MacBook Pro 15" Unibody Mid 2012 Battery Replacement

Written By: Andrew Optimus Goldheart
  • Comments: 119
MacBook Pro 15" Unibody Mid 2012 Battery Replacement

Difficulty

Easy

Steps

7

Time Required

10 - 15 minutes

Introduction

Use this guide to replace a worn-out battery. If your battery is swollen, take extra precautions.

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    • Remove the following ten screws securing the lower case to the upper case:

    • Three 13.5 mm (14.1 mm) Phillips screws.

    • Seven 3 mm Phillips screws.

    • When removing these screws, note how they come out at a slight angle. They must be reinstalled the same way.

    Step 1 (technically step 9 - replacing the base plate) Apparently one of my screws was a micron or two smaller than the others. This screw belongs to the hole above the optical drive, which is also apparently a couple of microns smaller than the others. It took seven attempts to figure which screw had originally been in that hole; all the other screws were too large, but fitted perfectly everywhere else.

    Bizarre much?

    Will -

    It might be a matter of how the screws are driven in, and not that they're slightly different sizes. When I reassembled my MacBook, a couple of the screws, including the one over the optical drive you mention, were hard to drive in and jutted up a little bit instead of sitting entirely flush. Swapping screws didn't help. The solution was to unscrew them and drive them in at a bit of an angle - perpendicular to the slightly curved surface of the back plate where the screw holes were, instead of fully vertical with respect to the ground the Macbook is sitting on. Doing it that way, the screws were easier to drive in and they all ended up flush in their holes. Didn't matter which screws they were. (I swapped a few around just to check after reading this.)

    Andrew Janke -

    I had no such screw issues. Either there are differences in manufacturing lots or I just got incredibly lucky during reassembly!

    xtophr -

    I discovered a great way of organizing the screws. I used an ice cube tray and added the screws in order, keeping the different kinds together. So when it came to reversing the steps, the screw order was an added control step to returning everything in its place.

    leonie -

    Great advise! Love it! :)

    Ririds -

    I used to do that and that worked really great until I bumped it by accident and the entire tray went on the rug! I spent the next day sorting things out.

    Now I use these:

    http://www.sciplus.com/p/50-114-CLEAR-PL...

    The lower ones 50 to a package. I mark them w/ blue tape. Often if it's part like the fans, or the optical drive I'll tape the screws into/near the holes where they belong. I did this a lot especially w/ the bottom screws from MBPs until I'd done so many I knew exactly where the longer ones went.

    Richard Sato -

    I wrapped the screws in a piece of blue masking tape and wrote the number on the little pouch I made. Then I stuck the blue tape pouches on the underside of the case bottom in order.

    Roscoe -

    I take double-sided tape, put that on a piece of paper, stick the crews to that, and label them.

    jelimoore -

    Best I've found is a bead sorting tray. They're like $5 at Wal-Mart and they have a lid that seals up and won't let them jump between containers.

    maccentric -

    I take a sheet of paper, pierce the screws through the paper, take a pen and box the screws and write out what step they belong to.

    Nils -

    @Will, in my case I had the same result as you did. As a reminder to myself the next time I need to open the computer, I put a dot of white paint on those two screw's head and a very, very thin ring of white on the very edge of each hole, that way I'll know they go into those two holes.

    Roger -

    Actually the four screws on the bottom were not threaded all the way up. I didn't check to see if the thread gauge was the same on them, but it wasn't until I had about four screws out (I didn't take them out in the order that the bottom all came out first) that I noticed a difference. I then took out the rest of the bottom ones to see if they matched the two that were already out that weren't threaded to the top. They did. So I went under the assumption that those were all bottom screws and when I put it back together everything went fine with no resistance.

    So there are three types of screws: Four for the bottom, three long ones as indicated and three others that might be slightly smaller than the bottom ones.

    wresnick -

    Hi,

    Although its more than a year since your contribution, I thought you might be amused to know that it is not just that the screws go in more easily when at an angle, Apple actually drilled and tapped the holes at a 15% angle. I too had tried to drive them in straight. An Apple "genius" - I was in for something else - clarified the design for me. It was done so that the screws lay flush on the angled part of the lower case. Nice design, but since Apple encourages DIY memory and drive changes, they could have mentioned this little ... trap.

