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Battery not charging on MBP after the latest supplemental updates

Pukar Sh

Pukar Sh

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Sep 29, 2019
11
0
Sichuan , PCR
the battery on my MBP 13" two thunderbolt port is not charging even when I plug in the charger, the logo on the status bar shows that its charging but when I click it it says battery not charging. I have seen this issue before supplemental updates few time but after the update its regular problem. smc reset in not helping, re start and shutting down is also not helping. there are several discussion about this on apple community page too ,Link - https://discussions.apple.com/thread/251405002 . anyone having the issue? I am worried if the battery run downs completely what do I do.
 
Same issue here! Look at the posts below. Apple Support said this is NOT normal and recommended hardware repair. I suggested it might be software related but they said no. This all happened in the last 2 weeks.

However, a daily SMC reset fixes the issue on my computer. (Control Option on left side, and shift button on right side). I have a 2019 MBP.


 
Is it really hardware issue? May be the analyst said that because they think this is a problem with small device, i haave seen people with 2020 16” MBP complained about this and it started after the software update due to this battery related setting, i had no problem for a year and suddenly there is a hardware defect. i hope its software, how can we reach to apple stores when everything is closed due to lockdown.
 
Call support. They will help even if out of warranty. They sent me a box to send my laptop out for repair. They said reset of SMC was the last troubleshooting option they can do over the phone.

I don't think it's hardware now. My laptop was fine until about 2 weeks ago, when more users started to report the same problem. Support on the phone said that they have no indication of it being a software problem (which I think is incorrect.. I don't think Apple phone support is privy to information about possible bugs..)
 
I hope they give an update to fix this.. because due to the lockdown i am stuck in a place where there is no authorized store anywhere near . The only option for me is to shut down the mac and follow the threads if they give any update .
 
The problems with charging my MBP 2018 also started a few weeks ago, after an update I believe. I have tried all the advice that there is to be found: Changing sockets, cables, ports etc. However, my problem is slightly different. When I manage to get the MBP to charge (only in one specific socket and with one specific, very short, cable) it will charge and then run off the power. However, as soon as I unplug it, and plug it back in after a few % of the battery capacity has been used, the MBP says "not fully charged" but won't switch the charger back on. The battery logo is black. I have to disconnect every part and assemble it again and then usually charging strts back up. What do you all think? I'm still on MacOs Mojave. Should I upgrade to Catalina?
 
manja dolan said:
The problems with charging my MBP 2018 also started a few weeks ago, after an update I believe. I have tried all the advice that there is to be found: Changing sockets, cables, ports etc. However, my problem is slightly different. When I manage to get the MBP to charge (only in one specific socket and with one specific, very short, cable) it will charge and then run off the power. However, as soon as I unplug it, and plug it back in after a few % of the battery capacity has been used, the MBP says "not fully charged" but won't switch the charger back on. The battery logo is black. I have to disconnect every part and assemble it again and then usually charging strts back up. What do you all think? I'm still on MacOs Mojave. Should I upgrade to Catalina?
Click to expand...

Have you tried a SMC reset.

Reset the SMC of your Mac - Apple Support

The SMC is responsible for managing power on your Mac. Resetting it can resolve certain uncommon issues related to power or thermal management.
support.apple.com support.apple.com
 
Have you tried a SMC reset? Yes, I've tried that as well, but only once. I'll try it one more time...
 
No, resetting the SMC does not help. Additionally, I've noted that when the charging does start, there is no sound whn it starts. Neither is there a warning when the MBP is almost empty. It just shuts off without a warning.
 
manja dolan said:
No, resetting the SMC does not help. Additionally, I've noted that when the charging does start, there is no sound whn it starts. Neither is there a warning when the MBP is almost empty. It just shuts off without a warning.
Click to expand...

I just started using a free Mac app called Battery Health. It can show you at a glance the health of your battery. The important thing I pay attention to is the percentage of max charge left.

