Hi,
I have a 2018 Macbook Pro (4 Thunderbolt 3 ports) and my battery needs to be replaced. How difficult is it to do this myself? I've changed the battery on my previous 2010 MBP but I've never done it on newer models. If it is doable, can you recommend where I should buy a new battery? (Aftermarket, Apple, etc.?)
Thank you,
Alec
[Re-Titled by Moderator]
MacBook Pro 13″, macOS 13.5
As an end user, you cannot buy a new genuine Apple battery as a service part. Any offered as such are bogus.
The battery is glued to the upper deck with some seriously stubborn adhesive. The solvents required to remove it are toxic and highly flammable, and can ruin other computer parts if it drip. I cannot in good conscience recomment you go DIY. Too many reports here of computers damaged beyond practical repair by attempts to replace the battery at home.
Have Apple do it. For reports here is seems they not only replace the battery but the upper deck, keyboard, and trackpad, all for less than half of what an independent shop has to charge. Your old working parts get refurbished and you get credit for them.
Because of how difficult the replacement is, It appears Apple does not do batteries in-store any more, but sends the devices to a centralized refurbishment center where the solvents can be used without violating a boatload of OSHA, HAZMAT, and fire codes. Therefore, Apple's mail-in service is very good because you save a day on each end.
Start here: Mac Repair and Service - Apple Support
⚠️NOTE: If the old batery is swollen, you cannot mail or ship it.
As an end user, you cannot buy a new genuine Apple battery as a service part. Any offered as such are bogus.
The battery is glued to the upper deck with some seriously stubborn adhesive. The solvents required to remove it are toxic and highly flammable, and can ruin other computer parts if it drip. I cannot in good conscience recomment you go DIY. Too many reports here of computers damaged beyond practical repair by attempts to replace the battery at home.
Have Apple do it. For reports here is seems they not only replace the battery but the upper deck, keyboard, and trackpad, all for less than half of what an independent shop has to charge. Your old working parts get refurbished and you get credit for them.
Because of how difficult the replacement is, It appears Apple does not do batteries in-store any more, but sends the devices to a centralized refurbishment center where the solvents can be used without violating a boatload of OSHA, HAZMAT, and fire codes. Therefore, Apple's mail-in service is very good because you save a day on each end.
Start here: Mac Repair and Service - Apple Support
⚠️NOTE: If the old batery is swollen, you cannot mail or ship it.
It is a difficult task. I have seen a lot of posts on this forum where many people who have tried it themselves seem to have accidentally damaged their Logic Board during the battery replacement process.
OWC actually mentions a warning notice on their product page that they highly recommend having a professional perform the battery replacement.
FYI, the quality of third party Lithium Batteries is extremely poor. I would only get them from OWC or iFixIt. It is critical to calibrate (or rather properly exercise) a third party battery immediately after installation or you may find the battery may fail prematurely.
At least with the official Apple Battery repair you will also receive a brand new Keyboard since Apple only replaces the entire Top Case Assembly when performing a battery repair since the Top Case Assembly also includes the Palmrest, Keyboard, Touchbar, Battery, and Speakers. The 2018 MBPro has the dreaded butterfly keyboard which has a very high rate of keyboard failures due to design & manufacturing flaws so replacing just the battery is a risky proposition. I thought I had properly tested a keyboard, but after replacing the battery (third party) I discovered a bad key that required me to find a used Top Case Assembly & to transfer the new battery to it (risky damage to the new battery during the process).
No, you are stuck with the butterfly keyboard on the 2016-2019 models.
I can tell you that the keyboard on my M2 MBPro 2023 laptop is really nice so you can look forward to that if you ever upgrade to an M-series laptop (the M1 2020 laptops had a so-so keyboard).
Thanks Allan, that was a very helpful and informative reply. I will definitely follow your advice. Much appreciated!
Thank you for your post. Do you know if they can replace my keyboard to a different one? The butterfly keyboard that comes on the 2018 MBP is terrible.
Is it recommended to replace my MacBook Pro's battery by myself?
