Introduction
Use this guide to safely remove and replace the battery from an Early 2020 MacBook Air.
To minimize risk of damage, turn on your MacBook and allow the battery to fully discharge before starting this procedure. A charged lithium-ion battery can be very dangerous if accidentally punctured. If your battery looks puffy or swollen, take extra precautions.
This procedure involves removing both speakers. You will need new adhesive to properly reinstall the speakers to avoid excess vibrations or rattling.
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If your MacBook is running Big Sur v11.1 or later, disabling Auto Boot may not work. You can proceed normally, but make sure to disconnect the battery as soon as you're inside.
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Use a P5 driver to remove the following screws:
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Two 7.9 mm screws
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Two 7.1 mm screws
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Six 2.6 mm screws
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Wedge your fingers between the display and the lower case and pull upward to pop the lower case off the Air.
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Remove the lower case.
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Set it in place and press firmly to engage the two hidden clips underneath. You should feel and hear them snap into place.
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Use a spudger to slide the battery connector parallel to the logic board and out of its socket on the logic board.
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Slide the pointed end of a spudger underneath the left speaker cable and pry straight up to disconnect it from the logic board.
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With the connector disconnected, slide the flat end of a spudger under the cable to separate the adhesive securing the cable to the logic board.
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Use a pair of tweezers to peel back the black pull tab on the speaker's stretch-release adhesive until you can grip it with your fingers.
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Grab the adhesive strip's pull tab and slowly pull the adhesive strip out from underneath the speaker.
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Pull the adhesive strip until it's freed from under the speaker.
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Apply heat to the speaker to soften the adhesive underneath.
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Carefully slide a spudger or opening pick underneath the speaker to separate the adhesive.
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Slide the pointed end of a spudger underneath the right speaker cable and pry straight up to disconnect it from the audio board.
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Use a pair of tweezers to lift up the black adhesive pull tab at the bottom of the right speaker, enough so you can grab it with your fingers.
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Grab the adhesive strip's pull tab and slowly pull the adhesive strip out from underneath the speaker.
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Pull the adhesive strip until it's freed from under the speaker.
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Apply heat to the speaker to soften the adhesive underneath.
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Carefully slide a spudger or opening pick underneath the speaker to separate the adhesive.
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On the left side of the MacBook, use a pair of tweezers to peel back the three black pull tabs on the battery's stretch-release adhesive strips until you can grip them with your fingers.
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Grab an adhesive strip's pull tab and slowly pull it out from underneath the battery.
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Pull the adhesive strip until it's freed from under the battery.
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Repeat for the two remaining adhesive strips on the battery's left side.
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Remove the battery assembly.
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If you're installing a new battery, follow the calibration procedure:
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Charge it to 100%, and keep charging it for at least 2 more hours.
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Unplug and use it normally to drain the battery.
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When you see the low battery warning, save your work, and keep your laptop on until it goes to sleep due to low battery.
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Wait at least 5 hours, then charge your laptop uninterrupted to 100%.
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Compare your new replacement part to the original part—you may need to transfer remaining components or remove adhesive backings from the new part before installing.
To reassemble your device, follow the above steps in reverse order.
Take your e-waste to an R2 or e-Stewards certified recycler.
Repair didn’t go as planned? Check out our Answers community for troubleshooting help.
8 comments
Any users brave enough to try this battery replacement on their own? I’m looking at it to get myself prepared for what is expected in the future. I can see myself keeping this M1 MBA for a long time so replacing the battery is going to be in my future.
Best of luck to anyone out there trying this! It doesn’t look particularly difficult.
These new MacBook Airs definitely have a simpler battery replacement procedure than other MacBook models. Whenever you need the M1 MacBook Air battery replacement guide, you can find it here! Have fun fixing!
I have a 2020 MacBook air that got water damage. It was still working until the battery died but then wouldn't charge. I've replaced the screen as it had water marks and the battery looked like it had shorted out (there was blisters on it). So I replaced the battery too. But it's still not turning on after charging it overnight. I've doubled checked everything is connected inside. Is there's anything I need to reset or check to get it to charge up and turn on?
Ryan, you could look into trying a new USB-C board, because if that doesn't function due to liquid damage then the new battery may not charge. Especially because you said:
It was still working until the battery died but then wouldn't charge.
Best of luck in your repair!
Can anyone help??? Have completed the battery replacement but now my MacBook won’t turn on unless plugged into the charger, when it does turn on the battery symbol has an X over it and the fans are working hyper speed and the MacBook itself is running sluggish… HELP!!
FYI: I'm not a computer repair guy, nor I claim to know how to do it. However, I have to ask: Are you sure you plugged the battery cable(s) properly? Is the battery brand-new? Have you tried to send that battery back and see if it was the battery's fault? Give a good look at all the cables and check if they're properly connected. Also, make sure the battery is the correct one for the device, sometimes something slips.
Hopefully You have it fixed by now.