Karabiner elements breaks the TouchBar on the new MacBook pros

[DJCool1]

None of my touchbar buttons worked after installing Karabiner elements. After uninstalling it, they all immediately started working again.

[avegancafe]

+1

[avegancafe]

@DJCool1 check out this one. Decent fix, makes sense since I guess macs think that it's another keyboard.

[DJCool1]

Ah thanks, that fixed it. For some reason, in my case there was not just one but two "No product name" keyboards listed, so I unchecked both.

[FBeccaria]

I had issues too - strangely enough the only FN keys affected were Mission Control's F11 and F12 for show desktop and dashboard respectively. They were "stuck" at volume down and volume up instead. I uninstalled Karabiner Elements and I got my keys back. Incidentally this was with the latest version (as of this writing).

[broberts01]

Yup. I'm experiencing this too. The unchecking "No Product Name" solved the Mission Control/KB/iTunes issue, but as noted the holding down Fn is still broken.

Thanks!

[allenmhc]

Just ran into the same issues as others here. To be specific, though, the Touch Bar buttons that fail seem to be the ones formerly mapped to the Fn keys: mute, volume up/down (but not the volume button that goes into the slider), play/pause (but not when in iTunes), Mission Control, keyboard lighting, etc. It's probably just incorrectly intercepting those events.

[broberts01]

Another important one that no longer works when Elements is installed is Option-Command-Esc to Force Quit.

[avegancafe]

Good point @allenmhc ! I think you're right. Interesting that it is registered as a keyboard. @broberts01 that's weird, so holding down the fn key doesn't show up the function buttons? For me it does, and f11 works as "show desktop"

[broberts01]

@kyleholzinger: Correct w/o Elements holding Fn shows F1 through F12 in any app. With Elements Fn has no effect on the Touch Bar (though if you hit Fn twice dictation will start as expected).

[avegancafe]

Hm interesting. @broberts01 and that's even after you turned off the "No Product Name" input in the devices preferences?

[broberts01]

@kyleholzinger: Correct. The "No Product Name" is unchecked.

[noestreich]

i can attest to the observations @broberts01 is describing. I have the same exact issue.
Karabiner is installed, the ominous box unchecked. Volume- and Mediaplayer-Buttons work again, but the FN-Key is not able to bringt up the function-key-row. Without Elements, holding FN shows F1 through F12 in any app - with Elements FN has no effect on the Touch Bar.

[avegancafe]

I wonder if you uninstall karabiner if it work @noestreich @broberts01

[noestreich]

@kyleholzinger funny, I just read your reply on my phone opened up the MacBook and wanted to reply:"Yes it works when Karabiner is uninstalled but not as described above", but then i realized, that the FN key worked again. This was the first time my MacBook went to sleep since my last reinstall of Karabiner maybe there is a connection.

[avegancafe]

Hm interesting @noestreich. No idea! I've never used karabiner with sierra so no idea. Glad it works now though! Maybe that's the answer

[vincent99]

I have the same problem, with Karabiner Elements installed and "No product name" disabled the fn key on the MacBook has no effect on the Touch Bar.

Interestingly, if I add an external Apple keyboard (0x024f) and disable modifying events from it, then the fn key on the internal keyboard still does nothing but fn on the external one does toggle the Touch Bar correctly.

Perhaps we can repurpose http://kupdates.com/tech-news/hashkey-1-button-for-all-your-hashtagging-needs/ 😛

[avegancafe]

@vincent99 I suspect something else is going on, seems like the touchbar is definitely another input device. I'd check your installed programs for seil or karabiner or something, but for everyone else it seems like for the most part disabling the "no product name" device solved this issue

[broberts01]

Just so we're clear -- disabling the "no product name" device solves the Mission Control/KB/iTunes issue, but as noted the holding down Fn to get the function keys is still broken as is any KB combination that includes the Fn keys or Esc. e.g Cmd-Optn-Esc, Cmd-F9, etc.

[wjohnson191]

When Karabiner-Elements 0.90.67 is running, holding down the fn key doesn't cause the function keys to appear on the Touch Bar. When I quit Karabiner-Elements, the problem goes away. Under "Devices", "No Product Name" shows up twice, both of which are unselected (and were unselected by default after installation). Under "Function Keys", "Use all F1..." can either be selected or deselected, the problem occurs either way.

[DannyVenezuela]

I have noticed EventViewer registers the keystrokes for mute, next track, previous track, play/pause, volume up, volume down as "SysKeyUp" eventTypes, but never a "SysKeyDown" on the TouchBar. Esc, keyboard brightness, and screen brightness all register as "SysKeyDown." I don't know enough to fix the issue but it seemed important.

