If your MacBook Pro or MacBook Air won't charge, or the charger isn't working, getting things working tin can be a race against fourth dimension as the battery drains. In this commodity we'll look at the possible reasons why your Mac laptop might not be charging, and how you lot can fix it.

We'll also expect at what to exercise if your Apple laptop doesn't hold a charge and if it'due south delivering a lot less battery life than Apple advertises.

Why is my MacBook not charging?

There could exist a simple reason why your MacBook Air or Pro won't charge. Showtime off with these simple checks to establish what the issue is:

  1. We take to enquire... Is the MacBook definitely plugged in? Disconnect the charging cable from the laptop and plug it in over again.
  2. Check the plug socket also. Is the socket turned on? Try using a unlike wall socket. We know all this sounds a chip basic, but double-check earlier you become whatsoever farther.
  3. Make sure your power adaptor is continued properly. Each Apple laptop adaptor comes in two parts, the square adaptor and its removable plug that connects to the wall, and the charge cablevision. Pull the 2 apart and put them back together.
  4. What does your Apple adaptor expect like? Is information technology in pristine condition or has it got whatsoever tears in the cable? Is the adaptor discoloured in any way? Does information technology look burnt out? If so, try a different adaptor (borrow ane from a friend or ask at an Apple Store).

    Mac won't charge: check the adaptor

  5. Make sure you are using the correct power adapter and cable. For case, you may accept a Mac that charges via USB-C, only not all USB-C cables are equal. Some cannot exist used for charging. There are likewise various types of MagSafe cables that your Mac might require for charging - there are no less than 3 versions of MagSafe for Mac. You demand to brand sure you are using the right one. See our guide to MagSafe. You should ideally employ the charger that came with your Mac, including the included power brick.
  6. Speaking of the power brick - is it overheating? If your ability adapter is getting too hot it may not function. Make sure it isn't covered by anything.
  7. Check the ability port on your Apple laptop for grit. This can prevent the connector from making a clean connection to the Mac and end you from charging information technology up correctly.

The higher up checks may enable you to fix the problem. But if they don't work we recommend that you work through the steps below.

Update your software

When Apple issued the macOS Monterey 12.two update information technology seems a bug was introduced that caused some Mac batteries to drain really chop-chop in sleep mode. The upshot was found to exist related to an issue with Bluetooth and a subsequent macOS 12.two.1 update addressed the bombardment drain problem.

With examples like the above information technology is clear that sometimes a software update may fix your Mac charging problems.

Make sure that your Mac is running the nearly recent version of the macOS software. Become to Arrangement Preferences > Software Update to cheque.

Find out if your Mac's been recalled

Check to see if your Mac - specifically the battery - has been recalled. We have details of MacBook Recalls and repair programs here.

In the summer of 2022 Apple recalled some MacBook Pros due to concerns about the battery overheating. Click the link for data about the 15in MacBook Pro battery recall for units sold between 2022 and 2022.

There was besides a recall of 2022-2017 MacBook Pro (non Impact Bar) models relating to a component failure causing the built-in battery to expand, details here.

Your Mac's charger might also be office of a recall. Apple has recalled some of its wall plugs over safety concerns, discover out if yours is affected.

Having ruled out the to a higher place, you can showtime working through the more avant-garde fixes.

We have a divide article where we discuss everything you need to know about getting Apple products repaired.

Reset the battery

The method y'all follow to reset the battery in your MacBook, MacBook Pro or MacBook Air will be determined by the age of your Mac, and whether it has an Intel chip or an Apple chip inside.

If information technology's old enough to have a removable battery (unlikely if was bought after 2022) you can actually remove the battery. After doing practise, disconnect the ability adapter and hold downward the ability key for x seconds before replacing the battery and then plugging the ability adapter dorsum in. Restarting the Mac should fix the problem.

But information technology'southward unlikely that your Mac has a removable battery, so how tin you reset the battery? In this case you will need to reset the SMC, which stands for the Arrangement Management Controller, a chip on your Mac's logic board that controls the ability.

Reset the SMC

Resetting the SMC can help with battery and power related issues, even so, the process for resetting SMC is different depending on the historic period of your Mac.

These are the steps you need to follow if your Mac has an Intel processor.

