# MacBook Air battery

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/macbook-air-battery/961816>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [March 28, 2022, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/macbook-air-battery/961816 "2022-03-28T01:49:18Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Oly](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/oly/32/8255_2.png) [@Oly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oly)\
**Post date:** [March 28, 2022, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/macbook-air-battery/961816/1 "2022-03-28T01:49:18Z")

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My in-laws bought a MacBook Air in December 2020 and just opened the box yesterday. It runs off the cord but the battery isn’t charging. Would the year+ of lying dormant have killed it? If so, is there any way of bringing it back to life?

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**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\
**Post date:** [March 28, 2022, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/macbook-air-battery/961816/2 "2022-03-28T02:28:41Z")

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It’s possible that the battery is wrecked, but I would try an SMC reset before giving up.  
Google it for the specific model.

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**Author:** ![jjakucyk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/3d9bf3/32.png) [@jjakucyk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjakucyk)\
**Post date:** [March 28, 2022, 2:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/macbook-air-battery/961816/3 "2022-03-28T02:54:02Z")

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If an SMC reset doesn’t work, or leaving it plugged in and sleeping or turned off for a day or two, an out-of-warranty battery replacement is $129, which isn’t too bad. At that point it’ll be basically a brand new machine again.

> **[Mac Repair & Service - Apple Support](https://support.apple.com/mac/repair)**
>
> Need to repair your Mac? See your service options, their costs by coverage type, and how long they take.

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**Author:** ![md-2000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9d8465/32.png) [@md-2000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/md-2000)\
**Post date:** [March 28, 2022, 12:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/macbook-air-battery/961816/4 "2022-03-28T12:00:03Z")

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I have a Macbook Air from 2011. After leaving it sit for a year or more uncharged, the body swelled up badly. For $50 or so, I bought a replacement battery and tools on-line to replace it. (It was too old, Apple would not touch it.) When I got the battery out, a few of the soft-battery sacks were quite enlarged.

If the keyboard is not bulging, your battery is not too badly damaged - yet. If it is a fairly recent version, Apple will replace the battery. At the same time I presume they will tell you if the problem is the battery or the charger, or the motherboard. Odds are it is the battery - a simple repair (replacement).

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**Author:** ![jjakucyk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/3d9bf3/32.png) [@jjakucyk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjakucyk)\
**Post date:** [March 28, 2022, 1:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/macbook-air-battery/961816/5 "2022-03-28T13:01:48Z")

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I don’t think swelling is as much of a concern for a new battery. It can die and still maintain its shape.