How to fix battery not charging on MacBook

If your battery is not charging on your MacBook Pro when plugged in, don't panic, there are some simple explanations and plenty of troubleshooting tips to help you solve the issue. 

If you've plugged in your Mac and noticed the battery percentage hasn't budged or even reduced, or you received "Not Charging" message… this article is for you! 

Let's start by looking at some pretty common reasons why this happens.

Reasons your battery is not charging on your MacBook

There could be numerous reasons your Mac battery is not charging when it's plugged in, including a faulty adapter, insufficient ventilation, and poor battery condition.

Not sure about your battery condition? Then it's wise to run a health check, here's how:

1. Press the Option key and select the main Apple menu.

2. Click System Information.

3. Locate Power from the sidebar and look at the Battery Information section.

There's quite a lot of information you can discover here, including

• The current charging state

• Remaining battery charge

• Cycle Count

• Battery condition (anything other than "Normal" indicates something is wrong)

Most Macs are designed to hold around 1000 charge cycles. If your Mac has surpassed the 1000 cycle mark, it will cease to charge, its capacity will reduce, and even when fully charged, it won't be able to hold it for long. It's time to talk to your local official Apple service center if that is the case. If your cycle count and battery condition seem ok, keep reading. 

No matter why your Mac battery is not charging, let's get started with some easy-to-follow troubleshooting.

Solved: MacBook battery not charging

1. Check your hardware

First, start by checking obvious issues with your hardware. Use this quick checklist:

• Power Sockets — Are they working correctly? Test some other ones to be sure.

• Damaged adapter — If your charging cable is damaged, this could be the reason why your MacBook battery is not charging. You'll need to borrow an adapter from a friend, or test yours on a compatible device, before forking out on a new one. 

• Debris or dust — Check your ports for any signs of debris, foreign objects, or dust. Try removing it with a toothpick.

• Defective AC plug — If the light doesn't come on when you plug your charger in, you could have a defective AC plug. Luckily the chargers on our Macs come with removable plugs; switch one from another device to test.

• Weak power source — Not using the official Apple adapter that came with your device? It could be possible you're using a low-wattage adapter, meaning it provides enough energy to power your device but not enough to charge the battery. 

2. Check battery and power settings

• Click the Battery icon in the upper menu bar.
• If you see Battery Service Recommended, your battery may need maintenance.

3. Restart your Mac

Next up on the troubleshooting list is a quick Mac restart. Yes, I know, it sounds ridiculously obvious, but restarting your Mac can solve multiple issues, including when your Mac is plugged in but not charging. Take a moment to restart your Mac from the main Apple menu.

4. Proven Mac troubleshooting

So, you've checked your hardware, and you've carried out a reset. It's time to investigate if it could be a software-related issue that's stopping your battery from charging.

I like to use the Apple notarized application CleanMyMac to help solve Mac problems. Its Performance feature runs maintenance tasks, which can help to smooth out the performance of applications that behave with abnormally high CPU cycles and drain your battery. Here's how it works:

1. Open CleanMyMac — get your free trial here.

2. Select Performance from the sidebar and run a scan.

3. Click View All Tasks and select tasks.

4. Click Run.

While we're talking about smarty ways to run some general Mac maintenance, the same feature can detect login and background items that may be draining your battery, which is worth trying. Here's how it works:

• After running the Performance scan, click View All Items once again.

• Check Login Items and Background Items and remove what's no longer needed.   

5. Improve ventilation

Chargers and adapters can generate a considerable amount of heat when in use. If your charger is resting on something insulated, like a duvet, cushion, or blanket, it could overheat and automatically switch itself off. Always try to keep your adapter on a hard surface, left uncovered by heat-insulating items. 

6. Reset your SMC

If you have an Intel-based Mac, resetting your System Management Controller (SMC) can help to solve issues if your MacBook Air is not charging. The SMC controls your Mac's power management and, if faulty, can cause issues with your battery charging capabilities. Follow these instructions:

1. Shut down your Mac from the main Apple menu.

2. Plug in your adapter if not already connected.

3. Press down Control-Shift-Option and the power button for up to five seconds.

4. Release all of the keys, then press the power button once again to start your Mac.

If you have a Mac with Apple silicon (like M1), you might be surprised to hear it's not possible to reset the SMC; that's because all functions are now managed directly by the processor itself.

7. Cool your laptop

Macs don't like getting too hot. If your Mac is plugged in and starts to overheat, its thermal sensors will kick in, the fans will come on, and it's likely that your battery will stop charging. If your Mac feels warm or even hot to the touch, try to relocate to a cooler spot, and once your Mac feels cool, try charging again.

8. Update your macOS

Yes, everyone knows that outdated macOS versions can glitch, but we often forget to keep our Macs updated. Here's a quick reminder because if it's been a while, this could be why your Mac doesn't charge.

1. Main menu > System Settings > General > Software Update.

2. Install any available updates.

What do you do if your Mac still won't charge?

If none of the fixes in the sections above have worked, then it's time to call in the professionals; here's a quick look at your options.

• Contact Apple support: If your MacBook is under warranty, Apple may replace your charger or battery for free.

• Visit an Apple store: A technician can run hardware diagnostics to check your charging port, battery, and logic board.

• Try an Apple-certified repair shop: If your Mac is out of warranty, third-party repair centers can replace faulty charging components.

So, no more asking why is my MacBook not charging! These tips should work out pretty well and help you solve your way back to a fully charged Mac. Stay tuned for even more Mac tips & fixes. 

FAQs

Is it safe to use a third-party charger with my MacBook?

Apple-certified chargers will always be the best, but if you do opt for a third-party brand, make sure it's reputable. When you're testing charger and battery issues on a Mac, it's always recommended to do this with an official Apple charger.

How can I improve the battery life on my Mac?

There are actually lots of simple things you can do to improve the health of your Mac's battery. We suggest starting with quitting unnecessary apps, closing unneeded browser tabs, tweaking system settings (e.g., decreasing screen brightness and turning off animations in Desktop & Dock settings), and disabling Bluetooth if you do not need to connect devices.