Apple Keyboard A1243 not charging on M1 iMac

Hi, I have a wired keyboard A1243, which I would prefer to use with my iMac M1 as I find it much softer to use.

However, when I plug the keyboard in via a USB C adaptor, I am not getting any indications in Settings > Keyboard that the keyboard is charging. It seems to be at 27%. I was expecting to see the charging indicator icon being displayed.


Has anyone any ideas on what might be wrong please? Thanks


Edit: I should have added that they keyboard works just fine



[Re-Titled by Moderator]

iMac (M1, 2021)

Posted on Apr 13, 2025 1:36 AM

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Posted on Apr 13, 2025 9:05 AM

Hmm ... the A1243 doesn't have a battery at all — so there's actually nothing to charge. That 27% battery reading you're seeing is likely coming from another connected device (like a Magic Mouse or a wireless keyboard) and not the A1243 itself.


Since the A1243 is a purely wired keyboard, it draws its power over USB. The fact that it connects over a USB-C adapter shouldn't be a problem either, as long as the adapter is functioning properly and supports data (not just charging). You won't see a charging indicator in System Settings > Keyboard for this model, because macOS only displays charging info for Bluetooth peripherals with built-in batteries.

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Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Apr 13, 2025 9:05 AM in response to Alex in devon

Hmm ... the A1243 doesn't have a battery at all — so there's actually nothing to charge. That 27% battery reading you're seeing is likely coming from another connected device (like a Magic Mouse or a wireless keyboard) and not the A1243 itself.


Since the A1243 is a purely wired keyboard, it draws its power over USB. The fact that it connects over a USB-C adapter shouldn't be a problem either, as long as the adapter is functioning properly and supports data (not just charging). You won't see a charging indicator in System Settings > Keyboard for this model, because macOS only displays charging info for Bluetooth peripherals with built-in batteries.

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Apple Keyboard A1243 not charging on M1 iMac

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