How Do You Turn Off the Touch Bar on a MacBook Pro?

Want to give the Touch Bar on your MacBook Pro a break? You\’re in the right place. Some folks love the darn thing, while others can do without it. Either way, here’s how to tone it down or turn it off completely.

First introduced in the MacBook Pro models from 2016 to 2021, this little OLED strip replaced the traditional function keys. It sounds fancy, adaptable, and all, but not everyone’s a fan. Maybe you find it a bit too sensitive or just plain unnecessary. So, let\’s get to the good stuff.

If you’re just tired of those accidental touches, tweaking some settings might help without going full-off.

Here’s how: Head over to System Preferences, then Keyboard. Under the Keyboard tab, you will find Touch Bar shows. Here, you can pick from:

• App Controls: This is what you\’ve got now.
• Expanded Control Strip: Keeps things easy with system basics like volume and brightness.
• F1–F12 Keys: Gives you those good old function keys back.

Okay, for those who really want it gone, like ghosted-out, you’ll have to use the Terminal:

1. Open up Terminal (you’ll find it in Applications → Utilities).
2. Type away: sudo pkill TouchBarServer and hit enter. You’ll need to pop in your admin password. Note, this acts until you restart your Mac.

Now, if you\’re real into keeping it off even after restarting, you\’ll need to create a launch agent to do the job persistently. But be careful, playing around in the Terminal can give your system a hard time if you\’re not sure what you\’re doing. And heads up—Touch ID might misbehave.

Not feeling the whole Terminal dance? Some third-party apps can help:

• BetterTouchTool: Lets you re-jig Touch Bar buttons or hide it outright. A little cost, but neat.
• TouchSwitcher: Toggle the thing right from your menu bar.

Don\’t forget, not all MacBooks post-2021 even have the Touch Bar. If yours is causing tech drama more than usual, something could be up under the hood. Resetting SMC or NVRAM might help (gotta check Apple’s guide), or you might need to chat with Apple Support.

Look, besides the accidental finger tap-dance, some just want to work with physical keys. And if you’re noticing the Touch Bar lagging or freezing, turning it off might be your quick fix.

Before playing around, back up your stuff just in case. Most changes are reversible, though, so no sweat if you decide to roll things back. And remember, you’ve always got the option of using an external keyboard if it all gets too much.

There it is—a human touch on doing away with the Touch Bar.

So, got a MacBook Pro and not getting along with the Touch Bar? You’re definitely not alone. Luckily, you can tweak it or even turn it off if you’re tired of those accidental taps. Here’s how you can go about it:

Switching Up the Control Strip

• Pop into System Preferences.
• Head over to Keyboard, and hit the Customize Control Strip button.
• Just drag the stuff you don’t need out of the Touch Bar, or add some useful shortcuts instead. It’s all in your hands!

Third-Party Apps to the Rescue

• There’s this nifty app called Hide My Bar. It lets you switch off the Touch Bar whenever you want. Install it, and follow the app’s simple interface to get rid of the Touch Bar till you need it again.

Getting Handy with Terminal

1. Fire up Terminal from the Utilities folder.
2. Type in the following command to give the Touch Bar the boot: sudo pkill TouchBarServer
3. Think the Control Strip needs to go too? Use: sudo pkill ControlStrip
4. When you’re ready to bring it back, just restart your Mac. Easy as pie!

And if you want to dig in deeper, the Apple Support page has got your back with more tips. Happy customizing!

So, you\’re tired of that glowing Touch Bar on your MacBook Pro, huh? While you can\’t shut it off completely, there are a few tricks to making it less of a nuisance. Instead of dealing with its constant app changes, you can throw it into a low-profile mode with just a static set of icons or even just a black strip. Let’s walk through how you can achieve this.

First up, dive into your System Settings. You\’ll want to click the Apple menu, hit System Settings, then find Keyboard on the sidebar. Once you’re there, navigate to Touch Bar Settings—this is where the magic happens.

Now, time to tweak what that Touch Bar shows. You can set it to Quick Actions. This simplifies things, turning off the wild, app-based changes and sticking it to a more chill, placeholder look. Don’t forget to switch off the \”Show Control Strip\” option to hide those annoying brightness and volume buttons. You can also tweak what happens when you press and hold the \’fn\’ key, choosing to show something else or nothing at all. Hit Done, and you’re set.

Still seeing unwanted Quick Actions? You might need to double-check in System Settings again. Head over to Privacy & Security, then scroll down to Extensions. Pop into Touch Bar Quick Actions, and uncheck everything. This ensures no sneaky background apps mess with your setup.

Missing those easy controls for media and brightness? No problem! The macOS Control Center on your menu bar has got your back. You can even drag the stuff you use most from the Control Center to your menu bar for quicker access.

So, while you can’t put the Touch Bar to rest entirely, these tricks will quiet it down and keep it from lighting up too often. With this little makeover, it gets less in your way and more out of your mind. If you ever have a change of heart, you can just slide back into System Settings and set it to show App Controls or expand the Control Strip again.

In a nutshell: Head to System Settings > Keyboard > Touch Bar Settings. Flip ‘Touch Bar shows’ to Quick Actions and turn off the Control Strip. If needed, nix any Quick Action extensions via Privacy & Security. Lean on the macOS Control Center/menu bar for volume and brightness. You get the idea—less Touch Bar, less hassle.