MacBook Pro's persistent charging issue across all ports

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Level 1

4 points

MacBook Pro's persistent charging issue across all ports

My MacBook has a persistent charging problem that happens across all charging ports, including all USB-C ports and the MagSafe port, even when using a brand-new official Apple charger and cable.

When the charger is plugged in, the charging status keeps switching automatically between:

Charging (⚡ lightning icon)
Not Charging (🔌 plug icon)

It changes back and forth without me touching the cable, the laptop, or the port. The charger stays firmly connected and does not feel loose.

Sometimes it shows:

“Battery Not Charging”
Plug symbol instead of the lightning symbol
A charging estimate (ex: “2h 41m until fully charged”) that suddenly disappears when it switches modes

The MagSafe light itself does not flicker, but macOS still keeps switching the charging state internally — this happens even with the lid open and the system idle.

I have already tried:

Replacing the charger with an official Apple 140W brick
Trying a new official USB-C/MagSafe cable
Testing every port on the laptop
Cleaning the ports
Using different outlets
Restarting and shutting down the Mac

Despite all of this, the issue continues on every single port, which suggests the problem is inside the Mac and not related to the charger or cable.

My battery health is currently 83%, which may indicate an issue with the battery controller or the internal power-management system. The problem appears to be unstable power intake, likely related to the internal battery hardware or the power-delivery circuitry on the logic board.

[Re-Titled by Moderator]

Original Title: MacBook

MacBook Pro 14″, macOS 15.6

Posted on Nov 24, 2025 4:09 PM

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Answer 1

HWTech

Level 9

68,240 points

Nov 24, 2025 4:45 PM in response to paddyyy

If the Battery Condition is showing "Service Recommended" or fails the Apple Diagnostic, then the problem may be with the Battery, but it is not certain.

If it is not the battery and since the MagSafe & all USB-C ports have the same behavior, then it would most likely be the Logic Board.

Without knowing the exact model of your laptop except that it is an M-series Mac, it is hard to say which option is most likely. However, as a guess from my own personal experience with M-series Macs, more than likely the issue will be with the Logic Board (even if the battery is showing a problem). Unfortunately the days of quickly swapping in a known good battery to test an Apple laptop are gone. So be prepared if the Battery is replaced first, that the issue may still remain.

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