Introduction
Use this guide to remove the glued-in battery from your MacBook Pro. This is best done with the help of an iFixit battery replacement kit; the liquid adhesive remover in your kit will dissolve the adhesive securing the battery, allowing you to remove it with ease. Alternatively, you can use an iOpener to apply a modest amount of heat in order to soften the adhesive before prying out the battery.
iFixit adhesive remover is highly flammable. Perform this procedure in a well-ventilated area. Do not smoke or work near an open flame during this procedure.
For your safety, drain your MacBook Pro's battery before you begin this procedure. A charged lithium-ion battery can create a dangerous and uncontrollable fire if accidentally punctured.
Note: The solvent used to dissolve the battery adhesive can damage certain plastics, such as the MacBook Pro's plastic speaker enclosures. Take care when applying the solvent.
If you're using the old-style iFixit adhesive remover with separate bottle and syringe (no longer sold), click here for a slightly modified set of instructions.
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Remove the following ten screws securing the lower case to the upper case:
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Two 2.3 mm Pentalobe screws
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Eight 3.0 mm Pentalobe screws
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Wedge your fingers between the upper case and the lower case.
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Gently pull the lower case away from the upper case to remove it.
This was already mentioned at the start, it says 2x 2.3mm screws and those are coloured red instead of orange for the other ones in iFixit's image.
What is the black vinyl-y sticker on the inside of the case (some sort of shield?). I was forced to slightly puncture it in order to replace the feet on my laptop. Thanks in advance.
There is no point on going near the battery or logic board. I cut out these steps with no issue. It is precautionary but unnecessary.
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Use the flat end of a spudger to lift the battery connector straight up out of its socket on the logic board.
I have a friends MacBook Pro that has some water damage that caused the MacBook not to be able to use battery power, but still work when plugged into A/C. Upon further inspection I can see visible corrosion on a few of the 9 cables going from the battery connector to that small circuit board. Is it possible to just replace that circuit board?
I have the some problem. I was thinking to replace the whole battery but I am not it will solve the problem. Any suggestions?
Sometimes it can be enough to just clean the contacts without having to replace the entire board. Dosent work for complicated IC's like plcc type, where corrosion is underneath the chip. Here you will have to reheat and reapply the IC.
Have either of you replaced the battery and/or circuit board to fix the MacBooks with the water damage ? I have the same problem with the MacBook working fine when connected to power but dying immediately when the power cord is removed.
Hi, Steve. I had the same problem: Macbook Pro 15 retina with coffee damage. And it worked fine when connected to power. I made it working after replacing the whole battery. It seems that circuit connected to the battery becomes disabled to prevent short circuit.
When placing the battery connector back into the socket on the logic board, check that every part of connector is pressed down. You should hear a soft click when it's back in place.
Thanks for the comment. My MBP isn’t powering on after I walked through these steps, and I assume it is because the battery connector isn’t fully connected. (I can’t check yet since I borrowed the pentalobe screwdriver)
+1
I thought I made sure it was connected but when running the computer it only detected the battery but couldn’t power it. I had to run with power adapter. Also it didn’t charge. I guess some pins were connected but not all. To verify that all were connected I removed the plastic cover, placed it carefully completely flat, and then reattached the plastic cover. After that it worked!
If I only want to replace the trackpad cable, then which steps should I skip? This step seems unnecessary
If you miss or let this step for later like I did, the power left in the battery even though the computer is completely shut down, will screw up the I/O board cable like I did. I noticed this after I put all the pieces back, turn the computer on and surprise, no wifi hardware is detected. -.-
That’s a great idea!
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Remove the two 2.1 mm T5 Torx screws securing the logic board end of the I/O board cable bracket.
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Remove the I/O board cable bracket.
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Use the flat end of a spudger to pop the I/O board connector straight up off its socket on the logic board.
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Lift the logic board end of the I/O board cable straight up to bend it out of the way.
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Carefully tuck the tip of a spudger under the right speaker cable near the connector and lift it up out of its socket on the logic board.
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Carefully peel the right speaker cable off the upper case.
I have successfully replaced battery without removing the speaker cables, as proposed by the comments in the next steps.
Furthermore, in the steps after 22, where the battery is removed from the upper case, I have easily performed with a credit card and a drop of rubbing alcohol on it and finished in several minutes. Try it!
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Remove the following screws securing the right speaker to the upper case:
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One 5.7 mm T5 Torx screw
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One 6.5 mm T5 Torx screw
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One 3.8 mm T5 Torx screw
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Lift the right speaker from the cable end and pull it free from the case.
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Insert the tip of a spudger under the left speaker cable near the connector and lift it up out of its socket on the logic board.
Same as my comment on Step 11: This step was not necessary for me to remove the battery. Perhaps it's a safety precaution? Regardless, I skipped the speaker cable removal (Steps 11, 12) and didn't have any problems replacing the battery. ( FYI - I used a heat path method, vs the solvent).
