crwdns2933423:0crwdne2933423:0

MacBook Air 13” Retina Display Late 2018 Battery Replacement

crwdns2942213:0crwdne2942213:0

  1. MacBook Air 13” Retina Display Late 2018 Battery Replacement, Remove the screws securing the lower case: crwdns2935265:01crwdnd2935265:01crwdnd2935265:01crwdne2935265:0
    • Before starting this procedure, you should disable your Mac's Auto Boot feature. Auto Boot powers on your Mac when you open the lid, and may be accidentally triggered during disassembly. Use this guide to disable Auto Boot.

    • 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.

    • Completely power off and unplug your MacBook Air before you start. Close the display and flip the entire laptop upside-down.

    • Use a P5 driver to remove the following screws:

    • Two 7.9 mm screws

    • Two 7.1 mm screws

    • Six 2.6 mm screws

  2. MacBook Air 13” Retina Display Late 2018 Battery Replacement, Remove the lower case: crwdns2935265:02crwdnd2935265:01crwdnd2935265:01crwdne2935265:0
    • Wedge your fingers between the display and the lower case and pull upward to pop the lower case off the Air.

    • Remove the lower case.

    • After reassembly, your MacBook might not turn on until it's connected to a power source (a low power phone charger may work). To test your repair, plug in your charger, allow two minutes for your MacBook to turn on, and check that everything works as expected.

  3. MacBook Air 13” Retina Display Late 2018 Battery Replacement, Disconnect the battery: crwdns2935265:03crwdnd2935265:01crwdnd2935265:01crwdne2935265:0
    • Peel back the tape covering the battery connector enough to reveal the connector underneath.

  4. MacBook Air 13” Retina Display Late 2018 Battery Replacement: crwdns2935265:04crwdnd2935265:01crwdnd2935265:02crwdne2935265:0 MacBook Air 13” Retina Display Late 2018 Battery Replacement: crwdns2935265:04crwdnd2935265:02crwdnd2935265:02crwdne2935265:0
    • Use a spudger to slide the battery connector parallel to the logic board and out of its socket on the logic board.

  5. MacBook Air 13” Retina Display Late 2018 Battery Replacement, Remove the right speaker adhesive: crwdns2935265:05crwdnd2935265:01crwdnd2935265:03crwdne2935265:0 MacBook Air 13” Retina Display Late 2018 Battery Replacement, Remove the right speaker adhesive: crwdns2935265:05crwdnd2935265:02crwdnd2935265:03crwdne2935265:0 MacBook Air 13” Retina Display Late 2018 Battery Replacement, Remove the right speaker adhesive: crwdns2935265:05crwdnd2935265:03crwdnd2935265:03crwdne2935265:0
    • 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.

    • Grab the adhesive strip pull tab and slowly and carefully pull the adhesive strip out from under the speaker.

    • Keep the angle of the adhesive strip as parallel to the laptop as you can. Try to avoid dragging it across the inside of the case.

    • If the adhesive strip breaks, leave it in and proceed to the next step.

  6. MacBook Air 13” Retina Display Late 2018 Battery Replacement: crwdns2935265:06crwdnd2935265:01crwdnd2935265:02crwdne2935265:0 MacBook Air 13” Retina Display Late 2018 Battery Replacement: crwdns2935265:06crwdnd2935265:02crwdnd2935265:02crwdne2935265:0
    • Slide the tip of a spudger underneath the right speaker cable and pry straight up to disconnect the speaker.

  7. MacBook Air 13” Retina Display Late 2018 Battery Replacement: crwdns2935265:07crwdnd2935265:01crwdnd2935265:03crwdne2935265:0 MacBook Air 13” Retina Display Late 2018 Battery Replacement: crwdns2935265:07crwdnd2935265:02crwdnd2935265:03crwdne2935265:0 MacBook Air 13” Retina Display Late 2018 Battery Replacement: crwdns2935265:07crwdnd2935265:03crwdnd2935265:03crwdne2935265:0
    • Use tweezers to lift the adhesive pull tab at the top of the right speaker enough that you can grab it with your fingers.

