MacBook plugged in but not charging?

Why is my MacBook not charging when it’s plugged in?

Apple gives three reasons for “Not Charging” in the battery status menu:

• macOS paused charging to protect the battery. Battery health management can pause charging, and the battery may drain to 93% or lower before charging starts again.
• The charger is too weak to charge. A low-wattage power adapter can give your Mac enough power to run, but not enough to charge the battery, even when the Mac is off or asleep.
• Your Mac is using more than the charger gives. Demanding apps, such as video editors and games, can use more power than the power source provides, so the battery drains even while plugged in.

Apple says it’s normal for a Mac laptop to stop charging before 100% to extend the battery’s lifespan.

How do I see why it stopped at 80%?

The battery status menu says which feature is holding the charge.

1. Click the battery icon in the menu bar.
2. Read the line under the charge:
   • Charging On Hold: Optimized Battery Charging is delaying charging past 80%. It learns your daily charging routine and aims to have your Mac fully charged by the time you usually need it.
   • Charged to 80% Limit (or another percentage): a Charge Limit is set.
   • Not Charging: look at the charger and your apps, below.
3. If you need a full charge now, click Charge to Full Now.

Whichever feature you use, your Mac charges to 100% now and then on its own, to keep its battery estimates accurate.

How do I change Optimized Battery Charging or the Charge Limit?

Both are in Battery settings.

1. Choose Apple menu > System Settings, then click Battery in the sidebar. You may need to scroll down.
2. Click the info button (ⓘ) next to Charging.
3. Turn Optimized Battery Charging off or on. When you turn it off, you can choose to turn it off only until tomorrow.
4. To set a Charge Limit, choose a setting between 80% and 100%. Charge Limit needs macOS Tahoe 26.4 or later and a Mac with Apple silicon.
5. Click Done.

Apple designed Optimized Battery Charging to reduce wear on the battery by cutting the time your Mac spends fully charged, so leaving it on is kind to the battery. On a Mac laptop with an Intel processor, the setting is Manage battery longevity, under Battery Health.

Is my charger strong enough?

A charger below the wattage Apple recommends for your Mac may run it without charging the battery. To see the connected charger’s wattage:

1. Hold the Option key, click the Apple menu, then choose System Information.
2. Select Power in the sidebar.
3. Scroll down to AC Charger Information and read Wattage (W).

Apple recommends a 67 W, 70 W or 96 W adapter for a 14-inch MacBook Pro introduced in 2021 or later, and 140 W for a 16-inch one. On macOS Tahoe 26.4 or later, “Slow Charger” appears in the battery status menu and in Battery settings when the charger delivers too little for your model. Is your charger fast enough for your MacBook? lists every model.

Is an app using more power than the charger gives?

Click the battery icon in the menu bar and look under Using Significant Energy. A long export or a game can use more than a small charger provides, so the battery covers the rest. Let the work finish, quit apps you aren’t using, and turn the brightness down. Connected devices draw power too.

What if it won’t charge at all?

Work through Apple’s own checks, in order:

1. Check every connection. Make sure everything is plugged in, and look at the port, the cable, the power adapter and the AC wall adapter for damage. Stop using anything that’s damaged. On MagSafe 3, the connector’s light glows amber while charging or on hold, and green when the battery is full.
2. Clean the port. Disconnect the power adapter, then clean the port with a soft, dry, lint-free cloth.
3. Try another cable. Not all cables can charge, so use one designed for charging, ideally the one that came with your Mac.
4. Try another power adapter, AC wall adapter or outlet. Test the outlet with a lamp you know works.
5. Unplug the adapter for 60 seconds. If it charges after that, line noise is the likely cause: lights with ballasts, or a refrigerator on the same circuit.
6. Let it cool down. Mac laptops work best at 10 °C to 35 °C (50 °F to 95 °F). If the battery gets too warm, charging may stop at 80%.
7. Restart and update. Apple suggests resetting the system management controller (SMC), which controls how your Mac manages power: on a Mac with Apple silicon, just restart it; on an Intel-based Mac, reset the SMC. A macOS update can also improve how your Mac communicates with its power adapter.
8. Check the battery and the hardware. Look at Battery Health in System Settings > Battery, and run Apple Diagnostics. If it still won’t charge, contact Apple or an Apple Authorized Service Provider.

Questions people also ask

Is it bad to keep my MacBook plugged in all the time?

Optimized Battery Charging is made for that case. When your Mac predicts it’ll be plugged in for a long time, it delays charging past 80%, which reduces the time spent fully charged and the wear on the battery.

Why did my battery drop a little while plugged in?

Charging can pause to protect the battery, which may drain to 93% or lower before charging starts again. After a software update, your Mac may also run on battery briefly while it recalibrates its maximum capacity.

Why does my Mac sometimes charge to 100% anyway?

With Optimized Battery Charging or a Charge Limit on, your Mac occasionally charges to 100% to keep its battery charge estimates accurate.