    H Stahl -

    MacBookPro8,2

    Intel Core i7, 2,2 GHz, RAM 16 GB

    Mountain Lion

    May someone help me?

    I have installed the second drive with ssd 840 evo, but when I try to copy the file from the new drive to the main hd this in not allowed (errore -36)

    Piero -

    To my knowledge you can't transfer a single file more than 4gb. I advise compressing to a bunch of rars to split the file size and moving them individually

    1982sketcher -

    Hey everyone, here's the very best way to PERFECTLY organize your screws AND keep track of the order of the procedure: Get a piece of plain corrugated cardboard and a pen (I like using a Sharpie). For EACH step of the disassembly, draw a simple diagram of the layout of the computer on the piece of cardboard, with dots or Xs where the screws are located. Right after you remove each screw from the computer, poke a hole in the cardboard in its corresponding diagram position with your screwdriver and place the screw in that hole. If there are other non-screw related parts to be removed, you can add notes below each step diagram to remind you of where they go or how they should be placed. This cardboard method is great not only because your screws will not go flying or get mixed up by accident if bumped, but each screw goes EXACTLY back where it came from and you can keep the cardboard as a template for future use if necessary!

    - zerø K

    zeroK -

    These instructions worked great for me. I ordered a replacement battery from Key Power (on Amazon) for my 15" Macbook Pro (mid-2010). Cost was $74 shipped.

    Battery came with 3 different screwdrivers to help with installation. I just needed the one size though, since my 2010 seemed to use all the same size screws.

    Thanks!

    Marcos -

    During re-assembling (put the screws back in), it is important to note that the 3mm threaded holes are not completely vertical, but bent a little bit such that the hole direction is rectangular to the tapered surface. The force of the screwdriver must point towards the direction of the hole. Otherwise the screw gets jammed

    kusi -

    There is a FOOLPROOF WAY TO ORGANIZE ALL SCREWS and other parts removed.

    Print the repair guide.

    Yes, the actual photo of the bottom of the laptop with the circles around the screws.

    When you remove the screw, tape it to the photograph.

    You will tape the screw to the exact location that you just removed it from.

    Same thing with any part you remove.

    splashzoneent -

    Thanks Splash!!! I used your suggested method, and it was perfect: kept all my screws, and i was able to, very easily, put them back in their correct place. I greatly appreciated your feedback. Thank you for sharing!!

    Tommy Kedar -

    Thank you!!! This worked fabulously - even the I.T. people at my workplace were excited as they never thought to do that before. Replacing the battery took about 10 minutes!

    nclarke36 -

    Worked like a charm! Took less than 20 minutes.

    It's Oct. 2015, and the fan cost me about $10. it was the same brand/model...

    SUNON MG62090V1-Q020-S99 .

    SOME TRICKS -

    1- no T6 screwdriver- was careful using needle nose players to loosen 2 screws protruding up, then use a small phillips to push real hard into the T6 slots, SLOWLY turn , also used a small flat head screwdriver (for eye glass repair) was able to grab thread on T6's, made a small mark with screw driver across the top so I could see when it started to turn.

    2- no spudger -made one; cut a little strip 1/2" x 1 1/2" of plastic. couldn't get it to slide under plug, there's an edge where plug fits. so lifted old fan out, pulled upward on the plug it popped right out with very little effort. I used my home made spudger to push the new plug into place.

    3- download free "Macs Fan Control" This is how I was alerted to the fan not working in the first place. Program shows temperature of all key components in the computer.

    cheers- Durango CO!

    Dgodrummer -

    Watch the video first, read the entire tutorial and all the comments before you start, and spread a white towel on the floor so you can find screws when you drop them. Watch this first -- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qiBxhA29e...

    kevicoll409 -

    The link above is no longer available.

    Kristina Graham -

    I will be buying a battery from you and using your instructions. I just installed a new CD/DVD using your instructions and 1) I feel like I owe you something and 2) Although more expensive, I have the confidence your battery will work. My current battery is the original with 1399 cycles in 7.2 yrs. A tech buddy had bought me a replacement and I installed it. I had just installed a new OS and the kernel_task went going nuts, using 90% of the CPU. Hours on the phone with Apple did not resolve the issue. On a whim, I put the old battery back in and Voila! But I cannot risk my battery swelling and going south on me. I am also going to buy your installation tools. Yeah, I already have them. But you can never have enough tools…or beer. And you don’t sell beer.

