What You Should Know Before Changing Your Mac Battery
Obviously before starting to change the battery in the Mac, you have to take into account different points. This will ensure that you can do it as safely as possible. We will comment on it below.
You won’t be able to do it on all MacBooks
Apple has always had a reputation for having equipment that cannot be easily repaired at home. They always force you to go to an Apple Store or any establishment that is authorized to carry out the repair. This is something that is very present in the latest generation models where a battery replacement cannot be carried out in a simple way. This is because a series of glues are used to hold the battery to the chassis that are not easy to dissolve. Expert assemblers claim that very specific solvents and several hours are required to detach the battery from the corresponding chassis. In addition, replacing the glue that is needed is not easy since it is not for sale as it is obvious. All this means that in the most recent models it is not possible to carry out this battery change operation in a domestic environment without the necessary knowledge.
This makes computers that can be easily replaced by batteries the oldest. Specifically, three different situations can be identified in order to make this change:
- 2009-up models with built-in batteries. As of this year Apple began to bet on including a series of glues that we have discussed in which it makes it very difficult to make the change. In this case, in most cases it cannot be done at home.
- Pre-2009 models with removable batteries. All of Apple’s early MacBook models could easily remove the battery without having to disassemble anything at all. In this case the change is really simple.
- Models as of 2018. Starting this year, the company opted to design a battery installation using specialized tools. The problem that arises is that these tools are only provided by the company to authorized technicians, so the change cannot be made at home.
In conclusion, the battery change in a domestic environment can be carried out in the models of 2009 or earlier as well as those that do not use any type of resistant glue.
It is not a simple process
As we have previously commented, this is not a really easy process to do at home. Especially if it is a new model where a series of glues is used. That is why you should always make sure very well before starting the process since any false move can end up breaking the computer completely.
Apple itself always recommends that this repair operation be carried out in places that are authorized. It should not be in an Apple Store but in someone who is authorized. This is a warning that although it may seem very generic, you must always follow strictly in order to avoid major problems as we have commented.
Warranty may be lost
As it is known, the conditions are very clear when buying a new equipment regarding the guarantee. In the small print it is reflected that any manipulation that is not carried out by authorized personnel will mean that the product is not covered by the guarantee. And Apple will know at all times if you have manipulated it in any way since in the glue itself it will be seen if you have tried to remove it or have not used original parts for the repair.
This makes it really important as long as you are safe when starting to remove the battery. Since the fact of opening the laptop itself causes the glue used to come off and in a future repair they will not end up admitting it. Obviously, if something goes wrong while you are changing the battery, you will not be able to contact the technical service so they can try to fix it for free.
Everything you will need
Before starting with the repair and after having made the appropriate checks that your MacBook may be a candidate for change, it is time to gather what you will need.
Tools
In order to replace the battery, the first thing you should do is remove the back cover of a Mac in the event that the battery is inside. Apple, how could it be otherwise, does not put it in a simple way with screws that are conventional. The anchoring system used on the back is complex to remove with conventional tools that can be had at home, such as a flat or star screwdriver. In Amazon itself you can find different kits of precision magnetic screwdrivers and metal spatulas.
These offer everything you need to be able to unscrew any screw that a Mac has, even if it is really small. In addition, it will also be useful for other technological equipment of the ecosystem such as the iPhone or the iPad. So if you are going to venture to perform different repairs of this type with enough assiduity, you must have it at home.
Replacement battery
In addition to being able to properly disassemble the entire Mac to access the internal battery, it is also necessary to have a replacement. As we are talking about batteries that are old, you can forget to get an original replacement from Apple. You have to make use of online stores to find these main components. Among these stores you can find Aliexpress and also on Amazon. In the latter you can find the components of the MacBook Air from late 2010 to mid-2011 and also some batteries from the 2011 MacBook Pro.
The price of these batteries is quite variable but it is accessible of course. They are not original components but it is important to assess the opinions found on this page to know its quality. But when we talk about such old equipment, it may be interesting to have this type of component, since you will not have any fear of losing the guarantee by not having it already.
Making the change
Once you have all the necessary parts, you should simply start making the change if you have a MacBook that does not have a glue system on the battery. Below we show you how to do it in the different cases that may occur.
On a Mac with a removable battery
In the case that you have an older MacBook from 2009 it probably has a battery that is removable and not integrated. The batteries are much larger but are of course easy to remove and replace. In the case of integrated, it cannot be done, being a much more complex and expensive process. If you have a Mac of this type, you will simply have to look in the rear chassis to find the battery. In order to make the change, two cases can be given:
- There is a little eyelash with which you can interact to remove the insurance that has the battery. At the moment the battery can be removed comfortably. At this moment, you must install the new one in the same way, always matching all the connectors with the battery and the computer itself.
- If you do not see any tab, the battery is anchored through a system of screws. The process is just as simple since you simply have to unscrew with the tools that we have previously commented and extract it. Then you will simply have to insert the new battery by matching the connectors and screwing it back in, preventing it from moving.
Obviously this process should always be done with the computer completely off. It is recommended that the first charge be made up to 100% and begin to discharge little by little basically to check that the battery is working correctly.
If your Mac has a built-in battery
In the event that the battery is integrated inside and cannot be accessed in an easy way, the steps change to as we have previously commented. The first thing is that you must know how to identify the battery of both a MacBook Air and a MacBook Pro. In the following image you can see the Air model on the left and the Pro on the right.
It is important to know what the battery is and its shape since when you open it you should know exactly what to remove. You must follow the following steps:
- Turn off the computer completely and remove any cables that may be connected.
- Turn it around and remove all the screws around the cover that hold it generally attached to the chassis.
- When you open the lid you will find several black components, but you will have to pay attention on the bottom since it is where the battery is located, specifically under the Mac keyboard itself.
- To be able to withdraw it, you must first disconnect the cable that connects the battery to the motherboard to transmit energy.
- Once that’s done, check all the screws around the battery that attach it to the chassis.
- Once it is completely unscrewed and disconnected from the computer board, you can easily remove it.
- Place in this location the new battery that you have purchased for MacBook Air and Pro.
- Screw if necessary the new battery and connect the cable that connects it to the computer board.
- Replace the chassis cover and screw it down.
Once this is done, you can use the MacBook again with a new battery installed. In order to check that it works correctly, you must charge it and see if the rhythm is good since the factory does not arrive with a full charge for safety.