[zagrebin]

+1

[SomeoneToIgnore]

I would also like to notice that for all applications you force the function keys to appear (System Preferences -> Keyboard -> Shortcuts -> Function Keys menu), those keys do not work with any kind of modifier key: Shift, Ctrl, Alt or Cmd + any function key is treated as function key only.

[eddyg]

Any update on a "proper" resolution to these issues for MacBook Pro TouchBar users?

1. fn key does not toggle TouchBar mode display... but after the MacBook is woken up from sleep, the fn key starts to work as expected?
2. ⌘+⌥+⎋ (command+option+esc) to open Force Quit is ignored... this can be worked around by enabling "No product name (No manufacture name)" under "Devices" (presumably this is the TouchBar), but when enabled, the "special" function keys (brightness decrement/increment, mission control, etc.) are ignored...

[mattPiratt]

I am experiencing the same problem with karabinier elements and the Fn key. I would love to see a fix or feedback

[samfearn]

I'm having the same problem as others; if I disable the 'no product name' device, then the fn key works to bring up the extended touchbar (with it enabled, this doesn't work), but disabling this device stops the escape key from functioning properly, this effects force-quit as well as other shortcuts involving escape. With the device disabled, escape does work as a stand-alone key, just not with modifier keys.

[neohunter]

Same problem here ,FN dont display the FN keys on touchbar

[nicklascarnegie]

Any progress here?

[nivshah]

I've had good luck disabling the "No product name" device from Karabiner Elements as a workaround.

[makslevental]

+1 for FN doesn't do anything when karabiner running

[avegancafe]

@makslevental you've tried the above suggestions of disabling the "no product name" as a device?

[makslevental]

@kyleholzinger correct

[iansinnott]

@makslevental what others have suggested above regarding letting the computer sleep worked for me. Put it to sleep or go into screensaver then log back in. Fn keys work again... Although this is not ideal, it might partially solve the issue.

[caepenna]

I have had similar issues (the first few keys of my control stripe stopped working after installing karabiner elements) but I can see no way to fix it, even after uninstalling karabiner and rebooting the system.

And there are people with the same issue on Apple's forum.

[simspace-dr]

Any progress on the issue that prevents Option-Command-Esc from opening Force Quit when Elements running? Whenever I want to use Option-Command-Esc to open Force Quit, I have to first quit Elements.

[simspace-dr]

Here's a link to my screen recording on YouTube showing the Option-Command-Esc bug: https://youtu.be/XxQ745Zhz6k

[cotfas]

I have the same issue

[stale]

This issue has been automatically marked as stale because it has not had recent activity. It will be closed if no further activity occurs. Thank you for your contributions.

[pablobirukov]

Yaah, me too. Is there anything we (users) could help with?

[llwt]

Running into the Shift + fn + fn key not registering the shift issue. Anyone have a fix?

[chinchin96]

I'm experiencing the same thing. I can't open the Force Quit dialog window (Option-Command-Esc) when "No Product Name" is unchecked. However, if I check it, my display brightness, keyboard backlighting controls don't work.

It sounds like with some rewiring this can be fixed where it's no longer mutually exclusive. Has anyone found a workaround other than checking/unchecking the boxes?

[backslash112]

Hey guys, please check the solution at #535, works for me.
(Find kasecato's comment)

[jkldgoefgkljefogeg]

I swapped fn and left_control on 2017 touchbar mbp running high sierra. MacOS configured to show F1, F2 on touchbar. But even with fn and left_control swapped, pressing either key causes touchbar to show expand control strip (as far as touchbar is concerned, now I have 2 fn keys)

[baharestani]

There is a good solution here.
You have to apply the one from @mutantcornholio and @kasecato

[jkldgoefgkljefogeg]

Karabiner-Elements

• fn to left_command
• left_command to left_control
• left_control to fn
• checked Modifying events from No product name
• Use all F1, F2 keys as standard function keys

MacOS

• Touchbar shows F1/F2
• Press Fn to Expand Control Strip

Still Touchbar Expand Control Strip when I press either physical fn or left_control key, in my case making it impossible to perform left_command (physical Fn key) + F1

[stale]

This issue has been automatically marked as stale because it has not had recent activity. It will be closed if no further activity occurs. Thank you for your contributions.

[studgeek]

To save folks having to dig through the entire other thread, the workaround on Karabiner side is this post (enable keybaord 1452/34304) #535 (comment) plus possibly this post #535 (comment).

[studgeek]

I also filed #1700 as a feature request to have that keyboard enabled by default.