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down-arrow directional key not working

Has anyone else had the down-arrow directional key stop functioning?

This has happened on my 2015 MacBook Pro, and now my 2019 IMac Pro. (OS Big Sur 11.6.1)


On both devices, when entering text into applications or website text boxes I cannot navigate from one line to the next one below by pressing the down-pointing directional arrow key.


I have not tried replacing the keyboard (IMac) or trouble shooting the Macbook hardware.

Since this issue has developed on two different Mac keyboards, and is the same key on both, I'm thinking it may be an OS issue.


Has anyone else had this issue, and if so- did you discover a solution, or simply get a new keyboard (for the IMac)?

iMac Pro

Posted on Dec 16, 2021 10:54 PM

Reply
Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Posted on Dec 17, 2021 2:01 AM

Hi SanDiegoImac


It is quite possible for the down-arrow key to mechanically fail on both your MacBook Pro and your iMac Pro.


Keyboards are basically mechanical devices and wear rates on individual keys depend not only stroke counts but also the complex relationship of individual human physiology, biodynamics and keyboard ergonomics.

The direction and force used to hit an individual key as well as the frequency of use will determine its life.


There are two methods you can use to determine if the keyboard is mechanically ok or whether software is to blame.


  1. Using the (virtual) Accessibility Keyboard (see following link).


https://support.apple.com/en-gb/guide/mac-help/mchlc74c1c9f/mac


Bring up the Mac Preferences page and under the Keyboard menu click on Input Sources then select Show Input menu in menu bar.


Close Preferences and click the keyboard icon that should now be visible on the desktop menu ribbon.

In the Keyboard menu drop-down click Show Keyboard Viewer, a graphic display of the Mac small-form keyboard will appear on the desktop.


As you click each physical key on the actual keyboard the corresponding key on the Keyboard Viewer will change its appearance.

If using dark-theme on the Mac then the outline of the active key on the Keyboard viewer will change shade/colour from grey to red.


The Keyboard Viewer also works as a virtual keyboard and allows you to type and navigate around open documents just the same as a physical keyboard and you can use this to verify that keyboard mapping in the OS has not changed.


Open a new or existing text document and enter new text or edit existing text by typing into the document using mouse clicks on the virtual keyboard, then navigate around the document using the arrow keys.


If the down-arrow key works from the virtual keyboard but not from your physical keyboard then the software side is ok and mechanically/electrically the keyboard is probably broken.


2 . To verify a suspect keyboard is really broken connect a different standard keyboard to your iMac or MacBook and test the direction keys using that, doesn't even need to be a Mac keyboard , a Microsoft Windows keyboard works just as well for testing the direction and standard QWERTY keys.

2 replies
Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Dec 17, 2021 2:01 AM in response to SanDiegoImac

Hi SanDiegoImac


It is quite possible for the down-arrow key to mechanically fail on both your MacBook Pro and your iMac Pro.


Keyboards are basically mechanical devices and wear rates on individual keys depend not only stroke counts but also the complex relationship of individual human physiology, biodynamics and keyboard ergonomics.

The direction and force used to hit an individual key as well as the frequency of use will determine its life.


There are two methods you can use to determine if the keyboard is mechanically ok or whether software is to blame.


  1. Using the (virtual) Accessibility Keyboard (see following link).


https://support.apple.com/en-gb/guide/mac-help/mchlc74c1c9f/mac


Bring up the Mac Preferences page and under the Keyboard menu click on Input Sources then select Show Input menu in menu bar.


Close Preferences and click the keyboard icon that should now be visible on the desktop menu ribbon.

In the Keyboard menu drop-down click Show Keyboard Viewer, a graphic display of the Mac small-form keyboard will appear on the desktop.


As you click each physical key on the actual keyboard the corresponding key on the Keyboard Viewer will change its appearance.

If using dark-theme on the Mac then the outline of the active key on the Keyboard viewer will change shade/colour from grey to red.


The Keyboard Viewer also works as a virtual keyboard and allows you to type and navigate around open documents just the same as a physical keyboard and you can use this to verify that keyboard mapping in the OS has not changed.


Open a new or existing text document and enter new text or edit existing text by typing into the document using mouse clicks on the virtual keyboard, then navigate around the document using the arrow keys.


If the down-arrow key works from the virtual keyboard but not from your physical keyboard then the software side is ok and mechanically/electrically the keyboard is probably broken.


2 . To verify a suspect keyboard is really broken connect a different standard keyboard to your iMac or MacBook and test the direction keys using that, doesn't even need to be a Mac keyboard , a Microsoft Windows keyboard works just as well for testing the direction and standard QWERTY keys.

down-arrow directional key not working

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