    Pete Banks -

    The instructions say that I am removing PH00 screws. I found that my MBP, mid ‘12, Retina has pentalobe screws instead!

    jsandersonq -

    This laptop definitely originally shipped with Phillips screws—but, Apple has been known to replace Phillips screws with pentalobes when one of their devices is brought in for service. Sorry for the rude surprise! Fortunately the correct driver is easy to find nowadays. [Blatant self-promotion alert!] If you support free repair manuals, consider picking one up from iFixit. Good luck!

    Jeff Suovanen -

    Me, too, and it’s plausible that this machine has been serviced by Apple in the past, replacing the screws as Jeff Suovanen suggests.

    iFixit shipped a pentalobe bit with the kit, but it’s too large for the actual screws, so it looks like I now need to get another bit. But what size?

    Jeff’s link is to a driver with a P5 bit, and that page links to a P2 screwdriver, but since I don’t know what size I actually need (and I don’t have a micrometer to hand) I’m reluctant to buy two on spec.

    Norman Gray -

    (The bit in the kit appears to be a P6, so I’m inclined to order a P5 and see what happens)

    Norman Gray -

    You’re using the wrong repair guide. This guide is for the 2012 NON-Retina MBP. You have a Retina MBP. The stock case screws in the 2012 NON-Retina are all Phillips, just as the guide says.

    Steven Wymor -

    To keep track of screws, I used the suggestions above by taping a photo of the lower case to a piece of corrugated cardboard and inserting/taping the screws in place. Also, as some have noted, the screws go back in at a slight angle; they are angled toward the center of the unit.

    Kristina Graham -

    If your vision, like mine, is getting too fuzzy to be able to distinguish between a tiny Phillips screwdriver and a tiny Tri screwdriver, there’s an easy way. With a Phillips (or a Pozidrive) you can get two opposite wings to reflect the light from a lamp or window straight towards your eye at the same time. With a Tri (or Penta) you can only get one wing to reflect at a time, however much you twiddle it.

    Alan Waller -

    There’s a very easy way to avoid cross-threading a screw thread, any size.

    Put the screw into its hole and start by turning it gently, slowly BACKWARDS. When you hear a little “Click!” sound, the male thread has just passed the opening in the female thread and is in exactly the right position to enter into it correctly when you start to turn in the correct forward direction.

    Remember, all drivers except hex (Allen key) and TorX need pressure to avoid slipping out and damaging the head. So even when you want to turn it in with LOW moment/torque, keep the CONTACT PRESSURE high.

    Alan Waller -

    The keep the pressure on is on point. In my case once I loosened my first screw I thought I could relief my initial pressure. It was a mistake. I was doing the whole thing very slowly as a precaution. That helped me notice that the Phillips screw driver was sliding up out of the screw head. Not being sure why, I put pressure back on the screw driver until almost all the screw was out of the hole. Once out, I examined closely to find out that the threads have some sort of coating. It looks to me like some kind of locktite. Then I understood the importance of keeping the pressure on all the way through. It made me uneasy having to keep so much pressure on such tiny screws, but I found it was the only way to prevent damage to the “slots” on the heads. Anyway, all of them suffered some degree of damage, but I was able to successfully remove them and reinstall all of them back in their original holes.

    Martin Mejia -

    After reading this page on iFixit several times, I just could not face all the work of replacing the Logic Boards on two MacBookPro 2011s even if I was prepared to pay approx 400 USD (which I wasn’t). Then I read the reviews of a couple of folks who’d stripped down their machines and put their logic boards in the oven and, it worked! I wondered, if I just used my new Steinel Hot Air Tool (heat gun in my language) recently delivered from iFixit, on the logic board in-situ, without removing it? So I removed the battery, hard drive, and RAM and unplugged all the leads I could see WITHOUT removing anything else physically. Then using the 500 degrees set on the gun (setting 2) I ‘played’ the gun over the logic board for about 60 seconds on machine one with the restart problem (plus latterly, not completing start-up). Long story short… it worked! I spent a long time getting the s/w to load, but the commentary is too short to let me relate that part… ping me if I can help you do the same! blackaye@gmail.com

    Ian Black -

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    • Using both hands, lift the lower case near the vent to pop it off two clips securing it to the upper case.

