It was supposed to be the future. When Apple dropped the 2016 MacBook Pro, we got the Touch Bar, the butterfly keyboard, and a chassis so thin it felt like it might snap in a stiff breeze. But years later, the real legacy of that machine isn't the OLED strip above the numbers. It’s the power. Specifically, the fact that a 2016 MacBook Pro battery replacement is one of the most unnecessarily complex repairs in the history of portable computing.
If your laptop is currently dying the second you unplug it, you aren't alone. These machines are aging. Lithium-ion batteries have a shelf life. They swell. They lose capacity. Eventually, they just give up.
The Design Choice That Changed Everything
Apple decided to glue the batteries. Not just a little bit of adhesive, either. We are talking about industrial-strength, "this shall never be moved" epoxy that secures the battery cells directly to the underside of the trackpad and the aluminum top case. Honestly, it’s a nightmare. Before 2012, you could pop a couple of screws and swap a battery in ten minutes. With the 2016 model (the A1706, A1707, and A1708 models), Apple integrated the battery into the "Top Case" assembly.
This means if you go to an Apple Store, they usually don't just "swap the battery." They replace the entire top half of the bottom of your computer. Keyboard, trackpad, and battery—all one piece. It’s expensive.
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Why did they do it? Thinness. By gluing the cells directly to the chassis, they saved fractions of a millimeter. But for the average user five or six years later, that saved millimeter feels like a slap in the face when the repair bill arrives.
Knowing When It’s Time to Quit
You’ll know. The macOS battery status menu is surprisingly blunt. It’ll say "Service Recommended" or "Replace Soon." Don't ignore that. If you notice your trackpad is getting harder to click, or if the bottom of your laptop looks slightly bloated, stop using it immediately. That’s a swollen battery. A swollen battery is a physical hazard. It can catch fire, or at the very least, it will warp your aluminum frame until the screen won't close properly.
Checking your cycle count is the pro move here. Hold the Option key, click the Apple logo, go to System Information, and find "Power." If that number is over 1,000, you’re living on borrowed time. Most 2016 units hit that limit years ago.
The DIY Route: Is It Actually Possible?
Can you do it yourself? Yes. Should you? That depends on your caffeine intake and your patience for handling volatile chemicals.
To perform a 2016 MacBook Pro battery replacement at home, you need more than just a screwdriver. You need a specialized kit from somewhere like iFixit or OWC. You need Pentalobe drivers because Apple uses weird star-shaped screws. You need Torx bits. Most importantly, you need a chemical adhesive remover.
Since you can't just "pull" the battery out without puncturing the cells—which, by the way, releases toxic fumes and potentially fire—you have to dissolve the glue. You drip solvent under the battery, wait for it to eat through the epoxy, and then gently pry. It’s a slow, messy process. One slip of your prying tool and you’ve pierced a lithium-ion cell. If that happens, have a bucket of sand nearby. I'm not kidding. Water won't put out a lithium fire.
The A1708 (Non-Touch Bar) vs. The Rest
There is a slight silver lining if you have the "function key" model, the A1708. This version is slightly—and I mean slightly—less hostile to repairs. It doesn't have the Touch Bar ribbon cables snaking over the battery. If you have the 13-inch or 15-inch Touch Bar models (A1706 or A1707), you have to be incredibly careful not to tear the delicate flex cables that control the Touch Bar and the keyboard while you're wrestling with the battery glue.
Apple’s Official Solution vs. Third-Party Shops
If you take it to Apple, expect to pay around $199 to $249, depending on your region and the specific model. The benefit here is the warranty. They give you a 90-day guarantee, and you get a brand-new keyboard and top case in the process. If your "butterfly" keys were sticking anyway, this is actually a pretty good deal. It’s like getting a partial refurb.
But Apple often declares these "vintage" or "obsolete" after a certain point. Once a machine hits that "vintage" mark, parts become scarce at the Genius Bar.
Third-party shops are the middle ground. They’ll usually charge less than Apple, maybe $150 total. But verify their parts. A lot of "new" batteries on eBay are actually "pulls" from old machines or low-quality clones that won't hold a charge for more than three months. You want a shop that uses "New OEM-grade" cells. Ask them if they replace the whole top case or if they use solvent to remove the cells. If they use solvent, they are doing the hard labor to save you money on the part cost.
What Most People Get Wrong About Calibration
Once the new battery is in, you aren't done. You have to calibrate it. This is the part everyone skips.
- Charge it to 100%.
- Keep it plugged in for at least two more hours.
- Unplug it and use it until it dies and the laptop shuts down.
- Let it sit dead for about five hours.
- Charge it back to 100% in one go.
This "teaches" the Power Management Controller (SMC) where the actual 0% and 100% marks are. If you don't do this, your laptop might shut down when the screen says you still have 15% left. It’s frustrating and totally avoidable.
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The Reality of 2016 Hardware in 2026
We have to be honest here. The 2016 MacBook Pro is a decade old. Even with a fresh battery, you're dealing with an Intel processor that runs hot and a keyboard that might fail if a breadcrumb falls on it.
Is it worth spending $200 on a 2016 MacBook Pro battery replacement?
If the laptop is in mint condition and you just need it for web browsing and Word docs, sure. It’s cheaper than a new M3 or M4 MacBook. But if the screen has "stage light" issues (the Flexgate problem where the backlight looks like theater spotlights) or the keys are double-typing, don't throw good money after bad. That money is better spent as a down payment on a refurbished M1 or M2 Air. Those machines have battery life that puts the 2016 model to shame, even when the 2016 was brand new.
How to Make the New Battery Last
If you do go through with the replacement, don't kill the new one. Heat is the enemy. If you’re doing heavy video editing, use a cooling pad. Don't leave it plugged into a charger 24/7 at 100% capacity. MacOS now has "Optimized Battery Charging," which helps, but lithium batteries are happiest when they are between 20% and 80% charge.
Actionable Steps for Your MacBook
If your 2016 MacBook Pro is struggling, here is the immediate path forward:
- Check your serial number: Go to the "About This Mac" menu and copy your serial. Check Apple's service program page. While most of the free battery replacement programs for this era have expired, it’s always worth seeing if your specific serial falls under a recall.
- Run a diagnostic: Restart the Mac and hold the 'D' key. This will run a hardware test. If it throws a code starting with 'PPT', your battery is definitely the culprit.
- Back up your data: Before any repair—especially one involving prying things near the logic board—use Time Machine. If a technician slips or a battery vents, your data is gone.
- Decide on the DIY: Only attempt the adhesive removal if you have a dedicated workspace, the right chemicals (90% Isopropyl alcohol can work in a pinch, but specialized remover is better), and about three hours of uninterrupted time.
- Dispose of the old battery properly: Never, ever throw the old battery in the trash. It is a fire hazard and an environmental disaster. Take it to a Best Buy or a local e-waste recycling center.
The 2016 MacBook Pro was a bridge to the modern era of Apple design. It’s sleek, but it’s fragile. Fixing the battery is the best way to keep it out of a landfill, provided you know exactly what you're getting into before you crack that case open.