You really do not want your laptop computer shutting down without warning, whether you’re doing a spot of work, tapping out an email, playing a game, or whatever else you might be doing.
But this is precisely what’s been happening with a number of entry-level 2019 13-inch MacBook Pro laptops, and affected owners are understandably bent out of shape about it.
According to numerous messages posted on forums about the issue, the shutdown is most likely to occur when the laptop has between 25% and 50% of its battery life remaining. And when it happens, you have to connect it to a power adapter to get it working again.
With complaints piling up since the laptop’s launch in July, MacRumors this week spotted that the tech behemoth has finally acknowledged the issue with the publication of a possible solution on its website.
But before you try the fix, the company says you’ll need to ensure the laptop’s battery level is below 90%.
After that, follow Apple’s instructions below:
If your MacBook Pro (13-inch, 2019, Two Thunderbolt 3 ports) randomly turns off when it still has a charge, these steps might help:
1. Connect your Mac to its power adapter.2. Quit all open applications.3. Close your computer’s lid, which puts your Mac into sleep mode.4. Let your Mac charge for at least 8 hours.5. After 8 hours, update to the latest version of MacOS.
If, after all that, the problem persists, you may feel like throwing the machine out of the window. However, we suggest that you don’t do that and instead follow Apple’s advice to contact the company for help on what to do next.
One particularly active forum thread on the laptop flaw started almost immediately after the affected MacBook Pro launched in the summer.
“I use it as normal (not charging it) gets to about 25% and just cuts out,” the poster wrote. “Only turns back on if I put the charger in. Battery shows as 0% then jumps back up to 25%, happened 4 times.”
The post’s author said they took the faulty laptop back to the Apple Store and it was exchanged for a new one. But that machine suffered the exact same problem.
Apple has had a hard time with its MacBook range in recent years, with everything from keyboard issues (and related lawsuits) to product recalls denting the machine’s reputation. This latest mishap won’t help, though the company is hoping the recent launch of a brand new 16-inch MacBook Pro — the first MacBook without the troublesome keyboard mechanism since 2015 — will set it on a new, more positive course.
We’ve reached out to Apple to find out more about the precise cause of the issue and we will update this article if we hear back.