    • Remove the lower case and set it aside.

    What is the maximum amount of RAM that can be installed in this MacBook?

    michael -

    16 GB is the max

    Bradon Kelley -

    I can’t get the back panel off !! Removed all 10 screws but the panel is still on. Not a quick easy lift like in the picture of videos on youtube what going on…are the hidden screws locking tabs?

    Tachyon -

    Solved the tabs were hard to get off to the point I thought I was going to bend the back case off before it would let go.

    Tachyon -

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    • For certain repairs (e.g. hard drive), disconnecting the battery connector is not necessary but is recommended as it prevents any accidental shorting of electronics on the motherboard. If you do not disconnect the battery connector, please be careful as parts of the motherboard might be electrified.

    • Use the edge of a spudger to pry the battery connector upwards from its socket on the logic board.

    • It is useful to pry upward on both short sides of the connector to "walk" it out of its socket.

    nails work pretty well as well...

    Sibe Jan Kramer -

    At first sight I was confused when I read the description at this step, 'cause it seemed that disconnecting the battery connector was optional, in order to eliminate static discharge. While it's a helpful advice in other circumstances (as mentioned as an example changing hard drives), when changing the battery it is not an option - you have to disconnect the battery connector.

    It would have been better to mention the optional disconnecting recommendation in a side-note.

    Other than that, an excellent guide!

    Damienn -

    the fact that this step is optional can not be stressed enough. i tried disconnecting the battery and in the process it short circuited which now leaves me with an even more expensive problem than i had before when i just wanted to change hard drives (at least the new hard drive works fine..)

    the hard drive changing worked though.

    nina -

    Any tool used to pry on the battery connector must be non metallic, to prevent unintentional short circuit between the connector pins. In my case, my index finger nails were strong enough.

    Martin Mejia -

    Excellent guide, it was as easy as a breeze to replace my battery. I can't believe I nearly followed Apple in their saying that this part was not user replaceable. Great job for this description, and many thanks. iFixIt is THE reference for Mac owners.

    Patrick.

    Patrick Demaret -

    So - I have a weird comment about this. I wanted to make sure that I was getting the right model - so I opened up my laptop and then thought "well, why not just remove the battery while i'm in here, it's shot anyway". Though, I forgot about the stupid screws (Apple really did us over on that one!). Though I disconnected the battery connector and didn't bother to re-connect it when I was finished and just put the cover back on.

    Here's the weird part - when I went to turn my laptop back on...MY BATTERY WAS RECOGNIZED...AND WORKING! I was under the impression that the connector "connects" the battery's charge to the laptop, but this just doesn't make sense! Plus, now my very dead battery is in "normal" condition according to the system report. I haven't worked for apple, but have about 5 years of IT experience and am baffled by this! I'm starting to think i've experience a miracle! Has this happened to anyone else?

    Shelly -

    Possibly disconnecting the battery caused the System Management Controller to reset. That might have been your problem rather than the battery itself. See http://osxdaily.com/2010/03/24/when-and-...

    Duke Briscoe -

    I'd just like an advise of where to dispose the old battery. Thanks

    Jaime Serafim -

    Any Best Buy or Batteries + Bulbs accepts batteries for recycling in their stores. Many other stores such as Home Depot do as well.

    xtophr -

    Office Depot will take any batteries and dispose of them for free

    silas -

    My battery connector pulled off parallel to the board surface

    Mazo -

    I tried spudging the corner closer to the wires which was probably a bad idea. The corner broke off! I can't believe it was that brittle. So be careful. If it did it again, I'd aim for the corners AWAY from the wires or the sides themselves, though I seem to recall there not being much of a lip.

    Dave Kitabjian -

    I used the spudger to gently ease the battery connector out. I then placed a q-tip between the connector and it’s socket to avoid making an accidental connection. A toothpick or some other soft stick might also work.

    Kristina Graham -

    My battery connector had a shiny metal cover over it like a male USB plug. I had to take the 3 peace symbol screws oit and remove the battery before I could access thr plug properly. My battery plug also came off parallel to the board by walking the black plastic part off the metal part towards the battery. It required quite a bit of force to walk it off the connector. I broke a spudger trying. Something nonconductive but strong like a wittled down bamboo chopstick could work well.

