M1 Macbook Pro (2020) will only function with the charger is connected. Battery is at 91% and 266 cycles.

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M1 Macbook Pro (2020) will only function with the charger is connected. Battery is at 91% and 266 cycles.

My M1 MacBook Pro running OS 12.7.6 will not function unless the charger is connected. If I disconnect the charger, the device will shut down and need to be restarted with the charger connected. The battery was at 85% but now shows 91%, and the cycles indicate 266. One odd thing is that the battery sometimes, but not always, indicates an X at startup, but gradually ramps up to 100% charged. I do not live in the U.S., so there is no Apple Store to have it analyzed.

MacBook Pro 13″, macOS 12.7

Posted on Sep 27, 2025 12:21 PM

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Answer 1

Sep 27, 2025 6:46 PM in response to rrazmataz

You have a hardware issue of some sort with the laptop. All things being equal & assuming no liquid damage, then most likely the Battery is failing. Unfortunately macOS does not always report a "Service Recommended" battery condition, nor will the Apple Diagnostics always report a hardware issue.

Have Apple or an Apple Authorized Service Provider examine the laptop to confirm if the battery or the Logic Board is the problem. Most likely it will be a bad battery which is easy for them to change on this model.

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Answer 2

rrazmataz Author

Level 1

13 points

Sep 28, 2025 6:38 AM in response to HWTech

The laptop is in perfect condition, it has never been dropped or has been exposed to water damage. I am going to run Diagnostics just in case, but I agree with you that it is either the battery or the logic board. Thank you for your feedback.

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M1 Macbook Pro (2020) will only function with the charger is connected. Battery is at 91% and 266 cycles.

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