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Hi everyone, I have a MacBook Air M2 and the entire built-in keyboard has suddenly stopped working. The Mac is only around 15 months old.

I have never spilled any liquid on it, dropped it, or put any unusual pressure on it. It has been handled normally.

The Mac itself works perfectly with an external keyboard, but none of the built-in keys respond.

Things I have already tried:

Restarting multiple times

Safe Mode

macOS update

Resetting/restarting whatever SMC-related procedures are applicable

Other troubleshooting methods I found online

Testing with an external keyboard

Nothing has brought the internal keyboard back.

Unfortunately, the standard warranty has expired. I haven't taken it to Apple yet because I've read that Apple may replace the entire keyboard/top case rather than repair the individual fault, which can become extremely expensive. I'm a student and I simply cannot afford a huge repair bill right now.

I also asked a couple of local repair shops.

One technician said he could fix it for ₹3,200, but he gave me that price without even opening the Mac or properly diagnosing the problem, so I'm hesitant to trust that.

Another technician simply suggested that I continue using a Bluetooth/external keyboard.

I'm also considering doing a factory reset/reinstalling macOS, but I'm not sure whether it could actually help or whether it could create additional problems given that my built-in keyboard doesn't work.

So I'm looking for advice from anyone who has experience with MacBook repairs:

Does this sound like a hardware problem?

Could it be a keyboard/trackpad flex cable, connector, controller, or logic-board issue rather than the keyboard itself?

Is there any other diagnostic/test I should perform before paying for a repair?

Is ₹3,200 for a repair without diagnosis a red flag?

Would you recommend taking it to Apple/AASP first just for a diagnosis, or going directly to a reputable third-party Mac repair specialist?

Should I avoid factory resetting/reinstalling macOS for now?

If you've had the same issue with an M2 MacBook Air, what ended up fixing it and how much did it cost?

I would really appreciate any advice. I'm a student, so I'm trying to avoid spending money blindly on a repair that may not actually fix the problem.

Thanks!

MacBook Air M2 built-in keyboard completely stopped working after only 15 months — what should I do?