  1. Close down the MacBook.
  2. Connect the power adapter.
  3. Hold down Control + Shift+ Pick/Alt and the Power push button for about four seconds. So release all four together.
  4. Press the Power push button to offset up the Mac over again.

If you have an Apple silicon Mac - with an M1, M1 Max or M1 Pro inside you won't exist able to reset the SMC because there is no arrangement management controller - all functions that were previously handled past the chip are now embedded in the M1 processor. This doesn't hateful you are stuck and can't 'reset' things: all y'all need to do is plough your Mac off and on once more, according to Apple tree.

If you lot'd like to find out more, read out full tutorial on resetting the SMC. As well see: How to fix a Mac.

Mac battery failure

Check if your bombardment is faulty

Equally we explain in How to test a MacBook bombardment information technology's really quite simple to bank check your MacBook battery to meet if it needs replacing. This could be the problem if your MacBook battery is not charging or if it is draining too fast.

Click the bombardment icon in the Menu bar. If it says 'Service Bombardment' you probably need to get your battery replaced. The battery has aged and will no longer hold the accuse that it once did.

Mac won't charge: check the battery service

Get the Mac serviced

If the higher up advice doesn't help then y'all should take your MacBook to Apple (or an Apple reseller that is an Apple Authorised Service Provider) for servicing and maybe even consider having the battery replaced.

You'll demand to find out whether your Mac qualifies to be serviced by Apple. It depends on whether the Mac is yet under warranty or if you have AppleCare. Here'south how to cheque if you are covered:

  1. Click here to go to Apple'south Service and Back up website.
  2. Enter your serial number (you can find it by clicking on the Apple menu > Nigh This Mac).
  3. Prove you aren't a robot.

You will exist taken to a page that explains what encompass yous have. In our instance it indicates that Consumer Law May Utilize and suggests we talk to an advisor.

MacBook service status

If yous have Apple Comprehend, or your Mac is all the same within warranty so it is easy to prepare a repair. Merely get through the options here. We propose Startup or Power > Charging tips or troubleshooting. You'll see options to Talk to Apple tree support, schedule a telephone call, first a chat session, or bring in for repair.

We have this article about getting a Mac repaired. We also look at how long Apple repairs accept and how much they cost.

Other Mac battery troubleshooting tips

Hopefully the above volition take helped you solve your MacBook battery charging problems. There are a number of means you can preserve the life of your battery in gild to avoid such bug in the future, as well as settings yous may need to change if yous are finding that your battery even so isn't charging.

Preserve your battery with energy saving settings

If you go to System Preferences on your Mac laptop and click Free energy Saver (on older versions of macOS) or Battery, you volition see options that tin help you become the best out of your MacBook bombardment. Alternatively right-click on the battery icon and cull Bombardment Preferences.

In macOS Monterey this includes a lot of data and tools that tin assist you preserve your battery including Optimised battery charging, which is a preset that volition reduce your battery ageing by avoiding charging beyond lxxx% based on your usual behaviour.

Of class this behaviour could atomic number 82 you to wonder why your Mac isn't charging! It may well be the case that your Mac isn't charging considering it is already at lxxx% and Apple has decided that yous don't need to fully charge your Mac. Of form if this is an effect you tin can easily turn off Optimised battery charging. But deselect the box next to that option.

Battery running out too quickly

If your MacBook battery keeps losing its charge, of just doesn't hold its charge every bit long every bit it used to, yous should check a few things.

The first port of call is to brand certain that your settings aren't draining the battery (equally detailed beneath), we likewise suggest that you check that the MacBook isn't role of a think (as mentioned above).

  1. Open up System Preferences and choosing Battery (or on older versions of macOS Energy Saver.)
  2. In Battery settings click Battery and cheque that the Plough display off after: choice is non fix to Never. This is like in Energy Saver settings, here you demand to brand certain the Slumber and Display Sleep sliders are not all the way to the right (set to Never).
  3. Make sure the sliders are as far to the left as is feasible.

Battery settings Mac

Don't leave your Mac plugged in all the time

These battery saver settings are intended to address the problem of batteries being charged to chapters too often. Just if you have an older Mac or aren't using a new version of the macOS the best communication is not to leave your Mac plugged in all the time. Brand certain that you use the Mac via battery power from time to fourth dimension.

Information technology'south skilful practice to let your battery completely discharge and so recharge one time in a while.

We have the following advice about improving bombardment life.