The Retina displays in MacBooks are flawless, and seeing a stain on them is a real disappointment. If you notice keyboard marks on your MacBook screen and wonder how you can avoid them on your flawless display, read on.
You can avoid keyboard marks on your MacBook screen by placing a very thin microfiber cloth on your keyboard when you close the lid. Then, the keys would not directly touch your MacBook screen and won’t leave any marks behind.
All the latest MacBooks come with a decent gap between their keyboards and screens. So you won’t find any keyboard marks on these MacBooks. But if you have an older MacBook model (pre-2016), you may get keyboard marks on your screen.
Read on to find out how to remove keyboard marks from your MacBook Pro screen, stop your keyboard from leaving marks on your screen, why there are different marks on your MacBook screen, and whether silicon keyboards are the culprits behind leaving marks on your screen
Ways To Avoid Keyboard Marks On A MacBook Screen
There are many ways to avoid keyboard marks on a MacBook screen. For one, you can place a thin microfiber cloth on your keyboard whenever you close your laptop’s lid. There would be a layer between your MacBook lid and the keyboard, and it won’t leave behind keyboard marks.
Or like me you can use a keyboard cover to both protect the screen and keep your MacBook keys from becoming dirty, they are on Amazon for a bargain.
You can also get a screen protector for your MacBook. It won’t only keep your MacBook’s display safe from any smudges or dust but also keyboard marks, take your pick from these fantastic options on Amazon, a make sure to buy a thin screen protector to close your MacBook’s lid without any problems.
How Do I Remove Keyboard Marks From My MacBook Pro Screen?
Use a high-quality microfiber cloth with a solution of 70% water and 30% isopropyl alcohol. Wipe off the keyboard marks by dampening the material with this solution. You can also use the cleaning solution of eye lenses or a glass cleaner from a grocery store to remove keyboard marks.
Suppose the keyboard marks on your MacBook screen are not permanent. In that case, you can wipe them off using a glass cleaner, a contacts lens solution, or a solution of water and isopropyl alcohol on a microfiber cloth.
You can pick up the alcohol solution here, and the microfibre cloth here from Amazon.
If the marks are not coming off, leave them be. Sometimes, the keyboard marks on your MacBook are permanent and cannot be removed. So your only option is to take it to an Apple Store and check if they can do anything about it.
Is your MacBook not working like it used to? It’s likely replacing the battery could make a huge difference in how your MacBooks runs, to learn more see my battery replacing guide.
How Do I Stop My Keyboard From Marking My Screen?
You can stop your keyboard from leaving marks on your screen by placing a very thin microfiber cloth on your keyboard so that your screen does not come in direct contact with the keyboard. You can also use a TPU keyboard protector to prevent keyboard marks on the screen.
Having keyboard marks on your screen is not a sight for sore eyes. However, if there is not enough space between your screen and your keyboard when you close the lid, your screen will have keyboard marks.
To prevent this from happening, you can try the following three things:
- You can place a thin microfiber cloth on your keyboard.
- You can place a TPU keyboard cover on your laptop.
- You can put a screen protector on your laptop screen.
These are a few ways you can prevent keyboard marks on your screen.
These are a few ways you can prevent keyboard marks on your screen.
Do keyboard covers damage your MacBook? Please read my article to find out whether the keyboard covers trap heat.
Why Are There Marks on My MacBook Screen?
Marks on a MacBook screen can be because of coating wearing off, poor quality cleaning solutions, key pressure when the laptop lid is closed, or finger grease transferred from the keyboard to the display.
These are some of the reasons that may cause the anti-reflective coating on your MacBook displays to wear off. This issue is also known as Staingate, and it causes stains on the screen. It is a known issue in several MacBook models that Apple even recognizes.
Staingate appears after several months of use. It is caused by pressure on your screen exerted by keys and trackpad when a MacBook is closed. The regular use of cleaning agents can also cause Staingate. It causes the reflective coating to peel, affecting the colors and the webcam on your Mac.
Apple released a repair program for MacBook models experiencing issues with their reflective coating. If you want to find out if your Mac’s reflective coating is damaged, reach out to Apple for a diagnosis. They will also tell you whether your MacBook is included in their repair program.
The MacBook models eligible for replacing the display of your Mac for free by Apple include:
- MacBook Pro (13-inch, Early 2013)
- MacBook Pro (15-inch, Early 2013)
- MacBook Pro (13-inch, Late 2013)
- MacBook Pro (15-inch, Late 2013)
- MacBook Pro (13-inch, Mid 2014)
- MacBook Pro (15-inch, Mid 2014)
- MacBook Pro (13-inch, Early 2015)
- MacBook Pro (15-inch, Mid 2015)
- MacBook Pro (13-inch, 2016)
- MacBook Pro (15-inch, 2016)
- MacBook Pro (13-inch, 2017)
- MacBook Pro (15-inch, 2017)
- MacBook (12-inch, Early 2015)
- MacBook (12-inch, Early 2016)
- MacBook (12-inch, Early 2017)
So if your MacBook is eligible for display replacement, you can reach out to Apple to get your display replaced for free.
After years of typing, your MacBook keyboards can trap a lot of dirt and dust. Please read my article to find out how to clean your MacBook keyboards effectively and safely.
Do Silicone Keyboard Covers Leave Marks On Screen?
Silicone keyboard covers do leave marks on your screen. They keep the residue from your fingers trapped on the surface and transfer it to your screen when the laptop lid is closed. Instead, you can use TPU (thermoplastic polyurethane) keyboard covers to keep your keyboards safe and extend their life.
Silicone keyboard covers are harmful to MacBook screens. They can easily trap grease and residue from your fingers and transfer it to your MacBook screen, leaving behind almost impossible marks to remove.
Moreover, silicone covers make it difficult and slow to type on them. It reduces precision and typing feedback when you type on these covers. Instead of a silicone keyboard cover, you can use a TPU (thermoplastic polyurethane) keyboard cover, which is ultra-thin and does not leave streaks on your MacBook display.
As a result, they neither interfere with the airflow on your MacBook nor damage your MacBook displays, I’ve used this CaseBuy keyboard cover from Amazon for my M1 MacBook for years and I’m 100% happy with it.
You can see in the below photo its difficult to notice its on, many-times I forget it’s even there!