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Remove the following screws securing the left speaker to the upper case:
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One 5.7 mm T5 Torx screw
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One 6.5 mm T5 Torx screw
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One 3.8 mm T5 Torx screw
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Lift the corner of the left speaker up and slide it out the battery to remove it from the upper case.
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Use the flat end of a spudger to pop the trackpad connector straight up off its socket on the logic board.
The trackpad cable can also be of a different type where you pull the tape on it
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Lift the trackpad cable up off the battery to separate it from the adhesive securing it.
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Use the end of a spudger to flip the retaining tab on the ZIF connector.
Overall, I really enjoyed this project and it was a complete success but this step is the one spot I came up short. I forgot to flip the retaining tab back down when I reassembled and I got a totally unresponsive keyboard and trackpad before I opened it back up and realized I had forgotten this tiny but crucial step.
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Pull the trackpad cable straight out of its ZIF socket on the trackpad control board.
With all due respect, step # 19 and 20 pics shows the ZIF socket on the trackpad board, not the Mac logic board, I think...
See step #17 which seems to be correct. There is an inconsistency in the guide.
Just to be sure...
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Remove the single 3.7 mm T5 Torx screw securing the battery board to the upper case.
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To protect your display, place a sheet of aluminum foil between the display and keyboard and leave it there while you work.
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Alternatively, if you are using the hot iOpener method, skip the following three steps.
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Pull off the black rubber stopper from your bottle of adhesive remover.
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Use scissors to cut off the sealed tip of the applicator.
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Apply a few drops of adhesive remover evenly under the edge of the rightmost battery cell.
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Wait 2-3 minutes for the liquid adhesive remover to penetrate underneath the battery cell before you proceed to the next step.
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Use the hot iOpener to cover half of the right-most battery cells.
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After about a minute, reheat the iOpener and move it to cover the other half of the right-most battery cells.
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Push a plastic card between the right-most battery cell and the upper case, cutting the adhesive between the two.
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When using the hot iOpener method, if you encounter significant resistance to prying, stop and use the iOpener to reheat the section you're working on.
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Repeat this procedure with the adjacent battery cell:
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Apply a small amount of liquid adhesive remover under the battery cell, and wait 2-3 minutes for it to penetrate and soften the adhesive.
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Alternatively, re-heat this section with your iOpener if needed.
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Push a plastic card about an inch between the battery cell and the upper case, and slowly pry the cell up to separate all of the adhesive.
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Temporarily leave your plastic card underneath the two rightmost battery cells to prevent them from re-adhering to the upper case.
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If using an iOpener, reheat it and reapply it, this time to the left-most battery cells.
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Repeat the above procedure to separate the two leftmost battery cells from the upper case.
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Remember to apply a small amount of adhesive remover to each battery cell, and wait 2-3 minutes for it to penetrate and soften the adhesive.
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Use a second plastic card to separate the two leftmost battery cells from the upper case.
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Insert the plastic card between the second left-most battery cell and the upper case to cut the adhesive joining the two, and pry the cell up from the case.
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Leave the second card in the corner between the two left cells.
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If using an iOpener, reheat it and apply it to the central battery cells.
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As before, leave the iOpener in each position for about a minute, reheating in between, to heat each half of the center cells.
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In the following steps, you can either use a third card, or the card from the right corner. The right corner adhesive should be dry/cool enough that the cells can easily be pulled up again when needed.
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If using liquid adhesive remover, apply a few more drops under each of the final two, middle cells.
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Allow 2-3 minutes for the adhesive remover to penetrate before you continue.
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Gently folding the right-most battery cells out of the way, insert a plastic card under the right center cell.
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Push the card in about half of its length to cut the adhesive holding the battery cell to the case.
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Leave the card in place to keep the adhesive from re-sealing.
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Repeat the same procedure for the last remaining battery cell.
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Holding the outer cells out of the way, insert the plastic card about halfway under the left center battery cell, avoiding the trackpad board.
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Return to the card beneath the right-center cell, and twist it to separate the entire battery from the upper case.
I found this to be more difficult than the edge sections. I had to reapply a few times the adhesive removal from both sides of the center sections before I was able to pry the battery. Take time and use the adhesive removal several times.
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Remove the battery.
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Calibrate your battery before using it: allow it to drain overnight, then charge it to 100% and drain it again until your MacBook Pro shuts down automatically. Charge it again and use it normally.
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If you notice any unusual behavior or problems after installing your new battery, you may need to reset your MacBook Pro's SMC.
Remember that the speakers fit on either side of the battery. When placing the new battery, make sure to leave enough space for them.
I wish they had put your comment in the guide itself. It took me a while to realize that the speaker won’t go in because the battery was off a bit towards the side of the computer. Fortunately the adhesive was not as strong as the original.
To reassemble your device, follow these instructions in reverse order.
To reassemble your device, follow these instructions in reverse order.
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16 Comments
is it possible to use MBP early 2015's battery on a late 2013 model?
No, they're different parts.
