What is a Touch Bar?
The Touch Bar is a narrow, touch-sensitive OLED display strip that Apple introduced in 2016 on the MacBook Pro, replacing the traditional row of physical function keys. It dynamically changes its on-screen buttons and controls based on the active application – showing media controls in Music, editing sliders in Photos, and a timeline scrubber in Final Cut Pro. The concept shares DNA with the Stream Deck, offering context-aware shortcuts on a touchscreen-like surface. Apple discontinued the Touch Bar in 2021 in favor of returning physical function keys, but millions of Touch Bar-equipped MacBooks remain in active use.
In-Depth
How the Touch Bar Works
The Touch Bar is a 2170 x 60 pixel OLED panel paired with a multi-touch sensor, integrated tightly with macOS. When you switch applications, the system replaces the displayed controls with ones relevant to the new app. In Safari, you see tab thumbnails; in Keynote, slide navigation; in GarageBand, a miniature piano keyboard. The right end of the Touch Bar houses Touch ID (a fingerprint sensor) for authentication and Apple Pay. Developers could create custom Touch Bar interfaces for their apps using Apple’s NSTouchBar API.
Reception and Eventual Retirement
The Touch Bar was a polarizing experiment. Supporters appreciated the adaptive shortcuts and the visual feedback that physical keys cannot provide. Critics pointed out the lack of tactile feedback, the need to glance down at the keyboard, and the accidental brushes that triggered unintended actions. Professional users who relied on function keys for shortcuts in IDEs, terminals, and creative software were especially vocal. Apple listened: the 2021 MacBook Pro brought back a full-height physical function key row, and no new Mac has shipped with a Touch Bar since.
Maximizing a Touch Bar MacBook Today
If you still use a Touch Bar MacBook (2016-2020 models), third-party tools like BetterTouchTool can dramatically improve the experience. You can create custom buttons per application, add widgets displaying CPU load, calendar events, or Spotify playback, and effectively turn the Touch Bar into a powerful macro keyboard tailored to your workflow. Pock is another popular tool that moves your Dock into the Touch Bar, freeing up screen real estate.
How to Choose
1. Understand the Touch Bar’s Current Status
No new MacBook ships with a Touch Bar. If you are considering a Touch Bar model, it will be a used or refurbished 2016-2020 MacBook Pro. In this case, prioritize the chip generation, RAM, and storage over the Touch Bar itself.
2. Consider Alternative Devices
If the concept of adaptive, context-switching shortcut buttons appeals to you, a Stream Deck delivers the same idea with physical buttons and much deeper customization. A macro keyboard is another option for programmable shortcut keys that work across any computer.
3. Customize If You Already Own One
For current Touch Bar owners, investing a few minutes in BetterTouchTool or a similar utility transforms the Touch Bar from a curiosity into a genuinely useful tool. Custom presets for your most-used apps, combined with widgets for quick-glance information, make the Touch Bar earn its place.
The Bottom Line
The Touch Bar was Apple’s bold experiment in adaptive input, and while it did not become the standard, it remains a capable tool on the millions of MacBooks that still carry it. If you own one, take advantage of third-party customization to unlock its potential. If you are shopping for a new Mac, the physical function keys on current models are the better choice for most users, and external devices like the Stream Deck offer the adaptive-button concept with tactile feedback and broader compatibility.