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MacBook Pro catching fire? Apple issues safety recall for overheating batteries

MacBook Pro stock photo
Parth Shah/Pexels

Apple customers who own an older-generation MacBook Pro (who may have gotten the laptop with the Black Friday MacBook deals) may need to pay attention to recent safety recall issued by the technology company.

Via a press release published Thursday, June 20, Apple announced that a certain older model of its MacBook Pro may contain a battery that may overheat and “pose a safety risk.” The recall is said to only affect 15-inch, Retina display MacBook Pros “sold primarily between September 2015 and February 2017.” The recall does not include any other MacBook Pro units or any other Mac notebook.

The press release also encourages Apple customers to visit its Battery Recall Program website, which has been set up to provide further instructions on how to see if their MacBook Pro is affected by the recall and how to claim their free battery replacement. The program website doesn’t offer much in the way of additional details on the exact nature of why the recall was issued but it did specifically mention that the affected batteries could “pose a fire safety risk.”

According to the Battery Recall Program website, customers can check if their MacBook Pros are eligible for a replacement battery by selecting About This Mac from the Apple menu, which should be located in the top-left corner of your MacBook Pro’s screen. If your MacBook Pro is listed as being a “MacBook Pro (Retina, 15-inch, Mid 2015),” you’ll then want to enter your Mac’s serial number into the eligibility checker text box on the Battery Recall Program website and then hit Submit to see if your device is eligible for a free battery replacement from Apple.

If your laptop is eligible, there are three ways to get it replaced: You can make an appointment at an Apple retail store, use a service provider that Apple has authorized, or just contact Apple Support to have them help you mail in your MacBook Pro to be serviced at the Apple Repair Center. It’s worth noting, however, that regardless of which option you pick, your laptop will be sent to the Apple Repair Center and Apple says your repair can take one to two weeks, and it’s unclear if that estimated timeframe includes the time it takes to ship it to and from the Repair Center.

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Anita George
Anita has been a technology reporter since 2013 and currently writes for the Computing section at Digital Trends. She began…
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