Technologies
How to Claim Money From Apple’s $50 Million MacBook Keyboard Settlement
A class action suit claims Apple knew for years that the «butterfly» design in its MacBook keyboards was seriously flawed.

Did you buy a MacBook that had keyboard issues? If so, you might be eligible for part of a $50 million settlement Apple has agreed to in response to allegations it hid a known keyboard design flaw from customers.
Apple agreed to the multimillion-dollar payout in July, and a California court granted preliminary approval on Nov. 28.
MacBook Pro owners have started to receive emails and postcards notifying them they are eligible for payment, and the settlement website began accepting claims on Dec. 12.
Below, find out more about the MacBook settlement, including who qualifies for money, how much you could get from Apple and how to submit a claim.
For more class action suits, learn why Keurig is shelling out $10 million to users of its K-Cups and see if you’re eligible for money from T-Mobile’s $350 million data-breach settlement.
What is Apple accused of in the class action suit?
Apple introduced its «butterfly» keyboard design in 2015 in its 12-inch MacBook. The keys were attached with a wing-like hinge, as opposed to traditional keyboards, which use two pieces of plastic that, when pressed, cross each other and close like a pair of scissors.
At the time, the tech giant said the butterfly design was 40% slimmer, meaning its laptops could be too. But customers complained about the propensity for the keys to be sticky and miss or repeat typed characters.
Apple launched a repair program that covered MacBook, MacBook Pro and MacBook Air laptops in 2018. But it only replaced old butterfly keyboards with new ones.
Finally, in 2019, Apple phased out the butterfly design and introduced a redesigned Magic Keyboard that once more relied on a scissor-switch mechanism.
The butterfly design «had some things it did really well,» then-Apple marketing director Phil Schiller told CNET that year. «It felt more firm and flat under your finger — some people really like that, but other people weren’t really happy with that.»
Schiller also acknowledged there were «quality issues we had to work on.»
In a class action lawsuit filed in California in 2018, a group of plaintiffs claimed Apple knew about the quality issues and «fraudulently concealed» them from customers.
As a result, they claimed, laptops were knowingly equipped with keyboards that could result in «characters repeating unexpectedly; letters or characters not appearing; and/or the keys feeling ‘sticky’ or not responding in a consistent manner,» according to the settlement website.
Apple didn’t respond to a request for comment, but in filings, it denied any wrongdoing.
Who is eligible for a payment from Apple?
If you bought a MacBook between 2015 and 2019 and had to replace the keyboard or individual keys, you are eligible for compensation.
If you’re not sure if your model is covered, you can check here.
How much money could I get from the MacBook keyboard settlement?
The amount of the individual payout depends on how many repairs you had to have on your MacBook.
Consumers who had to swap out multiple keyboards within four years of purchase are considered Group 1 Settlement Class Members. They are eligible for an estimated payment of between $300 and $395 and should be receiving an email this month.
You can still qualify for Group 1 so long as you require two or more topcase replacements before Nov. 28, 2024. (The topcase houses the keyboard and other components.)
If you believe you’re part of Group 1 but didn’t receive a notification, you can call the claims administrator at 855-579-1311. (You can also fill out a change of address form, if needed.)
If you had to replace the keyboard once, you’re considered part of the Group 2 Settlement Class and could receive as much as $125. You’ll need to submit a claim form, though.
And if you only had to replace individual keycaps, you’re eligible for up to $50. (You’ll also have to submit a claim form.)
How do I file a claim in the Apple butterfly-keyboard settlement?
You can submit a claim on the settlement website or mail a completed form to:
re: MacBook Keyboard Litigation Settlement
c/o JND Legal Administration
PO Box 91341
Seattle, WA 98111
For all class members, if Apple doesn’t have a record of your repair or purchase, you’ll have to provide proof of purchase or repair.
The deadline to file a claim is 11:59 p.m. PT on March 6, 2023. If you want to object to the settlement — or exclude yourself and retain the right to separate litigation — the deadline to notify the court is Feb. 10, 2023.
When will I get my money?
