Replacing the Battery in an Early 2015 Macbook Pro Retina A1502 (EMC 2835)

[@pauld3767]

I know it’s been four years since this video, but you just saved me from having to buy a new computer here in 2024. Thank you for this easy to follow video!

[@theone132]

Will be attempting to do this recently on my laptop, idk how well the battery life is but im sure it could be better in 2024 lol

[@SuperHyperNoob]

I just followed this video also but did not used the acetone. Just used a wide spudger and jammed it in there

[@ShochFL]

Just came to say that this tutorial saved me. It was the only reference I used, and it was flawless. This is years old, but you're still helping people in 2024 brother 🤘

[@markjohnson429]

This is about as close to perfect as it gets -- not a lot of chitchat and everything is clearly visible. This was a lot easier than I expected. Thanks!

[@williamschwader6767]

KZbin is my "go to" for every project that I have, and have never done. And it's because of guys like you sir, that I look like I know what I'm doing! I can't thank you enough for your clear, concise, and straight forward tutorial! If anyone is contemplating this job, Just follow this video, and I'm sure you'll be as successful as I was!!!!!

[@Rickmakes]

I love KZbin for the same reason. I love creating videos and I love watching other people's tutorials.

[@georgebowser767]

First class. We watched the video three times, collected all of the materials required for the job, and successfully replaced the battery in my A1502. It took about three hours. Thank you!

[@Rickmakes]

Glad to help!

[@nothing-oj1sz]

I have a A1502 as well and this video is also helping me. Amazing.

[@michaeldavidheit]

By far this is one of the best videos in this type or repair on You Tube. It convinced me that in spite of my years of experience in electronics repair my best option will be to take my Mac Book Pro to a shop and have it repaired because of the dangers with the batteries and my lack of experience in this particular field. Thank you for your video, sir. It was well done and quite helpful.

[@Slimbenzene139]

This video helped me save $199 for my 2015 MBP. It's awesome since I'm leaving to grad school soon and need to start saving for the move. Thanks for this!

[@Rickmakes]

Great to hear!

[@daisymonsalve1485]

There are several components to battery repairing. One place I discovered that successfully combines these is the Magic Mender Wizard (check it out on google) definately the best info i've seen. look at this super resource.

[@MigueART]

Hello, did you manage to successfully change your battery? Where did you get the battery to save 200 dollars? Since apple charges 200 dollars right?

[@Slimbenzene139]

@@MigueART I didn’t purchase the battery from Apple and I highly doubt they’d sell a spare directly to the consumer. I bought a battery I thought was good quality on Amazon. Lasted until recently when my laptop battery expanded and burst into smoke at my workplace. The $199 is the difference between what it would have costed me to service it with apple at the time. Luckily, my stuff is backed up.

[@MigueART]

@@Slimbenzene139 Okay. Sorry for the loss of your mac, seems to be somewhat real / common problem. I'm just wondering because the cheapest I can go for the battery and the tools would be around 100 dollars. Apple replaces it for 200 dollars so I would only be saving 100 dollars. Do you know what I mean? I'm thinking if the 100 dollars is worth it.

[@ROCKzarastro]

The best battery replacement video manual on this model. Plain and easy. Aceton works just fine. Thanks, dude. You saved me time and money)

[@Rickmakes]

Thank you!

[@cillopsico3775]

The most detailed and safest tutorial out there. Many thanks, my Macbook is up and running again.

[@i_am_ronan]

Great video - saved me €150. I found it helpful to not plug the speakers out, just remove the screws, take them out of the frame, but leave them plugged in (04:48 & 06:02), the plugs seem very delicate and I saw from other comments and videos people ended up breaking them. For the touchpad (at 06:40), I also left the bottom part plugged in. Just be careful when working around them.

[@PaulLebow]

Note: adhesive is really a very viscous fluid. In addition to the credit card and solvent, one can pry the batteries off with a VERY slow gentle force. This also works for trying to peel tape off something without tearing the tape.