    • Grab the adhesive strip pull tab and slowly and carefully pull the adhesive strip out from under the speaker.

    • Keep the angle of the adhesive strip as parallel to the laptop as you can. Try to avoid dragging it across the inside of the case.

    • If the adhesive strip breaks, or if the first adhesive strip broke, use a heated iOpener or heat gun to help remove the adhesive:

    • Apply heat to the speaker to soften the adhesive underneath.

    • Carefully slide a spudger or opening pick underneath the speaker to separate the adhesive.

  8. MacBook Air 13” Retina Display Late 2018 Battery Replacement, Remove the right speaker: crwdns2935265:08crwdnd2935265:01crwdnd2935265:01crwdne2935265:0
    • Lift the right speaker straight up from the bottom and remove it.

  9. MacBook Air 13” Retina Display Late 2018 Battery Replacement, Remove the left speaker adhesive: crwdns2935265:09crwdnd2935265:01crwdnd2935265:03crwdne2935265:0 MacBook Air 13” Retina Display Late 2018 Battery Replacement, Remove the left speaker adhesive: crwdns2935265:09crwdnd2935265:02crwdnd2935265:03crwdne2935265:0 MacBook Air 13” Retina Display Late 2018 Battery Replacement, Remove the left speaker adhesive: crwdns2935265:09crwdnd2935265:03crwdnd2935265:03crwdne2935265:0
    • Use a pair of tweezers to lift up the black adhesive pull tab at the bottom of the left speaker, enough so you can grab it with your fingers.

    • Grab the adhesive strip pull tab and slowly and carefully pull the adhesive strip out from under the speaker.

    • Keep the angle of the adhesive strip as parallel to the laptop as you can. Try to avoid dragging it across the inside of the case.

    • If the adhesive strip breaks, leave it in and proceed to the next step.

  10. MacBook Air 13” Retina Display Late 2018 Battery Replacement: crwdns2935265:010crwdnd2935265:01crwdnd2935265:03crwdne2935265:0 MacBook Air 13” Retina Display Late 2018 Battery Replacement: crwdns2935265:010crwdnd2935265:02crwdnd2935265:03crwdne2935265:0 MacBook Air 13” Retina Display Late 2018 Battery Replacement: crwdns2935265:010crwdnd2935265:03crwdnd2935265:03crwdne2935265:0
    • Slide the tip of a spudger underneath the left speaker cable and pry straight up to disconnect the speaker.

    • 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.

  11. MacBook Air 13” Retina Display Late 2018 Battery Replacement: crwdns2935265:011crwdnd2935265:01crwdnd2935265:03crwdne2935265:0 MacBook Air 13” Retina Display Late 2018 Battery Replacement: crwdns2935265:011crwdnd2935265:02crwdnd2935265:03crwdne2935265:0 MacBook Air 13” Retina Display Late 2018 Battery Replacement: crwdns2935265:011crwdnd2935265:03crwdnd2935265:03crwdne2935265:0
    • Use tweezers to lift the adhesive pull tab at the top of the left speaker enough that you can grab it with your fingers.

    • Grab the adhesive strip pull tab and slowly and carefully pull the adhesive strip out from under the speaker.

    • Keep the angle of the adhesive strip as parallel to the laptop as you can. Try to avoid dragging it across the inside of the case.

    • If the adhesive strip breaks, or if the first adhesive strip broke, use a heated iOpener or heat gun to help remove the adhesive:

    • Apply heat to the speaker to soften the adhesive underneath.

    • Carefully slide a spudger or opening pick underneath the speaker to separate the adhesive.

  12. MacBook Air 13” Retina Display Late 2018 Battery Replacement, Remove the left speaker: crwdns2935265:012crwdnd2935265:01crwdnd2935265:01crwdne2935265:0
    • Lift the left speaker straight up from the bottom and remove it.