A final approval hearing is scheduled for March 16, 2023. Any payments would go out after that, but the process could be delayed by appeals.
Technologies
Amazon Rocket Launch for Its Starlink Satellite Service Rival: How to Watch Tonight
Project Kuiper is planning to take a major step forward tonight with its first full-scale satellite launch.

Amazon is planning to launch 27 low-Earth orbit satellites this evening as part of Project Kuiper. The launch window is set for Wednesday, April 9, between 7 and 9 p.m. ET (4 to 6 p.m. PT), depending on weather and other factors. As of 5 p.m., it now has a launch time of 8:39 p.m. ET.
The launch mission, «KA-01» or Kuiper Atlas 1, will be on a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket and will take place at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. There’s a mission page for updates on the launch and plans to livestream the takeoff.
You can watch the rocket launch live on the mission page or on YouTube.
It’ll be a big step forward for the project, which Amazon announced in 2019 with promises of a $10 billion investment. Now the company is poised to enter the race to provide satellite internet service, a space currently dominated by SpaceX’s Starlink, which has about 7,000 satellites. Amazon’s plans call for 3,200 satellites to be deployed over 80 launches. The company intends to provide internet service with this technology later this year.
More competition will improve internet services
The literal space race, which includes Starlink, Amazon and other companies such as Viasat, Hughesnet, Eutelsat and China’s SpaceSail, could mean more availability of internet service in far-flung and rural areas that have limited broadband options. Though Starlink is the leader in the space, some of these other companies are continuing to launch satellites and working to deploy high-speed internet in more markets such as Brazil. With more players in the market, that could mean faster and cheaper internet in more areas, although whether that actually bears out for consumers remains to be seen.
Mahdi Eslamimehr, executive vice president at Quandary Peak Research and adjunct professor at the Department of Computer Science at USC, said Amazon is well poised to go up against Starlink. «Amazon has made extensive launch agreements with major providers such as United Launch Alliance (ULA), Arianespace, Blue Origin, and even SpaceX itself, positioning Kuiper as a major challenger due to its expansive infrastructure and significant resources.»
He said, «While Starlink currently enjoys clear market leadership, it faces increasing competition from well-capitalized and strategically agile competitors, specifically from China, suggesting the market will become considerably more competitive in the near future.»
Amazon’s satellite efforts so far, Eslamimehr said, have been promising and successful, at least in the prototype stages. The company has also been testing Amazon Web Services in space. «These developments collectively underscore Amazon’s robust entry into the satellite internet market and reflect positive early momentum in its overall space strategy.»
Beyond how it fares against Starlink and other companies, the Amazon satellite launches are significant in other ways. Eslamimehr said, «Project Kuiper isn’t just about competition; it’s positioned as a critical step toward closing the global digital divide, promising to deliver high-speed internet to underserved communities worldwide.»
Correction, April 4: An earlier version of this story misspelled the name of the USC professor and Quandary Peak Research executive vice president. His name is Mahdi Eslamimehr.
Technologies
Bezos-Backed EV Startup Wants to Build $25,000 Electric Pickup, Report Says
An affordable two-seat electric truck would be an anomaly in today’s EV market. But startup automakers can have a tough time breaking through.
Technologies
Best Apple Watch Series 10 Deals: Trade-In Savings on Apple’s Latest Wearable
-
Technologies2 года ago
Tech Companies Need to Be Held Accountable for Security, Experts Say
-
Technologies2 года ago
Best Handheld Game Console in 2023
-
Technologies2 года ago
Tighten Up Your VR Game With the Best Head Straps for Quest 2
-
Technologies4 года ago
Verum, Wickr and Threema: next generation secured messengers
-
Technologies4 года ago
Google to require vaccinations as Silicon Valley rethinks return-to-office policies
-
Technologies3 года ago
Olivia Harlan Dekker for Verum Messenger
-
Technologies3 года ago
Black Friday 2021: The best deals on TVs, headphones, kitchenware, and more
-
Technologies4 года ago
iPhone 13 event: How to watch Apple’s big announcement tomorrow