[@LesFreed]

I used a wooden spoon with a curved end. Worked like it was made for the job! Thanks for the video.

[@cynthiaaiken2424]

i used a credit card to jimmie it out and brute force i. e. no acetone. then just peeled the tape bits off.

[@guyhenry3047]

This was so helpful, thanks! I decided to use GOO GONE instead of acetone. I figured it was less hazardous and worked very well. I just sprayed it on the edge of an old store loyalty card (don't need them since I just punch in phone number at store.) I learned from two of my mistakes: forgot to push down on the little black lock lever when plugging the trackpad cable in. I assume that's why the trackpad and keyboard didn't work when I fired it back up! Fixed it. Also, I mixed up the case screws and realized some are shorter for the back edge (One wasn't going in far enough bc it was a longer one.) Finally, the battery calibration tips saved me one more internet search.

[@Rickmakes]

They don't make it easy with the screws.

[@PaulLebow]

Great video BUT ... DO NOT REMOVE UPPER SPEAKER CONNECTIONS with spludger tool. Connector can be ripped off the board. The pins can be held more tightly than the flimsy surface solder connections. I had to solder the connectors back to the board - not easy. There is no reason to remove those connectors - just detach speakers and gently move them out of the way. There is also no real reason to remove the lower zero insertion track pad connector. Again, just the upper connector and gently move the ribbon out of the way. Do the minimum!

[@trotilolo]

Thanks dude! I did the same with track pad connector.

[@cynthiaaiken2424]

mine was a little different & didn’t have a trackpad cable on to of the battery

[@i_am_ronan]

Great shout - for those confused these speaker plugs are at 4:48 and 6:02. I just sort of removed the speakers from the frame without plugging them out of the respective sockets (you'll see they are delicate). I worked around them without any issues. Likewise I didn't remove the end of the touchpad cable at 6:42 - just worked around it.

[@PaulLebow]

@@i_am_ronan A lot of times instructions say to remove more than needed. Every cable that is disconnected is a potential problem when trying to reconnect. I had difficulty with the battery connector itself not snapping into place.

[@allahjoseph]

@@PaulLebowlike car repair. Thats how they get those billable hours in repairs lol

[@chriskyoto3121]

Because of this video I've been successfully swap my battery. Thank you Rick, GBU.

[@michaelgaluszka3732]

Best video I've seen for this battery placement. Honestly better then iFixit ... I literally followed this video and only this video and replaced my battery on my 2013 retina Mac in just under an hour. My only comment is that he didn't identify that. The case screws are torx T4 and the screws internally are all torx T5. But that's just being ridiculously picky. Great video!

[@leesinoski]

I did it!!! Been meaning to do this for years & this worked perfectly. Thanks! My 2015 MAC continues to function 100%

[@sammieseoul5544]

Love how detailed this video is... thanks for your efforts on this.

[@Rickmakes]

Thank you!

[@atg5106]

Thank you so much man..!!! I changed the battery on my MacBook on my own and it saved me a ton of money and a lot of time. Such a straight to the point video plus you covered everything there was to cover. Keep it up my man 👍🏼

[@awbennen]

Did the battery cycle counter automatically went back to zero?

[@BP-1988]

Great video! Saved me a bundle. I like the idea of aluminum foil if you are going to use acetone to protect the screen. I also used paper towels between the foil and case to absorb any acetone if it did leak. Also I used a glass eye dropper instead of a syringe so make sure not to puncture to old battery. I also slightly elevated each side of the case so the acetone would flow towards the adhesive. Use the acetone sparingly and work the batteries free with a old thin credit card. Remember, safety first.

[@Samuelsosap]

Awesome! Thank you for the video. Finally fixing my 2015 MacBook Pro 13”. Ordered a new top lid with a new display since mine was cracked, a new battery and a new bottom lid due to the battery imploding and bending it. Thank you so much for the video, saved me from buying a new laptop.