  13. MacBook Air 13” Retina Display Late 2018 Battery Replacement, Disconnect the logic board: crwdns2935265:013crwdnd2935265:01crwdnd2935265:02crwdne2935265:0 MacBook Air 13” Retina Display Late 2018 Battery Replacement, Disconnect the logic board: crwdns2935265:013crwdnd2935265:02crwdnd2935265:02crwdne2935265:0
    • Use a T3 Torx driver to remove the two 1.4 mm screws securing the trackpad connector bracket.

    • Depending on the condition of your bits, a T4 Torx driver may fit better.

    • Remove the trackpad connector bracket.

  14. MacBook Air 13” Retina Display Late 2018 Battery Replacement: crwdns2935265:014crwdnd2935265:01crwdnd2935265:02crwdne2935265:0 MacBook Air 13” Retina Display Late 2018 Battery Replacement: crwdns2935265:014crwdnd2935265:02crwdnd2935265:02crwdne2935265:0
    • Use the flat end of a spudger to pry the trackpad cable connector up and out of its socket.

  15. MacBook Air 13” Retina Display Late 2018 Battery Replacement: crwdns2935265:015crwdnd2935265:01crwdnd2935265:03crwdne2935265:0 MacBook Air 13” Retina Display Late 2018 Battery Replacement: crwdns2935265:015crwdnd2935265:02crwdnd2935265:03crwdne2935265:0 MacBook Air 13” Retina Display Late 2018 Battery Replacement: crwdns2935265:015crwdnd2935265:03crwdnd2935265:03crwdne2935265:0
    • If the left speaker is already disconnected, skip this step.

    • Slide the tip of a spudger underneath the left speaker cable and pry straight up to disconnect the speaker.

    • 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.

  16. MacBook Air 13” Retina Display Late 2018 Battery Replacement: crwdns2935265:016crwdnd2935265:01crwdnd2935265:02crwdne2935265:0 MacBook Air 13” Retina Display Late 2018 Battery Replacement: crwdns2935265:016crwdnd2935265:02crwdnd2935265:02crwdne2935265:0
    • Use a T3 Torx driver to remove the two 1.3 mm screws securing the USB-C port connector bracket.

    • Remove the USB-C connector bracket.

  17. MacBook Air 13” Retina Display Late 2018 Battery Replacement: crwdns2935265:017crwdnd2935265:01crwdnd2935265:02crwdne2935265:0 MacBook Air 13” Retina Display Late 2018 Battery Replacement: crwdns2935265:017crwdnd2935265:02crwdnd2935265:02crwdne2935265:0
    • Use the flat end of a spudger to pry the USB-C cable connector up and out of its socket on the logic board.

  18. MacBook Air 13” Retina Display Late 2018 Battery Replacement: crwdns2935265:018crwdnd2935265:01crwdnd2935265:03crwdne2935265:0 MacBook Air 13” Retina Display Late 2018 Battery Replacement: crwdns2935265:018crwdnd2935265:02crwdnd2935265:03crwdne2935265:0 MacBook Air 13” Retina Display Late 2018 Battery Replacement: crwdns2935265:018crwdnd2935265:03crwdnd2935265:03crwdne2935265:0
    • Use a spudger to lift up the small locking flap on the sound board cable's ZIF connector.

    • Slide the sound board cable out of the ZIF connector.

  19. MacBook Air 13” Retina Display Late 2018 Battery Replacement: crwdns2935265:019crwdnd2935265:01crwdnd2935265:01crwdne2935265:0
    • Peel back the black tape covering the fan cable connector.

