Revive the TouchbarIf your MacBook Pro Touch Bar is not working, start with the fix that solves most cases in under a minute: open Terminal and run sudo pkill TouchBarServer, then killall ControlStrip. That restarts the software that draws the bar. If it's still blank or frozen, restart the Mac, check Touch Bar Settings, then do the reset that matches your model. Only if the bar fails in Apple Diagnostics or stays dead in Safe Mode is it likely hardware.
Most guides on this list ten fixes in random order and give one set of reset keys for every Mac. That's where people get stuck, because the reset is different on a 2017 Intel model, a 2019 Intel model, and a 2022 M2 model, and the 13-inch M1 and M2 MacBook Pro do have a Touch Bar even though many articles say Apple silicon Macs don't. This guide starts from what you're actually seeing, then gives the steps for your exact machine.
Applies to every MacBook Pro with a Touch Bar, sold from 2016 to 2022, on macOS Ventura (13) or later. On older macOS, "System Settings" is "System Preferences". Revive the Touchbar is an independent app, not affiliated with Apple.
Step 0: Find your exact model
Click the Apple menu and choose About This Mac. You'll see a chip (or processor) line and a year. That's all you need for the rest of this guide.
| What About This Mac shows | Touch Bar models | Security chip |
|---|---|---|
| Intel, 2016 or 2017 | 13-inch (four Thunderbolt ports or two), 15-inch | T1 |
| Intel, 2018 to 2020 | 13-inch, 15-inch, 16-inch (2019) | T2 |
| Chip: Apple M1 (2020) or Apple M2 (2022) | 13-inch only | Built into the chip |
Why it matters: on Intel models the Touch Bar runs on that separate T1 or T2 chip, which has its own little operating system. That's why the bar can go blank while the rest of the Mac works fine, and why the reset steps differ.
Match your symptom first
Different failures point to different causes. Find your row, then jump to the fixes it lists.
| What you see | Most likely cause | Try first |
|---|---|---|
| Bar is completely black, Touch ID still works | The Touch Bar software crashed or the bar is just asleep | Touch it or press a key, then Fix 1 |
| Bar is frozen on one app's buttons | TouchBarServer or the Control Strip hung | Fix 1, then Fix 2 |
| Wrong buttons, function keys missing, or only one app looks broken | A setting changed, or that app's layout | Fix 3, Fix 4 |
| Bar went blank right after a macOS update | Stale preferences or a background process that didn't restart | Fix 1, Fix 5, Fix 6 |
| Black after waking from sleep | Touch Bar process didn't wake with the Mac | Fix 1, then Fix 6 |
| Flickering, lines, or patches that don't light up | Usually hardware, sometimes a crashing process | Fix 1, then Fix 8 |
| Taps happen on their own (ghost touches) | Moisture, heat, or a failing sensor | Clean and dry the bar, Fix 7, Fix 8 |
| Nothing works, not even Touch ID or the keyboard | Hardware or the T-chip | Fix 6, then Fix 8 |
Two things that look like faults but aren't. The Touch Bar dims and then switches off after a period of no use, and wakes when you touch it or type; that's by design. And there's no brightness setting for the bar in macOS, so a dim-looking bar in a bright room isn't broken.
Fix 1: Restart the Touch Bar without restarting the Mac
This fixes the frozen and blank cases most of the time, and it's safe: it only restarts the processes that draw the bar.
- Open Terminal (press Command-Space, type Terminal, press Return).
- Run this and enter your Mac password when asked (nothing shows as you type, that's normal):
sudo pkill TouchBarServer- Then run:
killall ControlStripThe bar goes dark for a second or two and comes back. macOS relaunches both processes on its own.
Prefer not to use Terminal? Open Activity Monitor (in Applications › Utilities), type TouchBar in the search field, select TouchBarServer, click the X button at the top, and choose Force Quit. Do the same for ControlStrip if it's listed.
If Terminal says No matching processes, the process wasn't running at all. That usually means it's crashing on start; move on to Fix 5 and Fix 6.
Fix 2: Quit the app that's stuck
If the bar froze while you were in one app, that app's Touch Bar layout can hang it. Save your work, press Option-Command-Esc, select the app, and click Force Quit. Reopen it. If the bar only breaks in that one app, check for an update to the app.
The same goes for apps that draw on the Touch Bar themselves, such as BetterTouchTool, Pock, MTMR, or Revive the Touchbar. Quit them from the menu bar and see if the native bar comes back. If it does, update that app or check it supports your macOS before turning it back on.
Fix 3: Check Touch Bar Settings
A changed setting looks exactly like a broken bar: no app buttons, no function keys, or a strip that won't expand.
- Open System Settings › Keyboard.
- Click Touch Bar Settings…
- Set Touch Bar shows to App Controls and turn on Show Control Strip. Click Done.
If that brings things back, you can set it up the way you like again. Our guide on how to customize the MacBook Pro Touch Bar explains every option in that panel, including the Control Strip and per-app buttons.
Fix 4: Missing function keys in one app
If F1 to F12 vanished in a coding tool or a game, check System Settings › Keyboard › Keyboard Shortcuts… › Function Keys. Apps listed there always show function keys; apps that aren't need the fn key held down. Add or remove the app and the bar changes right away.
Fix 5: Reset the Touch Bar's preferences
When the bar breaks right after an update, a corrupted preferences file is a common cause. Removing it makes macOS write a fresh one. Your Touch Bar customizations go back to default, nothing else changes.
- In Finder, choose Go › Go to Folder… and enter
~/Library/Preferences/ - Find com.apple.touchbar.agent.plist and drag it to your Desktop (moving it, rather than deleting it, lets you put it back).
