Flexbar brings back the Touch Bar to your Mac

We recently covered Flexbaris a project developed by ENIAC Technology that brings back the Touch Bar, Apple’s controversial (and now discontinued) small touch screen used on the MacBook Pro keyboard. While Apple does have its reasons for discontinuing the Touch Bar, some users do miss it. I got the Flexbar device to see what it would be like to use something like the Touch Bar again.

Revisiting the Touch Bar

If you don’t remember the Touch Bar, it was introduced in 2016 when Apple redesigned the MacBook Pro. The Touch Bar replaces the traditional row of function keys with a Touch Bar that displays specific buttons for each app. The idea sounds great, but in reality, many people don’t like the experience of interacting with virtual buttons on their keyboard.

I own a MacBook Pro with a Touch Bar, and I have mixed feelings about it. Apple was bold enough to try something different – even though I don’t think users really wanted or needed it. The Touch Bar feels modern, and doing things like selecting emojis or sliding the project timeline in Final Cut Pro is really cool.

But most of the time, the Touch Bar is annoying. It was buggy, often became unresponsive, and few apps supported it. Apple finally discontinues Touch Bar in 2021 I think “professional users like” the “tactile feel of mechanical keys.” I can’t deny that, but I also think there’s room for improvement.

What it’s like to use Flexbar

A few years later, a group of engineers created Flexbar. It looks eerily similar to the Touch Bar, but in the words of its creator, it “solves user frustrations and unlocks new levels of productivity.”

The Flexbar is made of metal for a more premium look, matching the design of the Magic Keyboard and other Apple products. This device uses an AMOLED touch screen panel to display content. The resolution is clear enough that you can see all illustrations and text.

While the Touch Bar has a set of preset controls, the Flexbar is fully customizable through the companion app. Users can add shortcuts to open applications, folders, websites, run scripts, adjust volume, playback key combinations and even a range of commands. You can also import and export layouts, which is useful for exploring different ideas from other users.

I’ve only been using Flexbar for a few days, so I haven’t had time to delve into all the settings yet. I added shortcuts to my most-used apps, a volume slider, a button for typing Siri, and another button to lock the screen. Flexbar can be configured with a fixed set of buttons, or you can scroll to reveal more buttons. You can also add more controls to the binder so that they are only visible when you need them.

think of it as a flow deckbut there is a touch version. For example, here I’ve also created shortcuts to run scripts I use every day and open folders that contain assets I use to edit images and movies. Of course, I created shortcuts with my favorite emojis – that’s one thing I really miss about the Touch Bar.

More advanced features and third-party plug-ins

Users can further use Flexbar and create more advanced controls. For example, it lets you save the arrangement of apps on your screen so that you can open them in their respective locations with just one click. There is also a control for scrolling the screen.

What about third-party apps? Engineers created an SDK for Flexbar so that applications could provide specific interactions. Unfortunately, the plug-in store won’t launch until the second half of 2025, so early adopters will be limited to built-in controls. This can be a bit cumbersome because there’s no such thing as a tab switcher in Safari yet.

By the way, the Flexbar has tactile feedback when you interact with the controls. The unit comes with a magnetic stand to improve ergonomics when used at your desk, and connects to your Mac via a USB-C cable. I’ve only noticed a few issues, like the Flexbar not closing when my Mac goes into sleep mode, but that’s probably just a bug since I’m using a prototype with beta software.

Is Flexbar worth it?

Well, the Flexbar idea is certainly interesting, especially for those who miss the Touch Bar. Since it doesn’t interfere with your physical keyboard, there are no trade-offs in using it. I really appreciate the Apple-like design, magnetic stand, customization options, and tactile feedback. Plus, it’s great to use in a desktop environment (remember the Touch Bar used to be a MacBook thing)

Feature request to engineers: It would be interesting to see an option on the Flexbar to replicate the native macOS Touch Bar (it’s still there even if you don’t have a Mac with a Touch Bar). I’m sure it won’t be easy to do this, but I see some people in the community interested in exploring this idea. Why not, right?

Release of Flexbar Kickstarter crowdfunding campaign It is expected to launch in February 2025. You can support the project and pre-order it for $149. It’s available for Mac and Windows PC.

Is it a must-have product? Probably not. But for those who like accessories flow deck or Logitech MX Creative ConsoleFlexbar offers the same functionality but with a more elegant and modern design. The SDK for third-party plugins also makes me very excited about the future of this product.