Thanks to this guide I saved my broken MacBook Pro from a coffee spill that killed the battery. It cost me about 30% compared to what it would have cost to have the battery changed at an Apple authorized repair center. It wasn't easy to do, but that just made it all the more satisfying.
One comment: the new battery pack I bought came attached to a thin film which had to be removed. I unfortunately tore off some of the strips of glue attached to the back of the battery cells, before getting the hang of it. No big deal. But if you have to do the same thing: peel slowly.
After i replace the battery, the new battery is outofsync with osx battery indicator. When the indicator hit the 30% mark the macbook just shutdown completly. How do i syncroniz the new battery with osx?
The tutorial i saw only, tell you to fully charged the battery and let it depleet until the warning message pop up that your battery is low and your mac go into sleep mod. Problem my mac cant go into sleep mod because it thinks that it has 30% left of juice.
Is there any method to change the sleep setting or to force a recalibration?
I would download an application called coconut battery from here: http://www.coconut-flavour.com/coconutba...
This will indicate your battery's current health (I am not sure how accurate it is or how it measures the milliamps/hour) which might help you determine when you need to recharge it. I don't know what else you could do but I'd check the battery's health before anything since it might be causing the problem if it is faulty.
Brilliant guide, worked a treat.
Was tricky to remove the battery even with iOpener but carefully persevered. Took around 1hr 15 in total.
Thanks so much, this saved my girlfriend a lot of money!
How strong is the adhesive on the iFixit replacement battery, compared to the Apple OEM adhesive? Are we looking at a similar painful extraction process if/when we pull the replacement battery?
For that matter, is an Apple-esque strong adhesive actually necessary in this application? Double-sided tape is usually weaker; it might be a little thinner than the adhesive layer, and certainly far more user serviceable. Would tape be sufficient to hold the battery in place? Once you've got the bottom case screwed back on, the battery is immobilized anyway.
I really want to know the answer to this one
It's still going to be fairly painful to remove. The battery needs to be very well secured—you don't want a soft-shell lithium ion battery coming loose and moving around inside the laptop. Even a little bit of movement could be dangerous.
Saved me fortune. I was using the laptop for more than year as a desktop. The new battery helped me bring the macbook back to life.
Hi Dipak,
Are you from India? I try to Oder the Mac battery but the product can’t be shipped to India. Is there any other website that I can order the battery?
Thanks for the guide! It helped me to save my MacBook from a coffee spill.
Apple Canada quoted me ~300$ for battery + keyboard replacement though acknowledged that the battery had died prematurely (1.5 years since the date of purchase). When I opened the case two out of six sections were swollen. I ordered from ifixit their battery and the tools and with rate conversion + delivery to the border + taxes at the border it came to 180$. After ~2 hours I have 100% healthy battery installed in my macbook pro and it saved me 120$.
This kit is a lifesaver. Apple was going to charge me over $800 to repair my battery because it required “more labor” due to the retina display. It took my husband less than an hour to completely replace my battery with this kit.
Totally doable, took about 15 minutes to unscrew screws and carefully unplug cables. The only time consuming part was the 2-3 minute solvent and wait for each of the 6 cells of the pack. I was intimidate by the difficulty rating but it’s not that bad. Local Apple certified repair shop wanted $350.
It was a lot easier than I thought. I used a wheat cushion we had at home to remove the battery and it took less than ten minutes to remove the old battery.
For all the screws you use the P5 pentalobe screwdriver?
Carlos - Reply
Pentalobe is only for the screws on the bottom cover. The Torx screw driver is for the remainder.
Fredrik -
Is the Pentalobe screwdriver mentioned in the tools list? I did not have one so I used a filed down flat blade screwdriver. Not a fantastic idea, but it works.
Alex Birkett - Reply
Yes, it's mentioned on the top of this page. P5 Pentalobe to be precise. I didn't have one either, so I bought one from iFixit and that works fantastic. An absolutely precise fit, which is important especially when you might open your MacBook a couple of times during the years you own it. Not using the correct tool might do more harm to the screws than you want! I once had this with a Lenovo Yoga 3 Pro, which has Torx screws (T4 I think) and I used cheap Chinese quality tools, with the result that both the tool and one of the screws are damaged.
addvariety -
the macbook in the picture is 2012. does it has the same structure as 2013？
Edison - Reply
I never, ever, ever considered using anything but the correct tool on the Pentalobe screws. Too easy to strip and void your warranty (if still in effect), as well as make it almost impossible to get inside later for another upgrade or repair. The Wiha P5 Pentalobe screwdriver fits like a glove and costs only about $11 (a fraction of your drive's price)at Amazon.com. Get it!
marketing - Reply
is P5 supposed to be for all 10 screws? it works on the 2x 2.3mm at the top, but not for the 8x others for me. what size screwdriver for the 3mm? thanks
monsieurescargot - Reply
Yes, the p5 works for all 10 pentalobe screw heads for bottom cover. The the different size mm reference only refers to the difference in length of the screws, but again both heads are p5.
Antoine Thornton - Reply