How to Fix MacBook Overheating Issues

Apple MacBooks are well-known for offering stable performance. But like anything else, your MacBooks get older and start having issues. One of the most debated issues about an Apple MacBook is overheating. So the question is whether your MacBook overheats. Let’s find out in this article.

Does Your MacBook Overheat?

The answer is Yes. Like all mobile devices, Apple MacBooks can overheat sometime and become laggy. There are several factors that can cause your MacBook to overheat. One of the common reasons is the fan of your MacBook being blocked. Another reason could be that your charger is faulty or damaged.

Let’s hope your MacBook does not have a hardware issue. In that case, the major reason lies in software issues, bugs, or background processes that constantly cause your fan to spin. Whatever the reason, you need to get it fixed.

Quick Fix

One of the most straightforward fixes for overheating issues on MacBook is to restart your laptop. In fact, a restart helps fix many software-related issues or bugs. To do it, click the Apple menu at the top left corner and select Restart from the drop-down menu. Once your Mac is booted up, check if the problem is fixed.

How to Fix a MacBook That Overheats

If restarting your device fails to help, there could be something off with your device’s physical condition. Below are quick checklists showing whether your Mac now suffers from physical damage.

Clean your Mac’s air vents

One of the major reasons for overheating is that your Mac’s air vents are blocked by dust. In fact, your Mac’s air vents tend to get covered with dust particles within no time. In that case, try cleaning the air vents using a small brush. Ensure that you have turned off your Mac before proceeding with the cleaning process.

Check Your Charging Cable

Damaged charging cables can cause your Mac to overheat. In fact, when a charging cable gets damaged or has an open wound, it starts causing issues. One such issue is heating up your Mac. In that case, replace your charging cable if it is damaged. Using a damaged charging cable may cause irresistible damage to your Mac’s internal components.

Ensure You Use Genuine Apple Accessories

Try to avoid any low-quality accessories, or your Mac may overheat. Damaged MacBooks resulting from the use of unauthorized accessories will be covered by warranty. So, always use genuine MFi-certified accessories to avoid any incidents.

Unplug Peripherals

If your MacBooks still overheat, try unplugging all the external devices currently attached to your laptop. They sometimes draw more power from the socket than usual, thus causing your MacBook to overheat.

Turn Off Background Processes

Too many processes running in the background may cause your MacBook to overheat. Consider cutting down background processes you no longer need. Here are the steps.

Step 1: Open Finder on your Mac and select the Applications folder.

Step 2: Go to Utilities and select the Activity Monitor.

Step 3: Double-tap and quit the activities you no longer use.

Reset SMC

You can reset the SMC on your device if you have an Intel-based MacBook. Resetting the SMC can help reduce overheating issues. You can check out our guide on how to reset SMC on a Mac.