At issue is a battery inside these older generation notebooks that Apple says could overheat and pose a safety risk. The company says the recall doesn’t impact other 15-inch MacBook Pros or any of the company’s other Mac laptops.
You can identify whether your computer is eligible for a free battery replacement by its serial number.
To find out, choose About This Mac from the Apple menu (identified by the Apple logo in the upper-left corner of your screen.) If you have “MacBook Pro (Retina, 15-inch, Mid 2015),” enter your computer’s serial number on the program page.
Apple has created a website where you can get details on where to get service if you need it. Resolution could take a week or two.
The issue got attention late last month when WhitePanda posted video on Twitter and Reddit that went viral showing the musician’s MacBook Pro after it exploded and burst into flames. White Panda reported no injuries and said in a tweet, “good thing I wasn’t on a plane.”
The comment echoed reminders of Samsung’s Galaxy Note 7 phones that thrice had to be recalled in 2016 and 2017 because of a similar battery issue; back then, the phones were banned on flights.
This isn’t the first time Apple has gotten heat with MacBook Pros before. Last year, frustrated users proposed a class-action suit over the allegedly defective “butterfly” type keyboards in MacBook Pros and MacBook laptops dating back to 2015. Apple eventually apologized.
