MacBook plugged in but not charging? What it means

First, read what the battery menu says

Click the battery icon in the menu bar. Apple uses specific wording for each reason charging stops, so the message is the quickest diagnosis:

"Charging On Hold" and "Charged to [%] Limit" both come from Apple's article on Optimized Battery Charging and Charge Limit. The reasons for "Not Charging" come from Apple's Not Charging guide.

If you prefer Terminal, this reads the same status and changes nothing:

pmset -g batt

The first line names the power source, 'AC Power' or 'Battery Power'. The second gives the percentage and state, such as charging, discharging, charged or AC attached; not charging.

Deliberate pauses

Optimized Battery Charging holding at 80%

Optimized Battery Charging (macOS 11 and later) learns your daily routine and delays charging past 80% when it predicts you'll stay plugged in for a long time, aiming to have it full by the time it expects you to need it. While it waits, the menu says Charging On Hold. That's normal (Apple).

To change it, open System Settings › Battery and click the info button next to Charging (on macOS 15, next to Battery Health). You can turn it off only until tomorrow.

Charge Limit (macOS 26.4 and later)

On Macs with Apple silicon and macOS 26.4 or later, you can set a Charge Limit between 80% and 100% in the same Charging panel. Your Mac charges to within a few percent of it, stops, and shows Charged to [%] Limit. If the level drops more than 5% while plugged in, it charges back up to the limit. On macOS 26 and 27, the menu also stops showing a time-to-full estimate when the limit is below 100% (Apple). Whether you should keep a limit at all is a separate question; Should I use a charge limit? covers it.

With either feature, your Mac occasionally charges to 100% anyway, to keep its battery estimates accurate.

Battery health management

Apple says your Mac may pause charging to extend the battery's life, and that the battery may drain to 93% or lower before it starts charging again. The menu shows Not Charging while this happens. It's normal, and it sorts itself out.

The battery is too warm

If the battery gets warmer than Apple recommends, charging may stop at 80%. Apple's tip: if Optimized Battery Charging is off and your Mac still won't go past 80%, the battery may be too hot, so move it somewhere cool and well ventilated. In a poorly ventilated spot, such as under a blanket or on thick carpet, the adapter itself may turn off to avoid overheating (Apple). Apple says Mac laptops work best at ambient temperatures of 10 to 35 °C (50 to 95 °F). See why your MacBook runs hot.

The adapter can't keep up

A low-wattage adapter may give your Mac enough power to run but not enough to charge. And a heavy workload, such as video editing or a game, can draw more than the adapter supplies, so the battery drains even while plugged in. Apple recommends an adapter with at least the wattage of the one recommended for your Mac (Apple):

To see what the connected adapter actually provides, hold Option and choose Apple menu › System Information, select Power, and look under AC Charger Information for the wattage. A display that charges your Mac shows up here too.

When it really isn't charging

Cable, adapter, port and MagSafe checks

1. Look for damage on the port, cable, adapter and wall plug. If anything is damaged, stop using it.
2. Try a different cable. Some USB-C cables only carry data and won't charge a Mac. If it charges with another cable, or only when you wiggle yours, stop using that cable.
3. On a MagSafe Mac, try USB-C. Apple says MacBook models with MagSafe 3 can also charge with a USB-C charge cable, which tells you quickly whether the MagSafe cable is the problem.
4. Try another outlet, and check it with something you know works, like a lamp.
5. Unplug the adapter from the wall for a minute. The adapter shuts itself off when it senses electrical noise from the outlet; Apple names lights with ballasts and fridges on the same circuit as common causes.
6. Clean the port with a soft, dry, lint-free cloth.
7. Shut down, close the lid for 30 seconds, then open it and try again.

Restart: on Apple silicon, this is the “SMC reset”

Many older answers tell you to reset the SMC with a key combination. That only applies to Intel Macs. On a Mac with Apple silicon, make sure it's plugged in and restart it; Apple says the SMC resets automatically and no other steps are needed (Apple). On Intel Macs, Apple's article gives the key combinations.

Updates, a flat battery and diagnostics

• Install macOS updates. Apple says some software and firmware updates improve how your Mac talks to the power adapter.
• Give a flat battery time. A Mac that's been in storage may need about 20 minutes on the charger before you can use it.
• Run Apple Diagnostics. On Apple silicon, shut down, press and hold the power button until you see the startup options, then press and hold Command-D (Apple).
• Check the battery's condition in System Settings › Battery. A worn battery can behave oddly when charging; our guide to checking battery health explains the numbers, and Service Recommended covers your options.

Get a full charge when you need one

Before a trip, click the battery icon in the menu bar and choose Charge to Full Now. It works for both Optimized Battery Charging and Charge Limit. If you use a third-party charging app such as AlDente, it has its own controls; macOS Charge Limit vs AlDente explains how the two compare.

When to contact Apple

If none of the steps above get it charging, Apple suggests contacting Apple or an Apple Authorized Service Provider. Bring your Mac, the adapter and the cables you use. Apple also asks you to get in touch if the adapter sparks from anywhere other than the plug's blades, or shows damage or discoloration. An adapter that's warm during normal use is expected (Apple).

How Tend helps

With Tend Pro, the Battery page shows whether macOS's Charge Limit is on and at what level, which answers most "why is it stuck at 80%?" questions at a glance, with a button that opens the setting. Tend's free Battery Coach looks at how you actually charge and tells you whether you need a limit at all. Tend never stops or starts charging itself; macOS does that (how the Charge Limit works with Tend).

Questions

Related guides

Sources

• Apple, About Optimized Battery Charging and Charge Limit on Mac
• Apple, If your Mac battery status is "Not Charging"
• Apple, If your Mac battery won't charge and If your Mac battery won't charge completely
• Apple, Use a power adapter with your Mac
• Apple, If your USB-C power adapter isn't charging your Mac laptop
• Apple, Reset the SMC of your Mac
• Apple, Use Apple Diagnostics to test your Mac
• Apple, Monitor your Mac laptop's battery
• man pmset and pmset -g batt on macOS 27.0.1

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