    Pii -

    Translate to Spanish:

    Para ciertas reparaciones (por ejemplo, el disco duro), no es necesario desconectar el conector de la batería, pero evita cualquier cortocircuito accidental de la electrónica en la placa base. Si no desconecta el conector de la batería, tenga cuidado ya que partes de la placa base pueden estar electrificadas.

    Use el borde de un spudger para levantar el conector de la batería hacia arriba desde su zócalo en la placa lógica.

    Es útil hacer palanca hacia arriba en ambos lados cortos del conector para "sacarlo" de su zócalo.

    Pakito Villaseñor -

    The BATTERY MUST BE DISCONNECTED - it is NOT OPTIONAL if you are going to remove the logic board.

    These instructions are for Removing The Logic Board, so if that is what you are going to do the battery MUST be disconnected.

    The informational item beginning with the words “For certain repairs (e.g. hard drive), disconnecting the battery connector is not necessary … “ is NOT applicable to a set of instructions on removing a logic board and it should be deleted from this otherwise excellent set of instructions.

    Michael Walsh -

    In my opinion the RAM should be removed first - i.e., before the battery is removed.

    The RAM DIMMS are just in the way if they are left in their sockets on the logic board until step 33.

    I cannot see any useful reason to not remove them very early in the sequence.

    Michael Walsh -

    I disconnected the battery because it is an opportunity to reset the SMC (which is how the SMC has to be reset in some older Macs.)

    Barb -

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    • Bend the battery cable slightly away from its socket on the logic board so it does not accidentally connect itself while you work.

    My battery connect was like mid 2010 model

    Iain Friend -

    Why not go ahead and remove the battery at this point instead of bending the battery connector back (see steps 23 -25 below)?

    BilMcKelvy -

    Translate to Sanish: Doble el cable de la batería ligeramente lejos de su zócalo en la placa lógica para que no se conecte accidentalmente mientras trabaja.

    Pakito Villaseñor -

  5. wcw4nPCRs5C636VY

    • Remove the two 7.4 mm Tri-point screws securing the battery to the upper case.

    Where can I suggest that iFixit add a cross-referenced note/warning when purchasing a replacement battery (or other parts that require odd tools) that you also need to purchase yet another special-purpose *&$%#(%@ screwdriver, "because Apple"!!

    I had to wait for weeks to find time to complete this repair, and now have to wait weeks longer for another chance.

    Note to self: read the entire guide before purchasing, AND before starting the repair, AND while you're doing the repair...

    seijihuzz01 -

    I preferred to use the Y0 for these screws, the Y1 felt too big for the screws they used with my battery.

    Aschwin de Hoog -

    Are these Tri-wing or Tri-tip? Perhaps there isn't a difference but I've seen references to both.

    Robert Hammett -

    I found that I could not remove the Tri-Wing screws with the guide recommended Y1 bit. It was way too large and instantly started stripping the screw. The Y0 bit fits perfectly. I believe the guide incorrectly recommends the Y1. There is also a 3rd Tri-Wing screw in the top left corner of the batters (same orientation as the guide) located UNDER a small black plastic flap.

    Vincent Glon -

    For Logic board removal, I did not find it necessary to remove the 3 tri-point screws or the battery, the board came out no problem.

    Jokton Strealy -

    I did not need to remove the tri-wing screws or the battery to remove the Logic board on my MBP. The logic board comes right out no problem.

    Jokton Strealy -

    As many people above mentioned, I failed to check the tools required. I thought since I’d done other minor fixes/replacements that I’d already have everything I needed but didn’t have that blasted tri-tip screw driver. I got impatient though and forced a small flat head to work with the pliable screw material. Hopefully I didn’t ruin my ability to ever take them out again.

    Tyler Penrod -

    I bought a tool-kit 1.5 years ago to replace the stock HDD with SSD. There’s only one screwdriver of Y type: an index on its facet that reads “CR-V Y2.0“. Will it do? I don’t understand the nomenclature.

    Elijah -

    Replying to myself: I discovered that that screwdriver is a perfect fit for the screw’s in question bit.

    Elijah -

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    • Carefully peel the battery warning label rounded end (the one without glue) off the upper case between the battery and the optical drive to reveal an additional Tri-point screw.

    • Remove the last 7.4 mm Y0 Tri-point screw securing the battery to the upper case.

    • Do not remove the label from the battery.

