Suddenly Macbook Pro 2017 not charging easily (Catalina 10.15.7)

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Suddenly Macbook Pro 2017 not charging easily (Catalina 10.15.7)

Hi,

First of all my Macbook's battery isn't in the best shape, as the system mentions that a replacement is recommended. However besides the machine running out of battery a bit quicker, I did not have much of a problem with this as I mostly use it while plugged in.

Now recently, very suddenly, when I plug my charging cable in it doesn't charge. It says it's connected to the power but the battery is not charging. Now I've seen people saying it's the new Catalina feature that preserves battery by not charging at times. I turned this feature off but the problem persists.

After pulling the cable out and then putting it back in, it will eventually start charging (the amount of iterations this requires seems to be random, sometimes after one in and out, sometimes only after 10).

I've also noticed it starts charging more quickly when I'm not using my USB-C hub (that I've been using for years so that shouldn't be the problem I suppose). But also, when I get it to charge without the hub, and the proceed to plug in the hub, it stops charging...

Another (possibly related) quirk I experience is when I'm using my external monitor via hub while it's plugged in: when I then disconnect the power cable, my screen turns black then turns back on (but the screen is powered externally, not via the macbook nor the hub at all) which I find really strange.

I've tried resetting the SMC, no luck.

The obvious cause I can think of is the battery, but the fact that this problem appeared so suddenly makes me think it's something else.

All help and insights are appreciated.

Thanks in advance.

Posted on May 24, 2021 12:37 PM

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Answer 1

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HWTech

Community+ 2026

Level 9

72,450 points

May 24, 2021 6:57 PM in response to sennedi

Run the Apple Diagnostics to see if any hardware issues are detected.

Disconnect all external devices to keep them from interfering or causing problems.

Unplug the charger from the electrical outlet for a minute to reset the charger's internal circuitry. Connect the charger directly to the laptop since a multi-port adapter, dock, or hub may not tranfer all of the charger's power to the laptop. Try using another USB-C port especially on the other side of the laptop if you have the four port model. Also rotate the connector of the charging cable 180 degrees upside down. I know that sounds crazy, but it can help if the USB-C port is half bad.

See if your laptop qualifies for this free Apple battery repair program:

https://support.apple.com/13inch-macbookpro-battery-replacement

FYI, here is the current list of the publicly acknowledged free repair programs for various Apple products (some products have multiple programs):

https://support.apple.com/service-programs

Unfortunately beginning with macOS 10.15 Apple has made macOS less descriptive about the true battery condition. With macOS 10.15+ the "Service Recommended" has no useful meaning as it may mean the battery capacity is less than 80% of design capacity or macOS may have detected a hardware fault with the battery. The Apple Diagnostic is the only way now to differentiate whether the "Service Recommended" is something to worry about. If the diagnostic does not report a hardware issue with the battery, then just ignore the "Service Recommended" battery condition until the laptop's battery no longer performs to your needs.

Here is an Apple article for troubleshooting USB-C charging issues:

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204652

If none of these things helps, then you will need to have Apple or an Apple Authorized Service Provider examine the laptop to provide you with a repair estimate. A charging issue can be caused by the charger, charging cable, external devices, I/O Board (aka USB-C port), Logic Board, a loose BMU cable, or the Battery.

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Suddenly Macbook Pro 2017 not charging easily (Catalina 10.15.7)

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