Emails about the settlement are now being sent to MacBook Pro owners who are eligible for a payment. In July, Apple agreed to pay $50 million to settle a class-action lawsuit over the defective butterfly keyboards that were used in MacBook machines between 2015 and 2019.
The $50 million nationwide settlement that would provide benefits to MacBook buyers who had their “Butterfly” keyboard repaired received preliminary approval from the Court on November 28, 2022. Owners of MacBook Pros who received at least two top case replacements from Apple within four years of purchase are categorized as members of the Group 1 Settlement Class and will get an email about the settlement along with an automatic payment.
Owners of MacBook Pros who had a single top case replacement are referred to as Group 2 Settlement Class Members and will need to submit a claim form in order to receive compensation. As a member of the third category of Settlement Class Members, those who had a keycap replacement may also submit a claim form to receive a modest settlement.
Owners of Macs who fit this description will get their class notices this month. The case was filed in 2018, when a number of customers accused Apple of hiding the butterfly keyboard’s flaw from customers so that it could keep selling Macs.
Between 2015 and 2019, Macs had butterfly keyboards. Although Apple made several design changes to try to increase durability, the butterfly mechanism was prone to failure due to a design flaw.
In June 2018, Apple introduced a keyboard repair program that is available for four years after purchase for MacBook, MacBook Pro, and MacBook Air models. In the end, Apple abandoned the butterfly mechanism and switched back to the scissor switch mechanism. As a result, all Macs now have keyboards with scissor switches, which are much more robust and resistant to small crumbs and dust.