    Two of the three plastic screw eyelets on my old battery were broken - I guess someone had dropped the computer at some time. So these two little bits of black plastic fell down into the Unibody when I lifted the battery out. I’m glad I saw them so they didn’t rattle around and cause trouble later on!

    Alan Waller -

    I also had all three of the plastic screw eyelets broken off of the battery after I unscrewed. Wasn’t a problem as I was only replacing the battery.

    silas -

    Putting these screws back in was the only problem I ran into – I had to realign the battery a few times before they went in easily.

    Philip Machanick -

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    • Use the attached plastic pull tab to remove the battery from the upper case.

    • If you're installing a new battery, you should calibrate it after installation:

    • Charge it to 100%, and then keep charging it for at least 2 more hours. Next, unplug and use it normally to drain the battery. When you see the low battery warning, save your work, and keep your laptop on until it goes to sleep due to low battery. Wait at least 5 hours, then charge your laptop uninterrupted to 100%.

    • If you notice any unusual behavior or problems after installing your new battery, you may need to reset your MacBook's SMC.

    ifixit kit i bought linked to from here says to discharge below 10% then charge to 100%, but this says to charge, then discharge, then charge. Guess I’ll follow the instructions here, but would be good to update the notes to say whether to disregard the card that comes with the kit or not.

    Nathan Loyer -

    The instructions here in the guide are the most up-to-date. It takes a little longer to make changes/updates to printed materials. Sorry for any confusion!

    Jeff Suovanen -

    WARNING!

    When I lifted my dead battery out, I saw two old 3 mm Phillips case screws lying loose in the bottom of the Unibody. I lifted them out using the magnetism of the Phillips #00 screwdriver.

    On gently shaking the case I could hear that there was another loose item still in there somewhere, so I carefully turned the laptop over to have it fall out – and the whole hard disk fell out, though it remained hanging by its cable! I discovered that the two screws holding the retaining strip (that runs the whole length of the hard disk between it and the DVD unit) had been completely loose!

    Nothing broke, but it was a nasty surprise!

    I had bought this machine second-hand as factory refurbished with twelve months guarantee – and gotten three old case screws and a nasty surprise for free! Apart from that, I’ve been really pleased with it.

    Alan Waller -

    I purchased this battery and kit for my late 2011 MacBook Pro on Wednesday and received it today; Monday. Great timing with shipping! Instructions were VERY handy. I almost missed the screw in STEP 6. Thanks for that guys! The kit is exactly what was needed and the battery came out smoothly and replacement went in without any issue!

    Derek Lipscomb -

    After there complete discharge, it certainly needed helped figuring out how long to recharge – it kept telling me another hour and 30 minutes or so for a while. I hope now it knows as it is useful to have an idea how long it’s going to take.

    Philip Machanick -

    How long should it take to drain when using it normally (just websurfing), after charging to 100% and waiting 2+ hours that first time?

    Annelisse Fifi -

    I noticed after first full charge, the battery lasted a little less than 3 hours w constant web surfing… will it improve?

    yetixhunting -

    yetixhunting - Sep 15, 2022.... Batteries are mass produced. it's not necessary that all the product exhibit the same characteristics.

    It's advisable, that you request for a replacement.

    The correct procedure to calibrate the new battery after it's installed, is to use it till discharge to 25% and then charge it to 100% and hold the charging process for 2 more hours

    Then repeat the process mentioned above namely; (discharge to 25% and charge to 100% hold for 2 hours etc)

    This is process is enough to almost stabilize the battery.

    But remember, you'd not obtain a result of OEM standards, in any case. Apple standards are very stringent and such standards will be be there in other manufacturers. Meaning 7 hrs continuous use, when new.

    FYI the device I'm presently on, is MacBook Pro (15-inch, Late 2011) and I have not replaced the Battery as yet.

    I will not discharge more than 20%.

    Modifications: 126GB HHD replaced to 256GB SSD. 8GB RAM to 16GB. The system is faster than before.

    This machine is the best. Cheers.

    Sree Kumar -

    Hi, I've just bought a new battery from Ifixit for my mid 2012 MacBook Pro. It works well. But my computer doesn't wake up anymore without the Magsafe charger. Then, I can use my laptop. How do I change this ? Thank you.

    seraphinlampion -

Conclusion

Compare your new replacement part to the original part—you may need to transfer remaining components or remove adhesive backings from the new part before installing.

