2020 M1 Macbook Air battery not charging

Looking for some help with a battery issue on my 2020 M1 MacBook Air running Monterey 12.2.1 that is not charging the battery.


I got it from a friend who bought it years ago and basically never used it. After setting up and transferring data from a Time Machine backup of my (very) old previous MacBook Pro (from 2010), I discovered the battery will not charge at all for some reason and sits at 1%. If unplugged, the computer flat out shuts down. The battery health indicators say "Service Recommended", "Battery is not charging", and "The battery isn't functioning normally and requires service. Please check your service options."


I've tried various cords, outlets, and chargers in case that was somehow the issue to no avail. Tried restarts as online searches say that is how to reset the SMC on silicon macs with no luck. I'm pretty confused how the battery could be fried as this mac was essentially unused. It was basically used for maybe a week and then sat on a shelf till now. The system report says it's only had a cycle count of 6, which tracks with how little it's been used, so it's not like the health degraded. As far as I know, it wasn't plugged in while unused which I know can degrade the battery (and would have only registered as one cycle).


Just curious if anyone has any other ideas or suggestions before I look into replacing the battery.

MacBook Air (M1, 2020)

Posted on Aug 13, 2024 6:46 PM

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Posted on Aug 15, 2024 1:21 PM

Sounds like your friend left the battery completely drained for an extended period of time which has resulted in the battery becoming permanently damaged. You will need to have the battery replaced. Leaving a Lithium battery completely discharged for an extended period of time is the worst thing someone can do with a battery.


FYI, if you are having battery related issues and the battery condition is "Service Recommended", then that is exactly what you need to do......have the laptop repaired.

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Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Aug 15, 2024 1:21 PM in response to srtull

Sounds like your friend left the battery completely drained for an extended period of time which has resulted in the battery becoming permanently damaged. You will need to have the battery replaced. Leaving a Lithium battery completely discharged for an extended period of time is the worst thing someone can do with a battery.


FYI, if you are having battery related issues and the battery condition is "Service Recommended", then that is exactly what you need to do......have the laptop repaired.

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2020 M1 Macbook Air battery not charging

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