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Some 16-inch MacBook Pro Owners Report MagSafe 3 Charging Issues When Mac Is Closed

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Some 16-inch MacBook Pro owners appear to have identified a shared issue suggesting the MagSafe 3 connector sometimes fails to deliver the expected charge when their Mac is turned off and the lid is closed.

16-inch-magsafe-3.jpg

As outlined on Reddit, some 16-inch MacBook Pro Models, when powered off, are failing to charge if the MagSafe connector is plugged in. Instead of turning green, the MagSafe light flashes amber and fails to deliver power to the Mac battery. Some customers have contacted Apple Support to find a solution, with varying degrees of success. One user, in particular, said that after a lengthy back and forth, Apple Support decided to send them a replacement laptop.
So it's not just me then! I have the EXACT same issue. Went to the genius bar and they tested with a cable and charger that they have and it still had the same problem. They said they would order a new 140 watt charger for me to see it would fix it but said most likely it's a firmware issue but didn't really provide any evidence for such a thing. I went home and the next day I get a call from Apple. Someone was calling me to follow up and they asked me a bunch of questions and provided instructions to run a special diagnostics program. After I did all that they said they want to take my MacBook and its charger back and that they would give me a completely brand new MacBook as soon as they get one. I'm still waiting for that but that's where I'm currently at.
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A video shared on Reddit shows that when the MacBook Pro is closed, the light on the MagSafe charger repeatedly flashes amber and is accompanied by the typical macOS charging sound effect. A consistent orange light means the MacBook is being charged, while green shows it's fully charged.

If a MacBook Pro is connected to MagSafe while turned on and it is then turned off, MagSafe 3 continues to charge the Mac as expected. The issue only occurs for some users when attempting to plug in the MagSafe connector when the Mac is already turned off. The flashing amber MagSafe light is an indication that something is not functioning as normal, and an Apple Support page includes steps for users to take to return MagSafe to normal operation. However, the steps don't seem to work in the reported cases where the MacBook Pro is turned off with the lid closed.

Not all 16-inch MacBook Pro owners face the problem, and MacRumors has been unable to reproduce the bug. Regardless, there are enough users facing the problem that Apple may address it in the near future.

Article Link: Some 16-inch MacBook Pro Owners Report MagSafe 3 Charging Issues When Mac Is Closed
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/2021/11/30/16-inch-macbook-pro-charging-magsafe-3/
Last edited:
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I am experiencing the battery management "feature" that keeps adding cycles to my battery while I use the laptop plugged in, letting it discharge. I wish there was an option to disable that.
 
haruhiko said:
The MagSafe charger always shows an amber light on my 14-inch when the lid is closed and the charging never ends.
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Does it charge and just always show amber, even when it's full when you open it back up? Or is it showing amber but doesn't charge?
 
14 inch has a similar issue where the machine stops charging via the thunderbolt port. Observed a similar issue once or twice with iPad Pro 2021 too. Verified with KillaWatt meter and usb tester. Both the iPad and 14 inch tries to charge and then drops to 0W. Then ramps again but can’t sustain the load and drops to 0W. Endless loop.

A reboot resets the thunderbolt controller. And charging resumes normally. Apple and its buggy hardware/firmware.
 
samifathi said:
Does it charge and just always show amber, even when it's full when you open it back up? Or is it showing amber but doesn't charge?
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When it’s full it’s green
One time it’s dropped to around 6x% after extensive use so I charged it up using the MagSafe charger. To my surprise, in the next morning the light was still amber and the charging stopped at 80%.

But when I’m using it plugged in it will charge to full.
 
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I have not seeing the flickering amber light, but on one or two occasions, with my computer with lid closed, have found that the light is still amber (solid) the next morning and when I open the lid appears fully charged. Light remained amber.
 
contacos said:
yes but does it flash? mine just stays consistently green when it is fully charged (correctly so)
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It doesn’t flash, as if it’s charging. I think it’s a macOS software bug only instead of hardware problem.
 
I had both new 14 and 16 MBPs. The 16 exhibited this issue. Upon connecting the MagSafe, the light would show amber and the charging tone would sound. Then the light would blink about every 3 seconds and the tone would continue to sound. Tried some minimal troubleshooting but decided to return the 16 and keep the 14. BTW, charging on the 14 works as expected with the charger that came with it and with the 140 watt charger.
 
Articles like this feel very much like clickbait.

"An unspecified number of people might or might not have experienced an issue with a particular Apple product. This unspecified number might or might not be enough for Apple to take notice. This is assuming the issue exists in the first place as the only evidence mentioned in the article is anecdotal"
 
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the8thark said:
Articles like this feel very much like clickbait.

"An unspecified number of people might or might not have experienced an issue with a particular Apple product. This unspecified number might or might not be enough for Apple to take notice. This is assuming the issue exists in the first place as the only evidence mentioned in the article is anecdotal"
Click to expand...


They should instead just write: Hey Apple, we’re just trying to earn our living. Please don’t send your legal team after us.
 
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