16-inch MacBook Pro Not Charging | How to Fix

If your MacBook Pro is showing a “Not charging” message even though the power adapter is plugged in and the battery is not fully charged, then you are in the right place. We have gathered and tested all of the below methods to give you the best way to fix the 16-inch MacBook Pro not charging issue.

Battery Health Management might Cause Not Charging Issue

Well, turns out that there might be nothing wrong with your Mac! And, it is actually working as intended. In fact, Apple has posted a support document for this issue, explaining that the charging-status change is due to the updated Battery Health Management.

When this feature is enabled, you might occasionally see a ”Not Charging” message in the battery status menu. And, the maximum charge level will be lowered temporarily on your MacBook Pro. But, this is totally normal! Actually, this is how Battery Health Management optimizes charging, depending on your usage.

Even though the issue is not caused by the battery or charger, this is still a failure of Apple’s user interface. The document makes it clear by pointing out that the user might also see “Not Charging” when their Mac isn’t getting enough power to charge the battery. So, basically, the not charging message can show up at any time, whether you are charging or actually having a charging issue. Let’s hope that Apple will add different phrases for those statuses like “There is a charging problem” and “Charging Paused”.

Follow these steps to turn off Battery Health Management on your Mac:

Go to System Preferences from the Apple menu
Then, click on Battery.
Click Battery in the sidebar > Battery Health.
Deselect “Manage battery longevity”.
Choose Turn Off, then click OK. But, note that turning this feature off might reduce your MacBook battery lifespan.

Check your Charger

In this case, you need to see if the charger is working fine first. So, make sure that the power outlet is ok by using it for other devices. Also, don’t forget to check the power cord connection on the charger. Next, inspect both the input and output cable of the charger carefully while looking out for any fraying or tears in the cable. If there are any flaws here, then this is likely to be the problem.

Besides, you should also check the charging port on your Mac and MagSafe connector for debris and burned marks. In fact, the charging port tends to attract small metal items such as staples and paper clips. And, these objects might interrupt the charger connection.

Reset SMC

The System Management Controller (SMC) controls battery charging. So, if the SMC somehow has a problem, then your charger will charge the Mac very slowly or even not charge at all.

Here are the steps to reset SMC on MacBooks with non-removable battery:

Hold down the power button for at least 5 seconds until your MacBook Pro turns off.
After plugging in, hold Shift + Control + Option + Power button simultaneously for 10 seconds.
Release all the keys.
Then, turn your Mac on to complete.

If your MacBook has removable-batteries, these steps are even more simple. Here is how to do it:

Hold the power button for at least 5 seconds until the Mac turns off.
Then, remove the power adaptor and the battery from your MacBook.
Hold the power button for 5 seconds to discharge any remaining energy in the device.
Re-install the battery back to the MacBook Pro. Now, you have successfully reset the SMC.

Reset NVRAM

NVRAM error might also be the reason why your MacBook is charging extremely slow. To reset the NVRAM, follow these steps:

Hold the power button for at least 5 seconds until the MacBook turns off.
Press the power button to turn on the MacBook.
As soon as you hear the chime or see any light on the screen, hold Control + Option + R + P simultaneously until the MacBook restarts.
Then, release all the keys.
After reboot, you have reset the NVRAM.

Have you successfully fixed the charging issues on your 16-inch MacBook Pro? Let us know if you have any questions about the 16-inch MacBook Pro not charging issue in the comments!

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