- Restart the Mac.
If the bar works, delete the copy on your Desktop. If nothing changed, put the file back. You don't need to empty your whole Caches folder, which some guides suggest; it rarely helps the Touch Bar and makes the Mac slower for a while as it rebuilds everything.
Fix 6: Restart, then reset for your model
A full restart (Apple menu › Restart) reloads everything, including the T-chip. If that doesn't do it, shut down and do the reset for your model from Step 0. These resets don't touch your files.
| Your model | SMC reset | NVRAM reset |
|---|---|---|
| Intel 2016–2017 (T1) | Shut down. Hold Shift-Control-Option on the left side of the keyboard and the power button (Touch ID) together for 10 seconds. Release, then turn the Mac on. | Shut down, turn on, and immediately hold Option-Command-P-R for about 20 seconds. |
| Intel 2018–2020 (T2) | Shut down. Hold right Shift, left Option, and left Control for 7 seconds, then keep holding and add the power button for 7 more seconds. Release, wait a few seconds, turn on. | Same as above: Option-Command-P-R for about 20 seconds right after turning on. |
| M1 or M2 (13-inch) | No key combination. Shut down, wait at least 30 seconds, turn it back on. | No key combination. macOS resets it on its own if needed during startup. |
On T2 models, if the SMC reset doesn't help, Apple's alternative is simpler: shut down, hold the power button for 10 seconds, release, wait a few seconds, and turn the Mac on.
Fix 7: Test in Safe Mode
Safe Mode starts the Mac without third-party login items and extensions. If the Touch Bar works there, something you installed is the problem.
- Intel: turn on or restart, and immediately hold Shift until you see the login window. You'll see Safe Boot in the menu bar.
- M1 or M2: shut down, then press and hold the power button until Loading startup options appears. Select your disk, hold Shift, and click Continue in Safe Mode.
Works in Safe Mode? Restart normally, then turn off login items one by one in System Settings › General › Login Items (Login Items & Extensions on newer macOS) until you find the one that breaks the bar. Still broken in Safe Mode? Software is unlikely to be the cause.
Fix 8: Check for hardware with Apple Diagnostics
Apple Diagnostics is built into every Mac and checks its hardware for faults.
- Intel: disconnect accessories, turn on the Mac, and immediately hold D until a progress bar or a language picker appears.
- M1 or M2: shut down, press and hold the power button until Loading startup options appears, then press Command-D.
Write down any reference code it shows. You'll want it when you contact Apple Support or a repair shop.
A quick visual test also helps with flickering or dead patches: fill the whole bar with one bright color and look for lines or areas that stay dark. With Revive the Touchbar you can do that with Spectrum Cycle, which slowly runs every color across the full width of the bar. A bar that stays patchy on a solid color while everything else works points to the display or its cable, not to macOS.
When it's hardware: your options
If Diagnostics flags a problem, or the bar stays black in Safe Mode and after every reset, it's time for a repair. On many of these models the Touch Bar is part of the top case (keyboard, trackpad area, and battery assembly), so a repair is usually more than swapping a small strip. Ask Apple or an Apple Authorized Service Provider for a quote, and ask an independent shop as well. If your Mac is still under AppleCare, start there.
While you wait, you can keep working: function keys are available in the Accessibility Keyboard (System Settings › Accessibility › Keyboard), and any external keyboard gives you a full row of F-keys and Esc.
Once it works again
A working Touch Bar is worth using. Set it up with the buttons you actually reach for, or let it be something nicer to look at than a row of grey icons: with Revive the Touchbar the whole bar can show a live clock, a CPU and memory monitor, your own scrolling text, or one of dozens of animations from the Touch Bar animations library. It's free to download, lives in the menu bar, and gives the normal controls back with one tap. More answers on the FAQ page.
Frequently asked questions
Why did my MacBook Pro Touch Bar stop working?
Most often the software that draws it, TouchBarServer, crashed or hung, which happens after updates, after sleep, or when an app's Touch Bar layout freezes. Restarting that process with sudo pkill TouchBarServer in Terminal fixes it in most cases. If it fails Apple Diagnostics or stays dead in Safe Mode, it's likely hardware.
How do I restart the Touch Bar without restarting my Mac?
Open Terminal and run sudo pkill TouchBarServer, then killall ControlStrip. The bar goes dark for a moment and macOS relaunches it. You can also force quit TouchBarServer in Activity Monitor.
Do M1 and M2 MacBook Pros have a Touch Bar?
Yes, the 13-inch MacBook Pro with M1 (2020) and with M2 (2022) both have a Touch Bar. They have no SMC reset key combination: shutting down for 30 seconds and turning the Mac back on does the same job.
Why does my Touch Bar turn off by itself?
The Touch Bar dims and then switches off after a period of no use, and wakes when you touch it or type. That's normal behavior, not a fault. If it doesn't wake when you touch it, restart TouchBarServer.
Can a frozen Touch Bar stop Touch ID or the keyboard from working?
Usually not: Touch ID and the keyboard keep working when only the bar's software crashes. If the keyboard, trackpad, and Touch ID all stop at once, that points to the T-chip or hardware, so do a full shut down, the reset for your model, and then Apple Diagnostics.
Is it worth repairing a broken Touch Bar?
It depends on the quote and how much you rely on it. On many models the Touch Bar is part of the top case, so repairs cost more than people expect. If the rest of the Mac works, an external keyboard or the Accessibility Keyboard covers function keys while you decide.
Animations in this post
Light up your Touch Bar
Revive the Touchbar is a menu bar app for MacBook Pro models with a Touch Bar. Download it and try every animation.
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