MacBook Touch Bar Not Working? Complete Troubleshooting Guide
Is your Touch Bar frozen, blank, or completely unresponsive? This guide will help you diagnose the problem and find the right fix.
Quick Diagnosis: Software or Hardware?
Answer this question to find out what kind of problem you have:
Does restarting your Mac fix the Touch Bar (even temporarily)?
Yes → Software Issue
Good news! You can fix this yourself. Keep reading.
No → Likely Hardware
You may need Apple repair. But try the software fixes first.
What Symptoms Are You Seeing?
Different symptoms can indicate different problems. Find your situation below:
Touch Bar is frozen (shows content but doesn't respond)
Touch Bar is blank/black but Mac works fine
Likely cause: Display process crash or connection issue
Fix: Try resetting Touch Bar processes, then SMC reset if needed
May be software or hardware — try software fixes first
Touch Bar shows garbled/distorted graphics
Likely cause: Hardware display issue
Fix: Contact Apple Support
Likely requires professional repair
Touch Bar stays frozen after restarting Mac
Likely cause: Hardware failure or deep software issue
Fix: Try SMC reset, NVRAM reset, then contact Apple if no improvement
May require professional repair
Touch Bar works after restart but freezes again within hours/days
Likely cause: Software process issue (common and fixable)
Fix: Use Touch Bar reset commands or TouchBarFix app
This is fixable at home
Step-by-Step Troubleshooting
Follow these steps in order. Most Touch Bar problems are solved in the first two steps.
Reset Touch Bar Processes
This fixes most software-related Touch Bar problems in 30 seconds.
Open Terminal (Cmd + Space, type "Terminal") and run:
pkill "Touch Bar agent" && killall ControlStrip && killall TouchBarServerOr use TouchBarFix for a one-click solution.
Restart Your Mac
If Step 1 didn't work, a full restart often resolves deeper software issues.
Apple menu → Restart
Reset SMC (Intel Macs Only)
The System Management Controller can affect Touch Bar behavior.
- Shut down your Mac completely
- Press and hold Shift + Control + Option + Power for 10 seconds
- Release all keys
- Press Power to turn on your Mac
For Apple Silicon Macs (M1/M2): Simply shut down, wait 30 seconds, then restart.
Reset NVRAM
NVRAM stores display settings that might affect the Touch Bar.
For Intel Macs:
- Shut down your Mac
- Turn it on and immediately press and hold Option + Command + P + R
- Hold for about 20 seconds
- Release and let your Mac boot normally
Apple Silicon Macs reset NVRAM automatically during restart.
Contact Apple Support
If none of the above steps work, your Touch Bar may have a hardware problem.
- • Visit support.apple.com
- • Book a Genius Bar appointment at an Apple Store
- • Contact an Apple Authorized Service Provider
How to Prevent Touch Bar Problems
Keep macOS Updated
Apple regularly releases fixes for Touch Bar issues. Check System Preferences → Software Update.
Restart Regularly
If you rarely restart your Mac, background process issues can accumulate.
Monitor Memory Usage
Low memory can cause Touch Bar processes to crash. Close unused apps or upgrade RAM.
Keep TouchBarFix Handy
Have a quick fix ready for when the Touch Bar freezes. Get TouchBarFix.