Summary
Plugged your MacBook charger in and nothing happened?
There are some obvious, not-so-obvious, and downright unpredictable reasons why your MacBook might refuse to charge.
Heres a checklist to run through to troubleshoot the problem.
Marcus Mears III / How-To Geek
Your MacBook will learn your habits and charge based on usage patterns.
Weve Got to Ask, Is It Plugged In?
double-check that the charger is properly seated in the MagSafe or USB-C port.
Tim Brookes / How-To Geek
If you have a MagSafe cable, it should have an LED indicator on it.
Is the MagSafe or USB-C Cord Connected Properly?
Take the connector out, put it back in, and check that its connected properly.
Tim Brookes / How-To Geek
There is no right way to connect a MagSafe or USB-C charger, theyre completely reversible.
If you have a wall adapter with a removable cable, ensure the cable is connected properly there too.
Is the Port and Connector Clean and Making Proper Contact?
Tim Brookes / How-To Geek
Compared to a USB-C port, the MagSafe port is quite large.
Remove the charger and take a good look at the port and the connector.
You should be able to see the gold contacts on both the port and the connector.
Tim Brookes / How-To Geek
MacBooks that charge over USB-C are less prone to this problem, but its still possible.
Try using another USB-C port to see if the problem persists.
Has the Charger or Cable Been Damaged?
Tim Brookes / How-To Geek
Cables dont last forever, and a frayed cable can be a danger to you and your laptop.
In the best-case scenario, a severely damaged cable will simply refuse to charge your laptop.
Inspect your cable and adapter for damage.
Tim Brookes / How-To Geek
Many MacBook models ship with adapters that have wall plugs that can be swapped out.
Try re-seating yours to see if that helps.
Damaged chargers and cables should be replaced.
Are You Using The Right Adapter, and Is There Enough Power?
Sometimes you wont even notice something is wrong, as your Mac may charge and behave as normal.
Meanwhile, a MacBook Air user using a more powerful MacBook Pro charger will never run into problems.
Apple
Double-check youre plugged into the right charger to be sure.
The easiest fix weve found is to power-cycle your MacBook wall adapter.
Turn it off and unplug it, wait for a minute, then turn it back on again.
Nothing good can come of it.
Got an Intel Mac?
Learn and why you might want to reset the SMC on an Intel Mac.
Switch out the adapter and cable, if possible.
You should also try using a different wall plug, just in case the socket is to blame.
