Your MacBook'south bombardment is likely the offset component y'all'll need to replace in your estimator. While Apple makes reliable machines, current battery applied science means that almost cells only concluding a few years earlier their capacity seriously diminishes, especially with heavy employ.

A battery replacement is a great way to breathe some new life into an older MacBook. Here are your options for a MacBook battery replacement, how much it costs to replace your MacBook's battery, and how to know when it's time to practice so.

Practice Yous Need to Replace Your MacBook Battery?

First, you should check your MacBook'south bombardment status to see if it's time for a replacement. To do this on macOS Big Sur and afterwards, click the Apple menu at the top-left of your computer and choose Organization Preferences, then select Battery from the resulting menu.

On the left sidebar, select the Battery tab, and then click the Bombardment Wellness button at the lesser.

MacBook Battery Health Button Big Sur

The resulting window will show either Normal or Service recommended for the Battery Condition field. If you see the former, everything is working properly with your battery. Service recommended doesn't necessarily mean something is wrong, simply when this appears, you are probably seeing your battery hold less of a charge than it once did.

Y'all'll too run across the Maximum Capacity of your bombardment. 100% ways it's performing too as it did when it was brand-new. A lower percentage, like fourscore%, reflects how much of the original charge your bombardment can hold. For example, you lot might only go 8 hours on a full charge, instead of ten.

Mac Battery Condition Info

On older versions of macOS, you'll need to instead concord the Choice key and click the bombardment percentage icon in the carte bar at the top-right of your screen to view the battery health. This will evidence one of four possible statuses for your Mac bombardment's condition:

  • Normal: Your battery doesn't need replacement.
  • Replace Shortly: The bombardment holds less charge than information technology did when it was new.
  • Supplant Now: Your battery holds significantly less charge than its original capacity.
  • Service Bombardment: The system has detected a fault with your battery.

This should requite you some indication of whether a MacBook battery replacement is necessary. None of these weather betoken potential harm—you can continue using your MacBook every bit normal.

How to Check the Battery Cycles on Your MacBook

For more than info, yous can also view the exact number of charge and discharge cycles your Mac's battery has gone through. To do this:

  1. Click on the Apple logo in the acme-left corner of the screen.
  2. Select About This Mac, then Organisation Report.
  3. Click Ability on the left sidebar (nether Hardware), and then scroll down to the Health Information heading and locate Bike Count.
Cycle Count in System Information

This number shows how many times your battery has gone from 100 per centum to fully tuckered. It only represents full cycles, though. For example, if your battery dropped to 50 per centum, then yous charged information technology back to 100 percentage and let it drain to 50 percent once more, that would count as one cycle.

The wheel count should requite yous a practiced idea of how long your battery has left earlier requiring replacement. Different MacBooks have varying ratings for bike counts, so yous'll demand to cross-reference your event with the ratings on Apple'southward battery cycle support page. Almost every modern MacBook, MacBook Pro, and MacBook Air is rated for 1,000 bombardment cycles.

Even if these numbers expect good for you, you lot may accept noticed your battery life has go significantly worse of belatedly and decide that it's time for a replacement anyway. Use your own judgment to weigh if the cost is worth information technology to y'all. Exist certain you've followed the tips to improve battery life on your MacBook commencement, then move onto hardware replacement if those don't help.

Option 1: Supercede Your MacBook Battery via Apple Warranty

Benefit: The service comes at no price under applicable warranties, meaning it should exist your first pick.

If your MacBook is still under warranty, Apple will supercede a faulty or excessively degraded battery gratuitous of accuse. In the U.s.a., Apple provides a limited one-year warranty. For those in the EU, consumer law extends this coverage to 2 years. If you purchased AppleCare for your MacBook, this coverage extends to three years.

Those who are still covered should contact Apple right away nigh any bombardment issues. You lot can check your warranty status on Apple's Cheque Coverage page using your car's serial number. Find your series number by clicking the Apple menu at the summit-left of the screen and selecting Almost This Mac.

Screenshot showing the About This Mac information

If you don't have warranty coverage for a battery replacement, nosotros'll look at the adjacent-best MacBook battery replacement options, including their cost. However, you should know well-nigh a few specific cases kickoff.

Apple Battery Replacement Programs for Specific MacBook Pro Models

Fifty-fifty if your MacBook is outside its normal warranty, you may be eligible for a special MacBook Pro bombardment replacement from Apple.

Some units of the 13-inch MacBook Pro (non-Touch Bar) manufactured betwixt October 2016 and October 2017 are eligible for a free battery replacement from Apple. This is due to a dissimilar component declining, which causes the battery to swell up. This is non dangerous, according to Apple tree.

Visit Apple'south MacBook Pro bombardment replacement page to enter your estimator's serial number and run across if you're eligible for a repair.

In addition, Apple has recalled some of its xv-inch MacBook Pro computers sold between September 2015 and February 2017. The company states that batteries in these units may overheat and catch on fire. If you have one of these models, yous should go the bombardment replaced right away for your safety.

Head to the Apple tree 15-inch MacBook Pro Battery Recall page to enter your calculator's serial number and see if you need a replacement. Proceed in mind that y'all can check for recalls on your Apple products anytime.

Option 2: Pay for an Apple MacBook Bombardment Replacement

Do good: Your MacBook is guaranteed confronting defects resulting from the process. In addition, your replacement will be a genuine first-party production, and the work shouldn't take more a day or so.

