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This teardown is not a repair guide. To repair your Apple Wireless Keyboard, use our service manual.

  1. Apple Wireless Keyboard (A1255) Teardown, Apple Wireless Keyboard (A1255) Teardown: step 1, image 1 of 2 Apple Wireless Keyboard (A1255) Teardown, Apple Wireless Keyboard (A1255) Teardown: step 1, image 2 of 2
    • To open the battery compartment, on the left side of the keyboard use a coin to loosen the screw off cover.

    • The keyboard's power button is on the right side

  2. Apple Wireless Keyboard (A1255) Teardown: step 2, image 1 of 3 Apple Wireless Keyboard (A1255) Teardown: step 2, image 2 of 3 Apple Wireless Keyboard (A1255) Teardown: step 2, image 3 of 3
    • The upper left hand corner (when turned over) of the keyboard contains the On/Off switch and the bluetooth board.

    • The removable plastic covering plate may be removed by squeezing it together to release the retaining hooks, Do one side at a time, Squeeze and rotate upward.

  3. Apple Wireless Keyboard (A1255) Teardown: step 3, image 1 of 3 Apple Wireless Keyboard (A1255) Teardown: step 3, image 2 of 3 Apple Wireless Keyboard (A1255) Teardown: step 3, image 3 of 3
    • The plastic is very stiff and there are three sets of two hooks on each side. This one has been deformed on the back right hand side from a heat gun.

    • There is a 90 mm by 12 mm circuit board intersected by a vertical 53 mm by 7 mm board forming a T shape. The vertical board appears to be the bluetooth antenna.

    • Part # 820-2181 is printed on the board.

    • This board also has the Power Indicating LED light. This board fits inside the round casing unit by the power button. The power button, battery connector and keyboard all connect to this board.

  4. Apple Wireless Keyboard (A1255) Teardown: step 4, image 1 of 1
    • Using the tip of a spudger, flip up the keyboard ribbon cable retaining flap. Pull the keyboard ribbon cable straight out of its socket. It slides out from under the 'vertical' board. Shouldn't be too difficult.

  5. Apple Wireless Keyboard (A1255) Teardown: step 5, image 1 of 3 Apple Wireless Keyboard (A1255) Teardown: step 5, image 2 of 3 Apple Wireless Keyboard (A1255) Teardown: step 5, image 3 of 3
    • The board is held in place with a small Phillips screw.

    • Ater removing the screw the board can be gently extricated from the tube. The white plastic disc to the right of the screw needs to be pushed to the right to free up the board.

    • Note the red and black wires. This connector inserts laterally. The wires go to the battery receptor in the middle of the tube.

    • The screw is in two parts, a phillips screw goes into a post screw. The top screw holds in the board and the post screw holds the On/Off switch in place.

  6. Apple Wireless Keyboard (A1255) Teardown: step 6, image 1 of 3 Apple Wireless Keyboard (A1255) Teardown: step 6, image 2 of 3 Apple Wireless Keyboard (A1255) Teardown: step 6, image 3 of 3
    • Here's the obverse of the board. There is a black two prong connector that plugs into the board from the power switch.

    • The wires run under a small plastic retaining tab and can be moved downward and out.

  7. Apple Wireless Keyboard (A1255) Teardown: step 7, image 1 of 3 Apple Wireless Keyboard (A1255) Teardown: step 7, image 2 of 3 Apple Wireless Keyboard (A1255) Teardown: step 7, image 3 of 3
    • The power switch is held in place by the Main Board Bracket. Apple Part # 815-9674. The end of the bracket has a small round protrusion that fits into a crescent shaped cut out on the power switch.

    • The Power Button Board can be pushed out from the inside.

    • The red wire goes to "TP2", the black wire to "TP1"

  8. Apple Wireless Keyboard (A1255) Teardown: step 8, image 1 of 3 Apple Wireless Keyboard (A1255) Teardown: step 8, image 2 of 3 Apple Wireless Keyboard (A1255) Teardown: step 8, image 3 of 3
    • The internal battery terminal can be knocked out with a long screwdriver. It is spring loaded and held in place by a metal expansion ring.

    • I could not discern how the exact placement is determined as the interior of the tube appears to be perfectly smooth.

  9. Apple Wireless Keyboard (A1255) Teardown: step 9, image 1 of 3 Apple Wireless Keyboard (A1255) Teardown: step 9, image 2 of 3 Apple Wireless Keyboard (A1255) Teardown: step 9, image 3 of 3
    • More photos of the battery terminal.

