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

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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As someone who also leaves my 14" plugged in all the time, mine drops to 80% then sits there with an amber light. Freaked me out at first because I've never had an electronic device do that before.

There is an option to fully charge the computer in the battery dropdown, but it is annoying it doesn't stay full in the first place.

edit: Saying that, since I learned what it was doing I have made more of an effort to work on battery occasionally throughout the week.
 
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HMI said:
Same issue :(
16 Max 12.0.1

No point in getting a replacement with the same issue.
I guess I’m waiting for a firmware update? ?
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Firmware should fix it if it on the computer side. If it is the charger then that would be replaced. But it's probably the firmware.
 
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MacRumors said:


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.
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
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To reproduce the issue you just need to charge the 16" to 100%, after that shut it down and disconnect the MagSafe. Then close the lid. Now connect the MagSafe and the issue will appear.
 
indiekiduk said:
Who turns their MacBook off?
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You don’t have to turn it off. All you have to do is close the lid and the charger starts for like 3 to 5 seconds and then it turns off and then 3 to 5 seconds later it turns back on. You can hear the chime every time like you just plug the cord in. I posted this on apples support site weeks ago. It affects both of my 16 inch MacBook Pro M1 Max laptops. The only way it’ll charge is if the lid is open
 
All the returns and replacements are creating a nice stock of refurbs once this software/firmware issue is sorted out.
 
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Not seeing that, but I am seeing weird things with bluetooth. It just refuses to connect or do anything at times, unless I turn the BT off and then back on.
 
Same issue with the orange light flashing and not charging when switched off (which i never normally do) so not too fussed about this!

Battery dropped to 69% shut down and plugged in magsafe then it flashes and dont charge.

16” launch day, m1 pro 16GB UK
 
I had been avoiding shutting mine down out of fear of finding mine had this issue. After seeing this article, I figured I should--flashes amber and repeatedly makes the charging noise :(
 
I'm still using the USB C charger for my 16" intel MBP instead of the MagSafe. Never used the included MagSafe charger yet.
 
Same issue here. Mac is at 59% charge right now. Went to apple store and showed them the problem. They then took my machine to the back and claimed that they could not recreate the issue using my charger however ordered me a new one anyway. I also have the same issue using my wife's charger. This issue does not present while using the 96w charger that came with my 2019 16 matchbook pro, only when using the 140w charger.

Update: 12/3/21

I just received a new charging block from the apple store and the problem no longer exists.
 
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This happened to me just the other day. I let the battery completely run down until the computer shut off. I connected the MagSafe charger with the lid closed and it would light amber, make the sound confirming it was charging, and then stop. It did this over and over until I opened the lid and then it charged as normal.
 
Having this issue, but it doesn't matter whether the MBP is open or closed. The MagSafe charger I use for my iPhone is not charging the MBP. Really wish Apple would get their act together.
 
Same issue with mine - Max 16 . 32GB Mac OS 12.0.1 I hope there is a fix or some word from Apple because this machine is amazing and I sure don't want to part with it!
 
Looks like everyone who owns the 16 inch model and tries to charge it with the lid closed after it has been shut down is having the issue. This is great news as it further points to a software fix and it’s not just random units
 
About time MacRumors covered this. Apple is replacing mine because of this issue. 2 month wait time.
 
I have a HYPERJUICE GaN 100W USB-C Charger and when i plug it in using the magsafe cable it seems to work fine weirdly.
 
IG88 said:
Yes. And then there are the predictable comments to the article, along the lines of:

"I'm not experiencing this issue, so it must not be widespread, and this is just anecdotal evidence since it's not happening to me."
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One could also argue the article itself is also saying this. The article author never said they are actually experiencing it and never said how widespread or not widespread the issue allegedly is.

Your "predictable comment" is just paraphrasing the body of the article itself.
 
the8thark said:
The article author never said they are actually experiencing it and never said how widespread or not widespread the issue allegedly is.
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How would the author calculate how "widespread" the issue "allegedly" is? Do you go onto Windows forums and challenge every bug report "allegation?"
 
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