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Here’s what Apple says to do if your 2019 MacBook Pro is randomly shutting down

Published Dec 4th, 2019 7:05PM EST
MacBook Pro 2019 battery life issues
Image: Apple Inc.

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If you’re among the MacBook Pro users whose 13-inch variant of the laptop keeps shutting down all of a sudden for no reason — with a variety of reports noting that seems to happen when the laptop still has anywhere from 25% to 50% of its battery life left — it’s no doubt a frustrating experience. Apple, for its part, has gone ahead and confirmed the shutdown problem and published a support document that details a step-by-step walkthrough of what you should do if this keeps happening to you.

According to Apple, here’s what you should do if your MacBook Pro is randomly shutting off even when the battery is still showing a remaining charge:

  • First, if the battery on your MacBook Pro isn’t yet charged up to the 90% level, proceed to the next step. If your battery is showing that it’s more than 90% charged, use your computer until the battery drops below 90% and then continue to the next step below.
  • Go ahead and connect your Mac to its power adapter.
  • Close all open applications.
  • Close the laptop’s lip to put it in sleep mode.
  • Leave it alone to charge for at least eight hours.
  • After that eight-hour period is up, make sure you’re updated to the latest version of macOS.

Users in MacRumors‘ forum have been lamenting that for those of them who have been confronted with the shutdown issue, they seem to only be able to turn their MacBook Pro on again by connecting the wall charger. This problem also is unfortunate, because for some users the shutdown issue represents one of a small handful of issues the laptop is experiencing. A 9to5Mac writer today wrote about troubleshooting his problematic MacBook Pro, with a technician noting the following as among the problems it’s having: “Unresponsive keys. Battery run time too short. Intermittent shutdown.”

Unfortunately, if the steps above suggested by Apple don’t solve the shutdown issue for you, the next step listed is — you guessed it — to contact Apple.

Andy Meek Trending News Editor

Andy Meek is a reporter based in Memphis who has covered media, entertainment, and culture for over 20 years. His work has appeared in outlets including The Guardian, Forbes, and The Financial Times, and he’s written for BGR since 2015. Andy's coverage includes technology and entertainment, and he has a particular interest in all things streaming.

Over the years, he’s interviewed legendary figures in entertainment and tech that range from Stan Lee to John McAfee, Peter Thiel, and Reed Hastings.