If you’re like most people, you probably use your MacBook to do a lot of work. But if you’re like me, you also use it to play games and watch videos. And if you’re like most people, your MacBook’s battery is about to run out. So how can you charge your MacBook faster? Here are some tips:
- Use a fast charger. A fast charger will help your MacBook recharge faster.
- Use a power cord that has an outlet on one end and a USB port on the other end. This way, when you plug in your MacBook, the power cord will both charge and connect to the computer.
- Use an AC adapter if your laptop doesn’t have an outlet or if the battery isn’t powerful enough to recharge by itself. AC adapters are usually less expensive than chargers and can work with most laptops.
Which Models of MacBook Support Fast Charging?
The easiest way to tell if your MacBook supports fast charging is whether it has a MagSafe 3 charging port (not to be confused with MagSafe on the iPhone). This port appears on most MacBook models released in 2021 and 2022, notably on the MacBook Air with M2 and the 14 and 16-inch MacBook Pro.
The 13-inch MacBook Pro (with M2 chip, released in 2022) lacks a MagSafe 3 port and therefore doesn’t support fast charging. The original M1 MacBook Air released in 2020 also lacks the ability to fast charge.
Older MacBooks, like the Retina MacBook Pro first released in 2012, also featured MagSafe but only models produced after 2021 support fast charging. You can see exactly which Mac you have by clicking the Apple logo in the top-right corner of your screen and selecting the “About This Mac” option.
Apple advertises that MacBooks that support fast charging can reach a capacity of 50% within 30 minutes. The closer the charge percentage gets to 100%, the slower your MacBook will charge.
Some Models Need a Power Adapter Upgrade
While the aforementioned models support fast charging, not all are capable of doing so out of the box. Only the 16-inch MacBook Pro (all models), and 14-inch MacBook Pro (M1 Pro with 10-core CPU or M1 Max versions) have the prerequisite power adapters in the box to enable fast charging.
The 14-inch MacBook Pro with an M1 Pro 8-core CPU ships with a 67w USB-C power adapter, and requires an upgrade to Apple’s 96w USB-C power adapter to use fast charging (using the same USB-C to MagSafe adapter in the box).
MacBook Air M2 variants (released in 2022) ship with a 30w (M2 with 8-core GPU) or 35w (M2 with 10-core GPU) USB-C power adapter in the box, neither of which can fast charge the laptop. You’ll need to upgrade to Apple’s 67w USB-C power adapter to fast charge your MagSafe MacBook Air.
You can also use third-party chargers that provide enough power with most models of MacBook. Some devices, like Apple’s Pro Display XDR, can fast charge the M2 MacBook Air over Thunderbolt. Check out Apple’s recommendations for more information.
Can You Fast Charge Over USB-C?
The 16-inch MacBook Pro (2021) models only support fast charging with the included USB-C to MagSafe cable. 14-inch MacBook Pro and M2 MacBook Air models can charge over USB-C, provided the cable is rated for power delivery.
Learn more about USB Power Delivery and how Gallium Nitride chargers improve the size and efficiency of modern chargers used by Apple and third parties.