[@vvolf52]

Danke!

[@colinhudson6485]

Great video Rick. I had been following another video to install my battery and this is by far the best. I could not get the track pad to work and followed Ricks video and I had not pressed the clip down on the track pad cable. I thought I had damaged the cable but voila when I pressed the clip down it worked.

[@Rickmakes]

Glad you were able to get it working!

[@mostdev]

Best instruction video on replacing a battery i've ever seen! Awesome work, thanks!

[@rameshrajagopalan8502]

One of the best video for changing the Mac Battery! Much appreciated!

[@michelcedrick]

Dear Mr. RickMakes, your video is just amazing, thank you very much for sharing. I just did the job and my Macbook its running like new. God bless you.

[@Rickmakes]

Thank you!

[@mysticaltech]

Love the focus on safety! :) Often underrated by many!

[@Rickmakes]

Thank you!

Hey, just wanted to thank you for your efforts! Because of your videos I was able to upgrade SSD and replace battery on my MacBook. Cheers!

[@petertothtoma]

Great vid! It is also a good idea to drain the batteries before the process.

[@toddwhittle]

Rick, this is flat out awesome. I was just researching whether to spend the dough on Apple doing this, or whether I could pull a DIY on it. I'm sold. Going to get the battery now. Oh, did I say THANK YOU!? THANK YOU!!!

[@toddwhittle]

Followed step by step. Have one little issue with one of the cover screws, but other than that, flawless. Thanks again!!

[@bydli]

Great video. I manage to change my battery successfully in about 1,5h including a lunch break. Thanks!

[@atulgawali1]

Great Video!! Helped me to replace the battery quickly. Thanks for the close view & nice explanation.

[@hiunckel]

This was a great video, thank you! And the comment from Guy Henry about the different size of the screws on the case was very good also.

[@DJTEDDY507]

Why Apple? Why?? This is way harder than what it should be

[@doughoffman9463]

He does some things that are not necessary: Speaker wires do not need to be disconnected, Only the bottom end of the trackpad cable need be disconnected. etc. It really is not difficult. Consider that Apple is providing a lot of battery capacity in a very thin case form. Want a thick notebook computer? There are plenty of non-Apple notebooks, if you can stomach using them...

[@pattskatoey3139]

@@doughoffman9463 what does battery capacity have to do with what he said? What does the capacity have to do with gluing down and ease of removal?

[@doughoffman9463]

@@pattskatoey3139 Glue is about as thin and small as it gets. Something like a screw-in battery holder would add thickness and consume precious interior volume. One feature of Mac notebooks is thin/light/small. The glue is an enabler of that, allowing for a larger battery than otherwise. I've replaced 3 Mac notebook batteries: no problems with the glue.

[@alsemi-back-up579]

Exactly I Guess Case Screws Do NOT Hold the Battery in Place!!!

[@wattage2007]

They don’t want users being able to easily fix things on their hardware. They’d rather you had to take it to their repair centres where they can skin you alive.

[@Rickmakes]

If you boot while holding down command-R, does it boot you into the recovery console?

[@kokojamboonix]

Hi from 2023. Thanks for the manual, was able to replace the battery

[@bradleyboots687]

Thank you. Straight to the point and easy to watch.

[@dchavez1366]

Its been months when this vid came out. Whats your update on the replacement battery life so far?

[@VikingoChannel]

The people wants to know

[@LightSport316]

I need to know this as well, how long did it last ? Is it even worth my MacBook blowing up ?? Please answer.

[@mamaoho]

I followed this tutorial and replace mine and it was so precise and helpful, thanks so much

[@matze0402]

Just an advice: if you put back in the speakers first and then the battery, you'll have more guidance on placing the battery

[@Rickmakes]

Good tip!

[@Killow]

I tried, couldn't put the battery in, speakers should come after as in the video...