Apple tree recommends yous use offset-party or third-party authorized service centers to replace your MacBook bombardment. This is more often than not the most expensive option, but it's as well the safest. The process is less likely to go wrong, and Apple provides a 90-day guarantee for whatsoever work performed.

Assuming the service isn't covered past warranty or consumer police, how much does a MacBook battery replacement cost? A typical MacBook battery replacement is $129 for a MacBook Air or $199 for a MacBook Pro. If you lot demand to transport your device, that costs an extra $19.95.

Apple Battery Service Cost

If your MacBook is especially former, you may be amend off putting that money toward a replacement instead. Look out for common signs that it's time to replace your Mac and don't pour money into an ancient machine.

To start your MacBook bombardment replacement with Apple, head to Apple'southward Mac Service and Repair website and click Start a service request. If there are no Apple tree stores nearby, the website volition suggest authorized third parties who can perform the piece of work instead. These technicians undergo the aforementioned training as Apple's, and provide the same guarantees.

Option three: Supplant Your MacBook Battery at a Computer Repair Shop

Benefits: You'll probably save some money, at the cost of not having an Apple-certified technician perform the repairs. Third parties may also use cheaper parts to reduce cost, meaning they're more likely to break early.

If you want to save some money, you could e'er pay a third-party computer repair company to replace your MacBook Air or MacBook Pro battery for you. Many repair shops will source and supervene upon your bombardment, even if they're non affiliated with Apple. Yet, the exact price of replacing your MacBook's bombardment in this fashion will vary based on who you lot approach.

MacBook logic board closeup
Prototype credit: David O'Brien/Flickr

Going this route forgoes Apple'southward guarantees, and you lot may find that the company uses third-party parts in an attempt to save money. These parts aren't necessarily inferior, only using non-Apple parts might result in lower functioning or other issues in the hereafter. Cheque out calculator repair shops in your area for quotes on a MacBook battery replacement ocst, then compare them to what Apple offers.

Depending on your MacBook model, your local repair shop may pass up service if the battery is glued in place. This is the case with MacBook Pro models from mid-2009 and newer, and all MacBook models with Retina displays. Unless you accept a very old car, Apple's official repair might exist your only worthwhile option.

Choice iv: Supercede Your MacBook Battery Yourself

Benefits: By taking matters into your own hands, you'll salvage a lot of coin—at the cost of your own time and the risk of something going incorrect.

The cheapest option by far is ordering your own MacBook replacement bombardment and swapping information technology yourself. This means you'll only pay the toll of the parts (plus the fourth dimension it takes you lot to perform the work). In add-on to the new battery, yous'll need a set of tools to open up your Mac, an anti-static wrist band, and a method to safely dispose of your old battery.

Much of the time, yous can buy kits that provide everything you need to replace your Mac's battery. These come at roughly half the price Apple will accuse you for the service. One such retailer is iFixit, which also provides text and video guides on everything from uncomplicated fixes to complex teardowns. For example, at the time of writing, you'll find a kit to supersede 13-inch MacBook Air models from 2010-2017 for $79.99.

iFixit MacBook Battery Kit

Buying the battery lonely should cost even less than this, with inexpensive third-political party options bachelor for a fraction of the price. We'd recommend merely ownership from a company you trust. Option i that has a stiff reputation for providing quality parts, every bit you don't want to spend the time replacing your battery merely to take it fail presently after.

If you're not sure what you're doing, the risks of something going wrong are much higher. However, if y'all're happy to take the adventure and follow how-to guides to the alphabetic character, you'll larn a lot about the inner workings of your figurer. You might even enjoy the process!

Unfortunately, most newer MacBook models have glued-in batteries, making them incredibly difficult to repair yourself. iFixit has battery kits for MacBook Pro with Retina Display models simply warns that these are for experienced users and come with some serious work. Attempt this at your own risk; they crave hours of time and disconnecting dozens of parts.

Don't Forget to Recycle Batteries Responsibly

WEEE/Recycle

If you lot opt for a DIY MacBook battery replacement, brand certain you recycle the spent battery responsibly.

Lithium batteries demand to be recycled properly to prevent harm to yourself, others, and the surroundings. Cheque with your local waste management authorities how best to recycle your old laptop bombardment—don't just throw it in the trash or in with your regular recycling.

About local governments volition take dropoff points or collection schemes that emphasize safety and sustainability. If yous choose to let Apple service your laptop, it will take care of the bombardment and recycle it for you (but unfortunately doesn't offer a driblet-off service).

Is It Worth Replacing Your MacBook Battery?

At present that you know how to supersede a MacBook's bombardment, you might wonder whether you actually should supplant it. If your Mac is running well aside from the battery, paying $200 for a replacement to get several more years of life from it is a lot cheaper than buying a new machine.

However, if your MacBook is old, it'due south probably non worth replacing the internal battery. In this case, you could consider external power solutions. Battery packs that can power a MacBook are an option, and you can still put them to utilise in the hereafter for other devices, fifty-fifty subsequently yous've replaced your current Mac.

Once y'all get a battery replacement or a new MacBook, make sure you lot know how to monitor the new battery to keep it healthy for equally long as possible.

6 Apps to Monitor and Better Your MacBook'due south Battery Life

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