Touch Bar not working on Mac: 8 fixes to try

Touch Bar on the MacBook Pro was a revelation when it was first introduced. It seemed like a great idea: a touch-controlled strip that replaced the media keys and whose functions changed depending on what application you were working in. It also included a control strip – touch sensitive ‘buttons’ that control volume and brightness and allow you to activate Siri. However, Touch Bar was far from universally popular, and after just a few years, Apple dropped it completely. If you have a MacBook Pro with Touch Bar, you may well love it and enjoy using it, which will make it all the more frustrating when Touch Bar is not working. In this article, we’ll explain how to fix it. 

Why is my MacBook Touch Bar not working?

There are a number of reasons why your MacBook Touch Bar may not be working — both hardware- and software-related. These include:

• The application that should be displaying controls on the Touch Bar not working properly

• Your Mac’s system resources being used heavily by another app

• macOS glitching

• A hardware problem with the Touch Bar itself

• Damage to the Touch Bar, such as a water spillage

How to fix it when your MacBook Touch Bar is not working

The good news is that the problem is most likely software-related, and so it can be fixed easily by trying one of the following tips: a Mac restart, macOS and apps update, Touch Bar reset, and NVRAM/SMC reset.

If none of the above work, it might be that the problem with your MacBook Touch Bar is a hardware fault or has been caused by damage to your Mac, such as it being dropped or having water spilled on the keyboard, there’s not a great deal you can do other than take it to an Apple Authorized Service Center or Genius Bar. But first try to rule out software glitches. Force quit an app in which Touch Bar is not showing and restart it. Still no luck? Follow the steps below one by one. 

1. Restart your MacBook

A Mac restart is the simplest of all fixes and the place you should start whenever you encounter a problem with your Mac. Restarting clears out temporary and cache files and frees up RAM. In Apple Silicon Macs, it also performs disk checks and resets the system management controller (SMC).

So, head over to the main Apple menu and click Restart.

2. Update macOS

If restarting your Mac didn’t fix the problem, the next step is to check to see whether there is an update available to macOS. The problem with Touch Bar not showing could be caused by a bug in the version of macOS you’re running and may have been fixed in an update. 

Here’s how to check for updates: 

1. Click the Apple menu and choose System Settings. 
2. Then, go to General > Software Update and wait for it to check. 
3. If there is an update available, click Update Now and follow the instructions on the screen to install it.

3. Update applications

If the problem with the Touch Bar only happens with one application, updating the application might fix it. 

• If the app was downloaded from the App Store, you can use the Updates section in the App Store app to update it.
  

• If not, open the application, click its name in the menu bar, and choose Check for Updates.
  

4. Rule out high CPU usage

High CPU usage may cause Touch Bar glitches, and so identifying and quitting heavy consumers may help with the glitch. There are two ways to detect them — Activity Monitor (a built-in utility) or CleanMyMac (a renowned Mac cleaner app). 

We recommend checking out CleanMyMac and its two tools: the Menu App and the Performance feature. The Menu App lets you quickly identify heavy consumers and quit them with a click. The Performance feature allows you to manage login and background items — they often stand behind high CPU usage. Besides, using the Performance feature, you can run a few maintenance tasks. They won't directly fix Touch Bar not working, but they will help keep your Mac in top shape for longer. 

Here's how it works: 

1. Open CleanMyMac (get your free trial here).

2. Click Performance > Scan > View All Tasks.

3. Review and remove Login Items and Background Items. 

4. Now, click a little iMac icon in the menu bar and check the CPU tab. 

Why use CleanMyMac

• 2 seconds — this is how much time you need to remove unnecessary login items or background extensions with CleanMyMac
• Helps hunt down and remove Mac-specific malware — another common high CPU usage reason: on average, users find and delete 1 malware
• Not only does it maintain and protect Macs, but it also helps clear out junk files: on average, users remove 10.5 GB of junk after the first scan 

Try CleanMyMac for free — test it for 7 days at no cost. 

5. Check Control Strip settings

If the problem is Touch Bar is not showing the control strip (the buttons for volume, brightness, and Siri), check that it’s enabled. Go to System Settings > Keyboard and turn on ‘Show Control Strip.’

6. Quit and restart Touch Bar

Restarting the Touch Bar process may fix the problem, and you need to use Activity Monitor to do that:

1. Go to Applications > Utilities and open Activity Monitor.
2. Search for ‘touchbaragent’ in Activity Monitor.
3. Select ‘touchbaragent’ and click the ‘x’ in the toolbar to quit it.
4. If there is no such process, look for “TouchBarServer” and quit this one.

7. Reset the Touch Bar

If nothing so far has worked, the next step is to use Terminal to run a command that will reset the process that controls the Touch Bar.

1. Go to Applications > Utilities and open Terminal.

2. Type this command: sudo pkill TouchBarServer

3. Press Return.

4. Enter your password.
   

5. Now type: sudo killall "ControlStrip"

6. Press Return.

7. Type in your password if you’re asked.

8. Reset the SMC and NVRAM 

Resetting the SMC and NVRAM is the last step if nothing so far has worked. As we said earlier, if you have a Mac with Apple silicon, a simple restart will reset the SMC and NVRAM. 

For Intel-based Macs, there are two options, depending on whether your Mac has a T2 security chip (Intel-based Mac made from 2018 onwards) or not (earlier than 2018).

SMC reset: Without T2 Security chip

1. Shut down your Mac.

2. Press and hold Shift + Control + Option.

3. Press the Touch ID or power button on the Touch Bar and hold all the buttons for 10 seconds.

4. Release the Touch ID button and the keys and boot your Mac.

SMC reset: T2 Security chip

1. Shut down your Mac.

2. Press and hold the power button for 10 seconds.

3. Boot your Mac.

NVRAM reset 

1. Turn off your Mac.
2. Press and hold the power button and the Command+Option+P+R keys until your Mac restarts and you hear the startup sound.
3. Release the power button and the keys.

It can be worrying if the Touch Bar on your Mac is not showing or the control strip is not working. But it’s usually not too difficult to fix. Follow the steps above to get it working again.

Frequently asked questions

Should I delete Touch Bar cache files if it is not working? 

Generally, no. But you can try removing the preferences files. To do it, open a new Finder window, press Command + Shift + G, and type this path followed by Return: ~/Library/Preferences/. Find and drag the file apple.touchbar.agent.plist to the Trash. If you still want to remove cache files, go to ~/Library/Caches/ and look for files containing Touch Bar in their names. Remove only files and do not delete any folders. 

Can overheating cause Touch Bar issues? 

Yes. If your MacBook is hotter than usual or the fans are loud, quit apps running in the background and let your computer cool down. 

How do I fix water damage? 

If you've spilled any liquid on your MacBook, shut down your Mac immediately and pull out the charger. Now, dab up excess water with a soft dry paper towel, leave the lid open, and let your Mac dry out naturally in a warm and well-aired place. Wait for a few days before trying to turn it on again. If you are worried that it won't work, take it to a repair shop right away.