  10. Apple Wireless Keyboard (A1255) Teardown: step 10, image 1 of 3 Apple Wireless Keyboard (A1255) Teardown: step 10, image 2 of 3 Apple Wireless Keyboard (A1255) Teardown: step 10, image 3 of 3
    • Removal of the back of the keyboard was done using a heat gun and a scalpel.

    • Heating the board quickly warps and destroys it.

    • Glue is all over the bottom plate. It was separated by pulling it apart and slicing the glue with a scalpel.

  11. Apple Wireless Keyboard (A1255) Teardown: step 11, image 1 of 3 Apple Wireless Keyboard (A1255) Teardown: step 11, image 2 of 3 Apple Wireless Keyboard (A1255) Teardown: step 11, image 3 of 3
    • There are ten 2 mm screws located on the back of the board.

  12. Apple Wireless Keyboard (A1255) Teardown: step 12, image 1 of 3 Apple Wireless Keyboard (A1255) Teardown: step 12, image 2 of 3 Apple Wireless Keyboard (A1255) Teardown: step 12, image 3 of 3
    • The keyboard is pushed away from the frame.

  13. Apple Wireless Keyboard (A1255) Teardown: step 13, image 1 of 3 Apple Wireless Keyboard (A1255) Teardown: step 13, image 2 of 3 Apple Wireless Keyboard (A1255) Teardown: step 13, image 3 of 3
    • The layers are pulled apart. Frame, plastic separator layer, printed circuit layer

  14. Apple Wireless Keyboard (A1255) Teardown: step 14, image 1 of 3 Apple Wireless Keyboard (A1255) Teardown: step 14, image 2 of 3 Apple Wireless Keyboard (A1255) Teardown: step 14, image 3 of 3
    • Here can be seen the layers of the frame, separator, circuit board and metal back plate.

  15. Apple Wireless Keyboard (A1255) Teardown: step 15, image 1 of 3 Apple Wireless Keyboard (A1255) Teardown: step 15, image 2 of 3 Apple Wireless Keyboard (A1255) Teardown: step 15, image 3 of 3
    • Here we can see the different types of key mounting and scissor mountings

  16. Apple Wireless Keyboard (A1255) Teardown: step 16, image 1 of 3 Apple Wireless Keyboard (A1255) Teardown: step 16, image 2 of 3 Apple Wireless Keyboard (A1255) Teardown: step 16, image 3 of 3
    • Keys can be easily removed by using a scalpel or fingernail under the left side and lifted.

  17. Apple Wireless Keyboard (A1255) Teardown, Close-up of the compartments: step 17, image 1 of 3 Apple Wireless Keyboard (A1255) Teardown, Close-up of the compartments: step 17, image 2 of 3 Apple Wireless Keyboard (A1255) Teardown, Close-up of the compartments: step 17, image 3 of 3
    • Here you can see the pole that the screw went in. You can remove this, which allows you to remove the power button and the white housing.

    • Also, here is the battery terminal (spring loaded) which had to be forced out. It's held in the tube by the expansion ring, which unfortunately is the best-made bit of this keyboard. I forced it out using a long screw driver, but unfortunately broke the wires. Keyboard had died anyway, thanks Apple.

mayer

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25 Comments

This keyboard holds 3 AA batteries not 2.

Clark Tucker - Reply

No quibble at all. My keyboard ca. 2010 years old is two batteries. No question but that the A1255 had three, the A1314 which I have is two. Duh! (for me). I didn't think initially about model numbers and I got enough out of this to make it work

Thanks to this post I managed to remove a stuck battery on an A1314, pushing the battery out with a letter opener.

The ribbon cable is not hard to remove, but a little trick to open and relock it back? I just had cataract surgery which didn't help, but it's pretty obvious when you take a close look.

There was no corrosion; the keyboard was working. Someone installed off-brand batteries, no leaks just stuck. New name brand (copper tops) slide in and out without a problem.

jmc56 -

If you kept the keys, I'd like to buy an "L" key and the plastic/rubber part that goes underneath. Little accident with my keyboard left L key inoperable .... ;-)

Kevin

Kevin McKean - Reply

]can I buy new buttons, the up arrow fell off ?

Rocco Parente -

How did you manage to knock out the battery terminal with only a screwdriver and from which end of the aluminum encasement did you knock it out?

Joseph Parrie - Reply

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