MacBook Pro 16" (2021) M1Pro Charging issue?

I had my MacBook Pro 16 m1 max and had the same issue and I has already skipped the replacement. I would like to know the progress. Is is a software issue or hardware issue. I hated to return the machines because I need to migrate the project that can cause me trouble and a lot of extra work

MacBook Pro 16-inch (2021 M1Pro) Charging Issue:

I can confirm my new MacBook Pro is exhibiting the same charging problem being reported by others. The system came with MacOS Monterey v12.0.0 but I did not perform any testing with this version of the OS. I updated to v12.0.1 and a day or two later I first noticed the problem and checked the Apple Community Boards to learn that others were experiencing the same issue.

For me, the issue only seems to happen when I shut down the system and close the cover before connecting the power adapter. When the power adapter is first connected, the orange light comes on, then I hear the “chime” indicating that charging is starting, then the light goes off completely and the cycle repeats. I have the power adapter connected to a watt meter and it only indicates a small draw of 1-2 watts during this cycling.

I also tried turning off the “Optimized battery charging” feature under System Preferences but it did not change the behavior. If I shut down the system but leave the cover open, when I attach the power adapter, the system turns on and the power adapter light is a steady orange. My power meter shows a draw of about 135 watts. If I leave the cover open and shut down the system, the power adapter light is a steady orange and my power meter continues to show a draw of about 135 watts. I even tried closing the cover at this point and charging continued.

I’m hoping Apple will be able to correct this issue without replacing the MacBook or the power adapter. Until then, I will be leaving the cover open while I charge the battery.  

so the best work-around is:

"Leave the cover open as you connect the charger, and if it wants to start a charge cycle it will do some normally, and within a quarter minute you can close the cover with impunity"

¿Is that accurate?

This issue does NOT appear to be hardware, in that several users reported earlier they had exchanged their Mac for a new one (some more than once) and nothing changed.

Readers here are not Apple employees. We are just trying to find a way lots users facing this problem can keep using their Macs while a fix is developed and propagated, which takes some time. That's why it's called a work-around, not a fix.

I'm not sure how long you should leave the cover open after it starts charging. In my test, I waited about one minute. The indicator on the charger is now showing green, indicating the MacBook is fully charged. I plan to call Apple support tomorrow to report the issue and ask if they are aware of it yet.

I has been talking to the apple support team. They are aware of the issue, but do not know how to solve the issue. We have to just wait for apple engineer to solve the issue I had provided a lot of information such as video file to the support team so they can submit to the engineer. In the mean time we can just use our Mac and wait for the fix

I received a similar problem 4 days into buying my new MacBook Pro 16 inch M1 Pro: The MagSafe just keeps on blinking on and off whenever I charge the MacBook when it is completely shutdown. My guess, from what I've read from this thread, is that it is a problem with the Monterey 12.0.01 OS, as I didn't receive the problem when I took the Macbook Pro out of the box. So instead of completely returning it to the store, I decided to be a bit geeky and factory reset the entire device & reinstalled MacOS Monterey in the MacOS Recovery panel (which for M1 macbooks can be activated by pressing and holding the power button when booting up). My Mac reinstalled Monterey 12.0.01, but surprisingly, the MagSafe blinking issue was now gone. I can just plop the MagSafe in, and the thing charges seamlessly.

From this whole experience, I can conclude two things: (1) The MagSafe blinking issue is most likely a software issue, and (2) Monterey 12.0.01 might not be the issue here.

Hence, I would strongly recommend that anyone who experiences this issue either factory reset their device, or, for convenience's sake, just spend some extra money and just buy a USB-C to USB-C cable as a substitute for charging until Apple releases a new OS patch that solves the issue (do recognize that USB-C charging will only accept 94W maximum, which means that it will charge slower than the MagSafe).

Hope this helps.

If you had done the factory reinstall is macOS 12.0.0 which has no issue because when the machine come out the factory is with macOS 12.0.0 you need to update when you first set up the machine that you will get 12.0.1 I wonder that the version that you have had is macOS 12.0.0 which has no issue

Always seems to be summat - haven't even got my Max yet! Wishing it would hurry up because this is one of the 2016 MBPs that had the defective keyboard - and it drives me mental! 🤬 One thing I'd not thought about was charging,, as I didn't realise it wasn't C-to-C. Where I'm currently stuck,, the only socket is the other side of the room (I'm stuck in one room, in a 'care' home. It's ****) and I need a 3m cable. Obviously,, it won't be supplied with a cable that long, so any ideas re workarounds? Can I assume it'll also charge off a USB-C cable? T'otherwise,, I'm a tad stuck... I rarely run this one on battery because I have such a poor memory, I keep forgetting to plug it back in! 🙄🤦🏼‍♀️

<< I didn't realise it wasn't C-to-C. >>

The new one can be charged with USB-C cord if you like, or MagSafe-3 (releases if you trip over the cord) if you like. Take your pick. the charger body has a USB-C outlet, and comes with a MagSafe cord to the computer. You can substitute a USB-C to USB-C lead-in cord if you prefer.

<< the only socket is the other side of the room >>

No worries. You can add the accessory 2-meter AC "extension cord" for the AC side of the power adapter if you wish, and can plug that into a power strip or extension cord (it is only a modest current draw). You do NOT have to put the power adapter body directly into the wall outlet, or even directly into a power strip.

Any functioning USB charger will work. Yes, any. I tried it with one of the little cube chargers that used to ship with iPhones, and a generic USB-A to USB-C cable. That's 5 Watts -- a tiny fraction of even the smallest available MBP charger -- and I have a 16" MBP. Plugged it in at night and woke up to a full battery.

Most small USB chargers don't have enough power to charge the battery while the computer is running, but anything with at least 1 Amp (haven't tried anything smaller) can charge the battery when the computer is idle and closed or asleep.

If you have a powered Thunderbolt or USB-C device with power delivery, that'll charge your MBP, too. When I'm at home, I plug my MBP in to a powered Thunderbolt dock. It only provides 60W, but that's several times as much as I need to keep the battery full.

FWIW.

So after waiting a week, I received the replacement that apple insisted on giving me. It took me about 4 hours to get the item from the store and reinstall all my applications and setting. I also lost my $30 skin due to the exchange.

On the replacement machine, the charging was flawless, at 50%, before the Mac OS update. After the Mac OS update, the charging issue returned.

Here are the take aways:

1. There is a total or at least partial software component to this problem.

2. Don't waste your time trying to fix it.

3. If apple asks for a "Capture" [exchange] tell them no and save your precious time.

I have the same issue and found that if I connect the MagSafe to the MacBook while it is still on, then shut down the machine and close it, the amber light glows steadily and the computer charges properly.

I had just received a confirmation that it is a software issue. They will fix it in the future macOS. The confirmation came from the apple engineer team communicated through the apple support advisor team

Interesting that the power controller in the MacBook that is supposed to allow 5A @ 28V by using the extra pairs of wires normally reserved for data. The oscillations are due to the MacBook not handshaking properly by the power management controller, this is low level firmware. The chip is inside the PSU, an STM32 G0 microcontroller, it can be updated via its USB connection from the MacBook and I would assume Apple will update it eventually. Putting a protocol analyser on the port shows it basically panicking, this doesn't happen if the computer is running at the time, this suggests there is some kind of comms failure between the power management controller and the power supply that is absent when the computer is providing its own power. Of course, I HATE using the MacBook when it is being powered due to the tingly/stingy sensation from the aforementioned power supply, so I just leave it on the floor, split, plugged in and on to charge. Besides, closing the lid leaves the MacBook in some weird power state that throttles the performance massively when I open it (other threads complain about that issue)