The new Macbook Pro has the Touch Bar, a small strip of glass running along the bottom of the laptop that houses a range of virtual buttons. This is Apple’s answer to the famous MacBook Pro with its iconic RGB keyboard, only it’s even sleeker and more stylish. But can you get the Touch Bar on a Macbook Pro? Yes and no. It does exist on some models, but quite often it’s hidden under other features or choices. Thankfully, there are ways to make it work for you. If your Macbook is running an earlier version of macOS like Mountain Lion or Mavericks, you may not have access to the Touch Bar. But don’t worry — many modern OSes have support for it anyway (like Sierra). So if your MacBook has an Intel-based processor and isn’t running MacOS High Sierra or iOS 11, you should be able to install macOS Sierra or iOS 11 and enjoy the benefits of the Touch Bar on your laptop.
What’s the Difference Between the Touch Bar and the Touch ID?
The Touch Bar is a new feature in the latest Macbook Pro models with an Intel-based processor. It’s made of glass with a full-sized row of Touch ID sensors that can detect your touch and send feedback to the system. The Touch ID is found on the MacBook Pro models with an Intel Core i5 or i7 processor, and it’s also found on the MacBook Pro models with an Nvidia GPU. The Touch Bar is a smaller version of the Touch ID, running along the bottom of the laptop, just below the trackpad. It’s made of glass and has no sensors, so you won’t be able to use it to type out any passwords.
How to Get the Touch Bar on a Macbook Pro
To get the Touch Bar on your Macbook Pro, you’ll first need to connect it to a computer with an RS232/USB adapter. Then, go to System Preferences and choose “Touch and gestures.” From there, select “Touch Bar” and enable it. You can also enable the feature in the MacBook Pro’s “System Preferences” app.
Don’t Forget about System Preferences
If you’re new to MacOS and want to get the Touch Bar working without all the hassle, you may want to pay particular attention to System Preferences. This is where you can enable or disable the feature, as well as enable or disable its effects on your login process. You can also deep-link to System Preferences from most apps, like OS X’s built-in Finder.
Add a Touch Bar to Your Macbook Pro
Once you’ve enabled the Touch Bar, you’ll need to add a Touch Bar button to your machine. Follow these steps: Press and hold the Option key. This action will open the “raselect” menu, which allows you to choose “application” or “sodapkg.” Select “sodapkg” from the resulting menu and then click “add” to browse your computer and locate the folder with the file “osx-theme-sodapkg.pkg.” Once added, you can name the file anything you want and then click “apply” to apply it to your Macbook Pro.
Use the Side Command Keys
If you’d rather use the keyboard to navigate through apps rather than use the trackpad, you can enable the “side command keys” for easier access. These keys are located on the left side of the laptop next to the Apple logo. To enable them, go to System Preferences and select “Trackpad Options.” From there, you can adjust the movement speed and the sensitivity of the trackpad. You can also enable the “Side button access” under “Right hand side” to have the button above the trackpad.
IOS 11: How to Set Up Your iPhone or iPad for FaceTime without a Touch ID Screen
If you like to use FaceTime or other Apple services on your laptop, but don’t want to deal with entering a passcode every time you want to use the feature, you can set up an “activation lock” that prevents your phone from automatically connecting to FaceTime or other Apple services. The activation lock can be set up in two steps: First, you’ll need to enable “Accounts” in Settings. Then, you’ll need to select “Activate Apple ID” and choose a password. This activates the account and prevents anyone else from re-using your credentials. You can then set up a separate “Sign-in screen” to require a password for each app you use.
Final Words
If you’ve been wondering how to get the Touch Bar on a Macbook Pro, this guide will help. The Touch Bar is a hidden feature of the latest Macbook Pro models that runs along the bottom of the laptop. You can enable it by going to System Preferences and choosing “Touch and gestures.” From there, you can enable “Touch Bar” and “Don’t use passcode when log in.” That’s it. You’re now able to use the Touch Bar on your laptop. Whether you want to use it to assign different functions to individual buttons or just add a few more color options, the Touch Bar on your computer can help you out.