MacBook Battery Replacement in Chicago

A MacBook battery replacement is often the cheapest way to get years more use out of a laptop. Most Macs that feel finished at two hours of run time are perfectly healthy otherwise. We replace MacBook Air and MacBook Pro batteries at our West Town shop on Chicago Ave, usually the same or next day. Call for a price on your exact model, and if you aren't nearby, you can mail it in.

How to check your battery

• Battery health. Open System Settings, then Battery, and look for the health status. If you see MacBook Service Recommended there, macOS thinks the battery has worn out. On recent macOS versions you can click the info button for Maximum Capacity.
• Cycle count. Hold the Option key, click the Apple menu, and open System Information. Choose Power and find Cycle Count. Apple publishes the rated limit for each model on its support site.

A high count with short battery life is a clear sign it's time. Maximum Capacity under 80% is the other. A swollen battery is more urgent. If your trackpad is lifting or the case won't sit flat, shut the laptop down, stop charging it and bring it in.

Battery or something else?

Not every short run time means a worn battery, so check these first.

• An app is running wild. Open Activity Monitor, then the Energy tab. Browsers and video calls eat power, and a stuck process can drain a full charge in an hour.
• Service Recommended, but the Mac runs fine. You don't need to rush. It's a warning, not a failure.
• Mac shuts off only on battery. The battery is the likely cause.
• Won't charge at all. Try another charger and cable first. On USB-C Macs, try the port on the other side. A dead charging circuit is a board fault, and a new battery won't fix it.

MacBook Air or MacBook Pro?

A MacBook Air battery replacement is generally a little simpler, since the battery cells are fewer and the case is thinner. A MacBook Pro battery replacement often means more cells and a tighter fit around the trackpad, and the 16-inch models carry the largest battery. Older Retina Pros were the hardest of all, because the cells were glued hard to the top case. Tell us the size and year when you call.

Pricing

Call for a price on your MacBook. We quote by model and year. Parts carry our 90-day warranty, and labor may apply.

Compare our price with Apple's before you decide. If your Mac has AppleCare+ and the battery holds less than 80% of its original capacity, Apple replaces it at no charge. Check at checkcoverage.apple.com. Apple's battery service on some models swaps the whole top case, including the keyboard, so it can take several days.

If your Mac is older, check that it still runs a macOS version you can use. A new battery in a Mac that no longer gets security updates is only worth it for a light-duty laptop.

Why glued batteries are a shop job

Most modern MacBooks have batteries held in with strong adhesive, and the cells sit very close to other parts. Pulling too hard can bend or puncture a cell, which is dangerous. Removing one safely takes practice and the right tools, so we don't recommend this as a home project. We dispose of the old cells properly, too.

Make the new battery last

Heat wears lithium batteries out faster than anything else, so don't run a Mac on a soft bed or in a hot car. Leave Optimized Battery Charging on, and use the charge limit in Battery settings if your Mac has one. You don't need to run it down to zero.

Shipping yours in

To ship your MacBook to us, start a mail-in request. A laptop with a swollen battery shouldn't be shipped, so call first if the case is lifting. See MacBook repair for everything else we fix, or computer and laptop repair for Windows machines. If your screen is also on the way out, read our MacBook screen replacement cost guide.