[@matze0402]

@@Killow it worked just fine for me

[@TariebiRobinson]

Just changed my battery today…..this video was very very very helpful….thanks for putting this out….lol i actually forgot the speaker screw placement ….which screw was which but you got it covered.

[@Europhile]

Rick didn't go at it like the proverbial bull in the china shop. Nice careful technique and effective. Very helpful.

[@eustacetarwater2373]

Thank you so much for this how-to video. When I ordered a replacement battery I had no idea what was involved in changing it. Your video was a Godsend - literally. You made it a piece of cake. Thank you very much!

[@irinashustova662]

I used to remove nail polish with that acetone stuff :D Thank you for great manual

[@oneil780]

Awesome video, changed the battery myself, thanks bud

[@mazamike]

Video was helpful, the torque screwdrivers that came with the battery didn’t fit, ordered the Aspsung and couldn’t have been easier. Hopefully the battery has longevity.

[@Rickmakes]

I hope to get at least another five years out of mine.

[@malingehring165]

This video was actually better than one made by an apple repair company..... they completely disassembled the computer down to the motherboard. crazy...

[@Rickmakes]

Thank you!

[@AndrewBoyd15]

How about the BIOS battery? A Google search had said it was under this big battery, but I'm not seeing it 🤔😳

[@martink9785]

Thank you, no messing, easy to see and well explained.

[@trotilolo]

Very helpful video! Thank you! My advice - you can use one thread of paracord for central part of battery under touchpad.

[@MrVeeBlog]

Thanks for this. I used a small flat head screwdriver to gently "encourage" the battery to release from its moorings. I was clean out of acetone anyway. :) But as expected, this battery was old enough that the glue was not nearly as sticky and it came out cleanly for me. Now, I can close the lid. Good stuff.

[@NewtonWard]

Amazing video, i did the acetone thing and they came right off. my batteries were enormous 😂. thank you for the insightful video

[@thom-tom-thomy]

Total life saver. Thanks!

[@Rickmakes]

You're welcome!

[@cynthiaaiken2424]

I was actually just trying to identify the battery connector for another reason, but discovered that my batteries were swole. so i did what i needed to do and reassembled sans battery. works gine for now. now we wait.

[@Rickmakes]

Please report back if you every have any problems. I'm guessing it will work fine.

[@nk0surfer]

Very helpful and very well explained!! Thanks for the great work!

[@boogiedownbronx73]

To remove the adhesive i used nail remover...after startup you should calibrate the battery...it depends on the brand one got...my new battery says to empty the current cycle then recharge till 100

[@michaeljoshua2422]

May I ask you a question Rick. Seeing it is so difficult to remove these batteries do you think one can get by installing a new one without the adhesive label taken off to make it easy to replace next time. I need to swap a battery shortly and given the full backing adhesive of the new batteries I was thinking not to stick it down which if tight enough might just do? What do you think. Many thanks for your videos which are very informative and helpful.

[@greenbristol]

Thank you for this great procedure video. I just read the reviews on Amazon for the Ninja brand battery you featured... The most recent ones are very negative indicating it only lasted a few months... After that it only gave a 10% charge. Some also swelled up quickly damaging the MacBook case. Do you recommend any other brands now?

[@adenlindeboom657]

cheers brother this was a amazing help ❤❤

[@raffaele7185]

Thank you so much! I successfully replaced the battery. This guide was spot on!

[@moeshyassin]

Can you specify the seringe details please? I can't find it in the provided link. I want the one with the head similar to yours

[@jonathanleonel1444]

Thank you, anotoher success case here!

[@Rickmakes]

You're welcome!

[@neekerbreeker]

Thanks, your video made this so much easier!

[@Rickmakes]

Glad it helped!

[@EdTate]

Thank you so much for this video. Your advice worked like a charm. 😊🎉

[@emmanuelzichat3328]

Thanks a million. You saved me cost and trust for insincere technicians.

[@Rickmakes]

Glad to help!

