Apple is replacing MacBook Pro batteries for free, but it’s not for all

If the macOS shows a “Service Recommended” message when checking the battery health status, you can reach out to Apple for a free replacement.

Apple MacBook Pro. (Unsplash)

Apple has introduced a free battery replacement program for MacBook Pro owners. This replacement applies specifically to those MacBook Pros that were launched in 2016 and 2017, and won't charge past 1%. As mentioned by the firm, this issue is not widespread and affects “a very small number of customers.” This comes shortly after Apple released its macOS Big Sur 11.2.1, which also intended to help fix charging issues with these MacBook Pro models.

If the macOS shows a “Service Recommended” message when checking the battery health status, you can reach out to Apple for a free replacement. “If the status indicates that your battery is Normal, your battery is not affected by this issue,” Apple says. Once you get in touch with Apple Support, the company will examine the Mac before servicing it to verify it is eligible for a replacement or not.

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“If your 2016 or 2017 MacBook Pro exhibits these behaviours, contact Apple to get your battery replaced, free of charge. Your computer will be examined prior to service to verify that it is eligible for the free battery replacement,” states Apple in its support article.

The list of MacBook Pro models that fall in the ‘affected' category are:

-MacBook Pro (13­-inch, 2016, Two Thunderbolt 3 Ports)

-MacBook Pro (13-­inch, 2017, Two Thunderbolt 3 Ports)

-MacBook Pro (13-­inch, 2016, Four Thunderbolt 3 Ports)

-MacBook Pro (13-­inch, 2017, Four Thunderbolt 3 Ports)

-MacBook Pro (15-­inch, 2016)

-MacBook Pro (15-­inch, 2017)

You can check the battery health of your Mac by navigating to the System Preferences app and clicking the Battery option. From there, select ‘Battery' in the sidebar and click ‘Battery Health'. If you are on macOS Catalina, you can hold the Option key and click the battery icon in the menu bar. There you can see the battery status menu.