To reassemble your device, follow the above steps in reverse order.

If you notice any unusual behavior or problems after installing your new battery, you may need to reset your MacBook Pro's SMC.

Take your e-waste to an R2 or e-Stewards certified recycler.

Repair didn’t go as planned? Check out our Answers community for troubleshooting help.

Author

Andrew Optimus Goldheart

Member since: 17/10/09

502341 Reputation

37 comments

MAJOR WARNING: this will probably NOT WORK. Sure, you can replace the battery easily enough. But there are MANY reports of Mac OS X not recognizing the new battery, no matter what you do. In my case I've had to put the old, swollen battery back. When I try to use the new one, it installs and connects perfectly, but Mac OS X spends all its time trying to find the battery. The laptop is practically useless because the system resources are consumed with trying to find the battery that it cannot see. Word to the wise—think 3 times before you try this.

sabat -

It sounds like you purchased a faulty or poorly made battery. There are many out there ranging from $25 to over $100. You definitely get what you pay for when it comes to laptop batteries - and it is always a bit of a crapshoot with anything that is not OEM. The Egoway on Amazon worked well for me. About $75 - has good reviews and comes with a 1.5yr warranty.

Derek Sava -

Works as it should. No problems with the new battery. The only thing which is different is, that in my MacBook Pro mid 2012 are Phillipps #000 and Y0 Tri Wing screws instead the above listet.

Christoph Murauer -

After replacing the battery with one from here a few weeks ago, it now says condition: replace now. battery wont last as it's supposed

reyromero -

Will it work without a battery installed?

juanluks -

Yes it should. When I went to an apple store to replace my battery that started to inflate, they asked if I wanted to juste completely remove it or get it replaced.

But don’t forget that without the battery, once you unplug the laptop it is like removing the plug of a desktop computer: everything goes off instantly.

Godzil -

Yes it will - as long as it is attached to AC power

Simon Hess -

Yes, it will.

Calvin -

Yes, it will

NR26 -

I just replaced the battery in my MacBook Pro. The guide was spot on. The only problem I am having after the replacement is that no matter what I do it seems to want to hibernate. I have verified in settings that the system still says never hibernate if the system is plugged in. Any ideas?

Phillip Holt -

Ok, now I am having the now battery problem. At first it recognized and all was good, charged up to 100% with no problems. Now it is at 0% and if I let it go for 10 minutes it shuts off. I bought the new battery from iFixIt.

Phillip Holt -

hey can u guys share what battery brand work perfectly with mid 2012 macbook pro

merrilriandi -

Does anyone have a good estimate of the batter life for the replacement?

Marcus Harrell -

I bought a NewerTech NuPower 77.5 Watt-Hour Replacement Battery for my Mid 2012 model from MacSales.com. It was a seamless startup and is working great now. It came with the two screw drivers necessary to remove the cover and the battery screws. It also provide a link to information about how to cycle the charge on the new battery to give it full charging capacity and to sync it with the laptop.

Don Johnston -

Another Newer Tech buyer from MacSales.com, for another mid-2012 MBP. Yup, comes with proper screwdrivers. Battery is 78 watts and is flawless so far. The link for battery sync and calibration info at NewerTech didn’t work, but I’m a longtime user of the Watts 2 program from binary tricks software [|https://binarytricks.com]. It takes care of the syncing and conditioning of the battery and tells you when to AC power your lappy and when to let the battery run. Try the free 30 day demo.

Steve Cunningham -

Thanks for the guide, made an easy job even easier and safer.

Ordered the battery and tool kit from ifixit and got it a couple of days later (today). Just walked through the steps easy enough, blew it out with air and reassembled in reverse order. Touchpad clicks like new.

On first boot, battery showed 69% and is taking a charge fine - computer worked fine on battery alone for a quick few seconds to test it.

MBP mid-2012

Jeremy thompson -

Hi. Installed a replacement battery as shown. In Windows 10 Resource Monitor, CPU speed shows as 1.2GHz. Is this normal? I don’t have an old battery to compare against.

Eamonn Hoolahan -

I replaced my battery with this tutorial today and found it very helpful. Thank you! I don’t know if the battery will live up to the year warranty or beyond but, it felt great to avoid other expensive and time consuming options.

