MacBook Pro battery not charging properly? Apple may give you a free replacement
It's an unfortunate fact of life that over time all laptop batteries become less efficient. The machine that once got your through the day will eventually only last a couple of hours -- perhaps even less.
Age is one thing, but sometimes there can be a hardware or software problem that exacerbates the issue. And this is case for some MacBook Pro owners. But there's good news. Apple may replace your battery free of charge.
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An issue with some MacBook Pro laptops means that it is not possible to charge it properly; people affected complain that their battery will not charge beyond one percent. The problem blights some laptops from 2016 and 2017, and in some cases all it took was a software patch to fix things. Apple recently released macOS Big Sur 11.2.1 and macOS Catalina 10.15.7, and this addressed the problem for a lot of people.
But not everyone.
If you have installed the latest updates but you're still not able to charge your MacBook Pro properly, Apple may give you a free replacement battery. The company explains:
A very small number of customers with 2016 and 2017 MacBook Pro computers have experienced an issue with the battery not charging past 1%.
The battery health status on these devices will also indicate "Service Recommended." If the status indicates that your battery is Normal, your battery is not affected by this issue.
If your 2016 or 2017 MacBook Pro exhibits these behaviors, contact Apple to get your battery replaced, free of charge. Your computer will be examined prior to service to verify that it is eligible for the free battery replacement.
Apple has also released a macOS update that prevents this issue from happening to other 2016 and 2017 MacBook Pro computers. Please update to macOS Big Sur 11.2.1 or later or install the macOS Catalina 10.15.7 supplemental update.
The following models are included in the battery replacement program:
- MacBook Pro (13-inch, 2016, Two Thunderbolt 3 Ports)
- MacBook Pro (13-inch, 2017, Two Thunderbolt 3 Ports)
- MacBook Pro (13-inch, 2016, Four Thunderbolt 3 Ports)
- MacBook Pro (13-inch, 2017, Four Thunderbolt 3 Ports)
- MacBook Pro (15-inch, 2016)
- MacBook Pro (15-inch, 2017)
You'll need to check the health status of your battery, and then get in touch with Apple if necessary.
Image credit: Lori Butcher / Shutterstock