Maybe there is a problem with the battery in your computer. Try running diagnostics and see if it points out anything.

apps.apple.com

‎Battery Health - Monitor Stats

‎--- Detailed stats and health information for your MacBook's battery! --- AWARDED MACWORLD 'MAC GEM' - The Best Battery Health App With Battery Health, you can easily see all the important information about your MacBook's battery, such as current charge level, battery capacity, power usage...
apps.apple.com

Use Apple Diagnostics to test your Mac - Apple Support

Apple Diagnostics, formerly known as Apple Hardware Test, can check your Mac for hardware issues.
support.apple.com support.apple.com
 
Last edited:
Thank you! Battery Health Management says the battery is 87% healthy. 1.8 years old. Still does not start working automatically. It seems to go better when I leave the charging cable in the MBP when unplugging from power. Still, I have to move the cable around before it will start up charging again...
 
manja dolan said:
Thank you! Battery Health Management says the battery is 87% healthy. 1.8 years old. Still does not start working automatically. It seems to go better when I leave the charging cable in the MBP when unplugging from power. Still, I have to move the cable around before it will start up charging again...
Click to expand...

Maybe a bad charger. Do you have another charger you can try with. Maybe try the diagnostics. After that I would suggest giving Apple support a phone call.
 
Taz Mangus said:
Maybe a bad charger. Do you have another charger you can try with. Maybe try the diagnostics. After that I would suggest giving Apple support a phone call.
Click to expand...

Thank you! I have ordered another Apple charger. I'll let you know whether it works!
 
Just before the new Apple charger arrived, everything seems to be back to normal! Charging with any cable, as soon as i plug it in! Must be something inside the MBP! Thank you all so much for your help and advice...
 
I am a 10.14.6 user that has skipped upgrading to 10.15 due to unfavorable reports. It may be of interest that I have similar charging issues on my 2018 MBPro13" with system 10.14.6. (purch 1/19).

When using on 100% charge at any random time the battery charge indicator will show the charge declining with the indicator blacked out. The System Report (power) states connected:yes and charging:no. It continues to drop charge to 91% and then changes to the white indicator and recharges to 100% and System Report (power) states connected:yes and charging:yes. I have original and spare adaptors with same results. Turning charging on/off and resets do not seem to have any effect. I have Apple Care so I hope for a solution before 1/22.

chger.jpg
 
dalstott said:
I am a 10.14.6 user that has skipped upgrading to 10.15 due to unfavorable reports. It may be of interest that I have similar charging issues on my 2018 MBPro13" with system 10.14.6. (purch 1/19).

When using on 100% charge at any random time the battery charge indicator will show the charge declining with the indicator blacked out. The System Report (power) states connected:yes and charging:no. It continues to drop charge to 91% and then changes to the white indicator and recharges to 100% and System Report (power) states connected:yes and charging:yes. I have original and spare adaptors with same results. Turning charging on/off and resets do not seem to have any effect. I have Apple Care so I hope for a solution before 1/22.

View attachment 925460
Click to expand...

One thing you could try is boot into Recovery Mode, download 10.14.6 and install it from Recovery Mode. This won't wipe out any of your user data, only refresh all the OS system files. Just make sure you have a backup as a precaution regardless.

How to reinstall macOS - Apple Support

You can use macOS Recovery, your computer's built-in recovery system, to reinstall the Mac operating system. Reinstalling macOS doesn't remove your personal data.
support.apple.com support.apple.com
 
Last edited:
I have similar thing on my Macbook Air 2020. Out of the box was fine, charging correctly etc, updated it to the latest and now it showing battery is not charging, black icon and the battery is draining, smc reset helps, it's fine for few days and same thing again, i have disable this battery health option and testing it now, fingers crossed they messed that up somehow. Apple support ,as always, hardware fault send it back. they do not want to admit it could be software related.
 
I’ve been having the same issue on my new MacBook Pro! I contacted Apple support and they said it is a hardware issue and recommended to either exchange the MacBook for a new one (I’m still within the cooling off period) or have it serviced at a Genius bar. I decided to follow someone‘s advice on the apple community site and disabled the battery health management feature... so far so good! So it looks like a software issue - I can‘t believe people are being told to exchange perfectly ok MacBooks.
 
i am having this issue with my new MacBook air (about a week and half old) - resetting the SMC helps for a day or two - i'll disable the battery management feature and see if that helps - thanks all.
 
Rus Shackleford said:
i am having this issue with my new MacBook air (about a week and half old) - resetting the SMC helps for a day or two - i'll disable the battery management feature and see if that helps - thanks all.
Click to expand...
If it is this new, just ask Apple for replacement. It is not working right.
 
Rus Shackleford said:
thanks for the link - just so i understand - are you saying that it's intended behavior to have the laptop plugged in and it not charge? That's what was happing, it would say "Not Charging" while plugged in and the battery would drain per normal.
Click to expand...
Yes, the battery will periodically stop charging and discharge some, and then resume charging again automatically.
 
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