power for 10 seconds while shut down
- Check for hardware issues — If the Touch Bar stays frozen after restart, it may be a hardware problem requiring Apple repair
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it safe to reset the Touch Bar?
Yes. These methods only restart the Touch Bar processes, not your entire Mac. Your work stays open, and no data is lost.
Why does my Touch Bar keep freezing?
Common causes include macOS updates, memory pressure, app conflicts, and sleep/wake cycles. See our detailed explanation of why Touch Bar freezes happen.
How often should I reset my Touch Bar?
Only when it freezes. If it freezes very frequently (daily), consider updating macOS or checking for problematic apps.
Will this work on all MacBook Pro models?
Yes, these methods work on all MacBook Pro models with Touch Bar (2016-2021) running macOS 10.12 or later.