Replacing the battery in a MacBook Air 13" Retina (A2337 / A2389)

On a MacBook Air 13" Retina (2020), the battery is the part that ages fastest. When runtime collapses or the machine shuts down without warning, it is almost always the battery — rarely anything else. Here is how to confirm it, what the part costs and how the replacement goes.

In short: the battery of the 2020 MacBook Air M1 (A2337) is 4380 mAh, Apple part number 661-16086; the one for the 2020 Intel MacBook Air (A2179), which looks similar, does not fit. Replace it when the battery condition shows “Service Recommended” or the capacity drops below 80%; if the case bulges or the trackpad no longer clicks, the battery has swollen: stop using it. On this model, it is screwed in and glued (pull-tab adhesive strips) and can be replaced on its own, in about thirty minutes.

Confirm the battery is the problem

In macOS, open System Settings (or System Preferences on older versions) › Battery › Battery Health. The cycle count is in System Information › Power.

  • Maximum capacity below 80 %, or a « Service Recommended » / « Replace Now » notice: replacement is justified.
  • Sudden shutdowns with charge remaining, or a machine that only runs plugged in: the battery is at end of life.
  • Bulging bottom case, a trackpad that no longer clicks, a machine that no longer sits flat: the battery has swollen. Stop using and charging it, and never puncture a swollen cell. See Swollen MacBook battery: what to do.

If you are unsure whether the battery or the charger is at fault, our page MacBook not charging walks through the diagnosis.

Check the exact model

The model number (A2337 / A2389 for this machine) is engraved on the underside in small type. Machines that look identical can take different batteries: check before ordering. Full method in Finding your Mac's model number.

The part

Compatible modelsA2337 / A2389 — 2020
Capacity4380 mAh
Voltage11.39 V
Energy49.9 Wh
Apple part number661-16086
Compatible EMC3598

Versions we stock:

The difference between cobalt and ternary cells is explained in Cobalt vs ternary battery.

The replacement

On this generation the battery is screwed in and glued: screwed in on a bracket and glued with adhesive pull-tabs, with no glue to dissolve, which makes replacement far simpler than on models where the glue has to be dissolved. Note where each screw goes: they are not all the same length.

  1. Prepare the machine: run the charge below 25 %, shut down fully (not sleep), unplug the power.
  2. Open the bottom case and note the screw positions.
  3. Disconnect the battery first, before touching anything else. Lift the connector straight up.
  4. Remove the old battery: take out its Torx T5 screws, pull the adhesive strips slowly (have new strips ready), then lift it out holding it by the edges, without pressing on the cells.
  5. Fit the new one the same way round and reconnect the connector last.
  6. Test before refitting every screw: power on and check that charging is detected.

Precautions. Work on a clear, non-conductive surface. Never puncture, bend or force a battery: a damaged lithium cell can catch fire. A used battery goes to a collection point, never in household waste.

After the replacement

Run one full cycle: charge to 100 %, leave it on mains two more hours, then use normally until it shuts down. The gauge recalibrates. On Apple Silicon Macs there is no SMC reset to perform: that procedure no longer exists, a restart is enough.

Do it yourself or leave it to us

If you would rather not open the machine, we carry out the replacement in our Paris workshop: see Battery replacement service. Either way the part is tested before shipping and guaranteed.

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