April Walters -

Used a genuine Apple replacement battery and followed instructions above, worked perfectly. Thank goodness iFixit has those tricky Y0 Tri-point screwdrivers, it might have been quite a challenge without this tutorial and the right tool. After install, checked new battery info in Apple (menu)>About this Mac>System Report>Power (OS-Mojave 10.14) and it showed full power and the new battery was on its second cycle. iFixit battery kit with known high-quality battery and correct tools is simple solution. I’ve learned to trust these folks, they are doing this to help others while earning an honest living, not trying to get rich quick. Thanks!

Marc Bracken -

replacement procedure worked for me as well. The problem appeared later. After 2-3 hours of work, when the battery is at 40-60%, the charge changes to 6-7% and continues to work like that for another hour or more, after which the computer shuts down without warning. Any idea how to fix it ?

Volodymyr Shkurenko -

Did you try an SMC reset?

Jeff Suovanen -

Yes, no changes after SMC reset …

Volodymyr Shkurenko -

I am having the same exact issue right down to the percentages and everything. I don’t understand what is going on. I purchased a battery from this website.

Curtis Potter -

I’m having a similar situation with two different new Apple batteries. After dropping suddenly to 7% it eventually drops to 2% then eventually shows the final warnings and hibernates normally. Reset SMC and PRAM. Going to try NewerTech calibration steps. Hoping someone knows what causes this. Bad charging system?

Joe -

Hi Voloymyr, did you have any luck finding a solution to your issue? What other steps have you tried since your post?

Curtis Potter -

This is all symptomatic of a battery that hasn’t been calibrated properly. Until it’s calibrated, the battery will work, but the % reading will be very unreliable. To calibrate it, charge it to 100% and continue charging it for at least two more hours. Then, unplug and use your laptop until it powers itself off due to a dead battery, and leave it off for at least five hours. Finally, charge it uninterrupted to 100%. If that doesn’t clear up your issue, you likely have a defective battery or some other hardware issue.

Jeff Suovanen -

I have the same situation. Battery dont want to charge, reset SMC 20 or more times. After 5 hoours, firmware say that is battery finished charged 100 % full. After 2 hours, I take off magic safe. The battery droped after half hour to 90 %. After one minutes droped from 90 to 60 %. after 5 minutes Macbook turn off, and dont want recognize the battery. I turn ON magic Safe, reset SMC, battery goes up to 90 %, what happened here ?

Zeljko -

What is the shelf life of these batteries that ifxit sells? Even though the batteris are new, you have to ask when these batteries were produced.

Jimmy Kim -

I dont know. China perhaps,I buy cell from China for 40 $, never again. I check firmware version of my original battery and new one. On new one was 201, on old 406, same manufacturer SMP. I destroy plastic, and open new one. 6 cell was in there and some small electrnoic. I connect this 6 cell in serial, and connect to small 12V bulb 20 W. The Bulb was lighting 2,5 hours. I think that the main problem is in electronic which is charge this 6 cell. But this i my opinion. I buyed for 100 Eur from OWS, NewerTech NuPower, no problem at all.

Zeljko -

Just tried the installation. It does not take 10 mins! It is even quicker than that!

Lovely guide and seems to be working. Battery was recognised. See how long it lasts.

john -

Hat alles super geklappt - vielen herzlichen Dank an die Autoren/Übersetzer!

first -

just replaced battery on my MBP A1286 mid 2012. went quickly (except the broken battery tab and frozen screw that the “reconditioner” apparently broke, proly by overtorquing the screw or something before selling it to me). great help for a newbie fixer weaning herself off “genius bar”. did the swap along with changing over to a 1TB SSD. calibrated the battery, but havenʻt put it to the IRL test yet. unfortunately, i didnʻt read the comments down here about getting good quality battery (duh). i bought mine online for <$45, and now, am holding my breath . . . otherwise, thank you Andrew Optimus Goldheart and team iFixit!

Kahana -

Battery replaced - easy and work like a charm, so far. Waiting for it to charge to 100%

rvdcolf -

from where can I buy a battery and delivery TO MOROCCO?

Ashraf Khalil EL AKEL -

Just beginning the calibration process. Hope it goes better than some seem to have experienced. Great guide, made it really simple.

swotton50 -

Just bought one for my A1286! Hopefully everything goes well and I don’t get what others are saying here.

Luis Angel Santos -