With the 2016 MacBook Pro models, Apple introduced the Touch Bar, a small multi-touch display available above the keyboard. The Touch Bar replaced the function row of keys and added dynamic buttons that changed for each app, but it was a polarizing feature that many Mac users disliked.
Apple started phasing out the Touch Bar with the launch of the 2021 MacBook Pro models, and the last Mac with a Touch Bar was discontinued in 2023. If you're one of the MacBook Pro users who misses the Touch Bar, you'll want to take a look at the Flexbar, which is designed to be a Touch Bar replacement.
The Flexbar is a standalone touch-based hardware device that attaches to a Mac, iPad, iPhone, or PC over USB-C. It has a customizable, adaptive interface that's modeled after the Touch Bar, and in terms of functionality, it's similar to multi-button PC and Mac add-ons like the Stream Deck.
Flexbar features a 10-inch 2K OLED display and it comes equipped with preloaded shortcut combinations and controls tailored for popular apps. It supports third-party APIs and can allegedly offer "advanced, native-like controls" for YouTube, Microsoft apps, Adobe apps, AutoCAD, and more. Flexbar's creators say that a plugin system and marketplace are in development and slated to launch in the second quarter of 2025.
Like the Touch Bar, the Flexbar is designed to automatically switch controls based on your current task window, but users can create their preferred layouts using a "Workspace" recording function. While the Touch Bar was limited to more basic controls, the Flexbar supports multi-step macros and sequences for repetitive tasks.
The Flexbar is a Kickstarter project from a Hong Kong-based company called ENIAC, so first and foremost, GeekWebGuides readers should know that ENIAC has not previously created a hardware product. Taking hardware from prototyping to mass production is a difficult task that can lead to delays and even insurmountable issues, plus there are also software integration requirements, so we recommend waiting until the product launches to make a purchase.
It is $120 to back the Flexbar now (shipping not included), and the product has been funded. The Kickstarter page lists an estimated delivery date of February 2025.