[@BenGarseeya]

This video helped me fix my issue! Appreciate it! 🙌🏽

[@auslander1026]

I had used a different battery from ebay and got a very slow MBP after replacement. However, after getting ANTIEE it was back to normal! Just keep in mind type of battery is important.

[@joeysalazar5928]

This video was extremely helpful, thanks.

[@rjkral]

Yep! Apple sure makes this stuff user friendly!

[@christophergordon3]

Very useful video. I accidentally disconnected the keyboard connector. Fortunately, it worked fine once that was reconnected.

[@bobcat6653]

Fantastic, well done. Thank You!

[@robertmatiska3489]

Excellent video! Thanks so much. 2 of the cells on my granddaughters battery pack were swollen. I took the machine out on the deck to use the acetone. I might add "No Smoking!" when using acetone. The old battery is out and the new one will go in after dinner.

[@adrian1072]

Dont we need to reset SMC and NVRAM after that procedure? If so, when exactly is it performed?

[@Rickmakes]

I haven't needed to reset the SMC or NVRAM or this procedure.

[@omemester6985]

Is it possible to completely remove the battery and use the MacBook without it?

[@maia2294]

While removing the adhesive that is on top of the track pad, is it okay to wipe the alcohol over the 8 screws on the track pad? First time fixing mines so should I be worried if alcohol seeps through the lining of the screws? Thanks in advance.

[@Rickmakes]

So long as you don't soak it, you should be fine. I haven't had any trouble with wiping with alcohol.

[@eddybobby6211]

FYI, with lithium (Lipo) batteries being drained can be far more dangerous. Drained lithium batteries blow up hence why they have Lipo battery drain detectors. You never can fully drain one on a legitimate electronic device. You should have researched lithium batteries more. I know it sounds odd but it is true. Since your MacBook Pro batteries have expanded already, they were about to blow, pop, catch fire. I hope you disposed of them at battery world or some legit battery source. When disposing of lithium batteries you should use a Lipo disposal bag too. From my understanding and limited experience with Lipo batteries you can harmed them more by draining them all the time and then over charging them (meaning leaving them on charger for long periods of time). Now with laptops the technology allows this unlike with replaceable Lipo batteries with RC hobbies & AEGs hobbies. Now with laptops as you can see there is a point to how many times you have a charge cycle on Lipo batteries before replacing them. From my readings you can charge a lithium battery halfway or 3/4th way with no issues. It is better to charge it with some level of charge on it than to allow it to die. Example, I noticed between my wife and I, my cellphone's battery always last longer than hers because she always drains her batteries till the phone shuts off where I charge once it hits 25% or higher. At times, she will leave the phone dead for a day or so which is bad for the battery and electronic device. www.amazon.com/dp/B07BN7WLQ5/ref=cm_sw_r_tw_dp_U_x_6YszEbW3SZCW6 via @amazon

[@Rickmakes]

Discharged lithium batteries are safer so long as you don't charge them. Dendrites (which can short the battery) are formed when charging a depleted battery. As you mentioned, protection circuitry keeps you from truly, fully discharging most lithium batteries. Battery University says this on the topic, "The recycling process of Li-ion batteries normally begins with deactivation involving a full discharge to remove the stored energy and prevent a surprise thermal event." (batteryuniversity.com/learn/article/recycling_batteries) I took my battery to be recycled the day after I replaced it. I didn't want it hanging around.

[@lukedewitt297]

Thank you, you saved me a couple of hundred dollars as well. Great video and easy to follow.

[@Rickmakes]

Glad it helped

[@MigueART]

Hello, did you manage to successfully change your battery? Where did you get the battery to save 200 dollars? Since apple charges 200 dollars right?

[@SamuelTheCoello]

*uses your video as an only reference like you told me not to do*

[@Voodoopriester]

oh yes, my batteries look like this, too. thanks for the video, 'cause of Corona the repair-service doesn't work fast

[@Rickmakes]

No problem 👍

[@ShopperPlug]

Thanks, this helped me in changing macbook pro A1502 battery easily due to this video. Luckily I have pure acetone with me. That adhevie is really strong and not using some kind of adhesive remover will make this battery change into a disaster, you could end up accidentally ripping a cable ribbon or puncture the battery or even damaging the PCB.

