MacBook hot while charging: normal or not?

Why does my MacBook get warm when it’s charging?

Two things add up while it’s plugged in:

• Charging itself. Apple notes that charging a device inside certain styles of cases can generate excess heat, and that the USB-C power adapter can become warm during normal use.
• Work at the same time. Many people plug in for big jobs, such as exports, renders and backups. A busy processor makes heat of its own.

Mac laptops have sensors that detect temperature changes inside. If your Mac laptop has fans, they turn on automatically to cool its critical components, and they turn on sooner and run faster when the room is warm.

Is something busy while it charges?

Start with the app working hardest.

1. Open Activity Monitor. It’s in Applications > Utilities, or search for it with Spotlight.
2. Click CPU, then click the % CPU column heading to sort the list, busiest first.
3. Watch the top of the list for a minute. An app that stays there is doing sustained work.

Activity Monitor counts each processor core as 100%, so 209.1% is about two cores’ worth of work. If you don’t need the app right now, quit it, saving your work first. If it’s doing work you asked for, let it finish on a desk with room for air. Why is my MacBook getting hot? covers heat from busy apps in more detail.

How do I keep my MacBook cool while it charges?

1. Use a hard, flat surface, such as a table or desk. Don’t use it on a bed, a pillow or under bedding, and don’t sleep with a Mac or its power adapter while it’s plugged in.
2. Give the power adapter air too. Plug it straight into the outlet, or put it on a table. Keep it off a couch, thick carpeting, bedding or a pillow, and don’t cover it.
3. Keep the room in range. Apple says MacBook works best at 10 °C to 35 °C (50 °F to 95 °F), and calls 16 °C to 22 °C (62 °F to 72 °F) the ideal comfort zone for its devices. Don’t leave your Mac in a parked car. Heat above 35 °C can permanently reduce a battery’s capacity, and charging in that heat can damage it further.
4. Take it out of its case. Apple suggests that if a device gets hot when you charge it, you take it out of its case first.
5. Move it off your lap if it gets uncomfortably warm. Long contact with warm surfaces can cause discomfort or injury, even within safety limits.

Why did it stop charging at 80% when it was warm?

That’s macOS protecting the battery. If the recommended battery temperatures are exceeded, charging may stop at 80%, and Apple says charging can pause in extreme temperatures and resume once the battery is back in its normal range. Move your Mac to a cool, well-ventilated spot. If you use your Mac somewhere poorly ventilated, such as under a blanket or on thick carpeting, the power adapter might also turn off to keep from overheating.

A stop at 80% isn’t always about heat. Optimized Battery Charging can hold the charge there on purpose, and the battery status menu then says “Charging On Hold”. MacBook plugged in but not charging? explains each message.

When is the heat a problem?

Look further if your MacBook gets warm even when it isn’t doing intensive work, or its fans run for a long time:

1. Check Activity Monitor’s CPU list for a process putting a heavy load on the processor.
2. Close and open the lid, or restart your Mac. On an Intel-based Mac, reset the SMC, the chip that manages power and fans.
3. Make sure you’ve installed all Mac software updates.
4. Stop using a power adapter or cable that’s damaged. If the adapter turns itself off because it got too warm, disconnect the cable from your Mac and let the adapter cool down before you handle it.

If it keeps happening, contact Apple, or visit an Apple Store or Apple Authorized Service Provider.

Questions people also ask

How hot should a MacBook battery get while charging?

Apple doesn’t publish a battery temperature for Mac laptops. It gives the room temperature a MacBook works best in, 10 °C to 35 °C, and macOS may stop charging at 80% when the battery is warmer than recommended.

Why is my MacBook charger hot?

Apple says the USB-C power adapter can become warm during normal use. Use it somewhere well ventilated, not on bedding or under a blanket; it might turn itself off if it gets too warm.

Is it safe to use my MacBook while it charges?

Yes. Mac laptops and Apple’s recommended USB-C power adapters comply with the surface temperature limits in safety standards. Keep air around both, and avoid long skin contact with them while they’re plugged in.