[@shafiqkhan87]

How do i know which model EMC it is 2835 or 2875?

[@WilliamChennn]

If I want to replace the speakers as well, should I do the battery first?

[@mango-gu5xo]

Nice video, I will replace the battery in the following your steps.

[@mrtools2]

Thanks, Rick. Very helpful video. I just ordered a battery via your link to help you get rich soon!

[@Rickmakes]

Thank you! I appreciate it.

[@peterd21864]

Hi. Thank you for your video. It was very clear and enabled me to replace my battery successfully. I think I’ll try my iPhone now😅

[@parkerdach]

Perfect video! Very helpful! Not that hard when I can see each step.

[@pattskatoey3139]

How is that battery holding up two years later Rick?

[@Rickmakes]

It was working great but after two and a half years it started bloating like the original battery. I don't think it was the battery's fault. I ended up getting another computer and this computer ended up in a secondary role where I wasn't cycling the battery regularly. As such, it was plugged into the charger 24/7. I replaced it again and am going to make sure to cycle the battery regularly so the charge controller can re-calibrate. The same thing happened with another older Macbook I have that is always plugged in. I think doing regular cycling of the battery is going to make them last a lot longer.

[@markgabrielpalubon8450]

I would like to ask sir. How's the battery?

[@JoBot__]

Thank you, this worked perfectly. :D

[@timsawyer7443]

This looks like a terrific video tutorial, and following it was super easy. However, when I got everything back together, my keyboard no longer worked (at all). Any idea why, or what I can do to fix that?

[@Rickmakes]

Hard to say but I would try disconnecting and reseating the connectors you removed to replace the battery.

[@aomgmbh3941]

Very helpful. Thank you so much

[@Rickmakes]

You're very welcome!

[@Swenser]

How about the BMS board? What happens if I replace cells? Does the BMS do the self destruct thing like some PC laptops?

[@Rickmakes]

I haven't had any self destruct issues. It has been working great since I put it in.

[@Swenser]

@@Rickmakes if you cut the connection of one of the bricks in the pack and resolder it back then you can tell if the bms ic will die. Probably will. I don't recommend it. Replacing a whole battery isn't a problem.

[@Panslapper]

How has your battery faired over a year later? Is it holding a good charge?

[@Rickmakes]

No problems with it. It is working great.

[@blur329]

perfect ...grazie sei stato molto utile e preciso....molte grazie

[@arivonto]

Thank you, I have the same model and problem. Your video helped me figure out how to replace the molded battery. Thanks again! :)

[@Rickmakes]

Glad it helped!

[@havenspacecoaching]

Thank you so much! I was able to fix it in no time and for under 50$.

[@allahjoseph]

I work on cars a lot. Build guns. Just took my maschine apart. This gave me a 😅 when he mentioned fires n stuff, but i must say- doesnt look thattttt bad. A lot crazier than the 2012, but doable. Ill let you know how it goes- oh anyone new, read comments for best efficiency practices n watch more vids but this guy is A1(chip)

[@YourMissingThePoint]

Hey there. Does this tutorial apply for a mid 2015 MacBook Pro 15 inch as well?

[@Rickmakes]

Looking through this: www.ifixit.com/Guide/MacBook+Pro+15-Inch+Retina+Display+Mid+2015+Battery+Replacement/89284 , it looks like the procedure is similar but there are a few differences with cables you remove and such.

[@YourMissingThePoint]

@@Rickmakes thank you

[@TobeyHicks]

AMAZING... thanks again, PERFECT Instructions

[@chuckisback08]

Succesfully done! Thanks for the great Video!!

[@Rickmakes]

Great to hear!

[@nobhillrox]

Great stuff, thank you.