  20. MacBook Air 13” Retina Display Late 2018 Battery Replacement: crwdns2935265:020crwdnd2935265:01crwdnd2935265:03crwdne2935265:0 MacBook Air 13” Retina Display Late 2018 Battery Replacement: crwdns2935265:020crwdnd2935265:02crwdnd2935265:03crwdne2935265:0 MacBook Air 13” Retina Display Late 2018 Battery Replacement: crwdns2935265:020crwdnd2935265:03crwdnd2935265:03crwdne2935265:0
    • Use the tip of a spudger to lift up the locking flap on the fan cable's ZIF connector.

    • Slide the fan cable out of the ZIF connector.

  21. MacBook Air 13” Retina Display Late 2018 Battery Replacement: crwdns2935265:021crwdnd2935265:01crwdnd2935265:02crwdne2935265:0 MacBook Air 13” Retina Display Late 2018 Battery Replacement: crwdns2935265:021crwdnd2935265:02crwdnd2935265:02crwdne2935265:0
    • Use a T3 Torx driver to remove the two 1.4 mm screws securing the antenna cable bracket.

    • Remove the antenna cable bracket.

  22. MacBook Air 13” Retina Display Late 2018 Battery Replacement: crwdns2935265:022crwdnd2935265:01crwdnd2935265:03crwdne2935265:0 MacBook Air 13” Retina Display Late 2018 Battery Replacement: crwdns2935265:022crwdnd2935265:02crwdnd2935265:03crwdne2935265:0 MacBook Air 13” Retina Display Late 2018 Battery Replacement: crwdns2935265:022crwdnd2935265:03crwdnd2935265:03crwdne2935265:0
    • Insert the point of a spudger under one of the antenna cables close to the connector. Pry straight up to disconnect the cable.

    • Repeat for the other antenna cable.

  23. MacBook Air 13” Retina Display Late 2018 Battery Replacement: crwdns2935265:023crwdnd2935265:01crwdnd2935265:02crwdne2935265:0 MacBook Air 13” Retina Display Late 2018 Battery Replacement: crwdns2935265:023crwdnd2935265:02crwdnd2935265:02crwdne2935265:0
    • Use a T3 Torx driver to remove the two 1.5 mm screws securing the display cable connector bracket.

    • Remove the display cable connector bracket.

  24. MacBook Air 13” Retina Display Late 2018 Battery Replacement: crwdns2935265:024crwdnd2935265:01crwdnd2935265:02crwdne2935265:0 MacBook Air 13” Retina Display Late 2018 Battery Replacement: crwdns2935265:024crwdnd2935265:02crwdnd2935265:02crwdne2935265:0
    • Use the flat end of a spudger to pry up the display cable connector.

  25. MacBook Air 13” Retina Display Late 2018 Battery Replacement, Unscrew the logic board: crwdns2935265:025crwdnd2935265:01crwdnd2935265:01crwdne2935265:0
    • Use a T5 Torx driver to remove the following screws:

    • One 5.5 mm screw

    • Three 2.6 mm screws

    • Two 1.9 mm screws

  26. MacBook Air 13” Retina Display Late 2018 Battery Replacement, Remove the logic board: crwdns2935265:026crwdnd2935265:01crwdnd2935265:01crwdne2935265:0
    • Remove the logic board.

  27. MacBook Air 13” Retina Display Late 2018 Battery Replacement, Separate the trackpad cable adhesive: crwdns2935265:027crwdnd2935265:01crwdnd2935265:03crwdne2935265:0 MacBook Air 13” Retina Display Late 2018 Battery Replacement, Separate the trackpad cable adhesive: crwdns2935265:027crwdnd2935265:02crwdnd2935265:03crwdne2935265:0 MacBook Air 13” Retina Display Late 2018 Battery Replacement, Separate the trackpad cable adhesive: crwdns2935265:027crwdnd2935265:03crwdnd2935265:03crwdne2935265:0
    • Carefully slide an opening pick under the trackpad cable to separate the adhesive securing it to the upper case.

    • If you have difficulty separating the adhesive, heat it slightly with an iOpener or hair dryer to soften the adhesive.

  28. MacBook Air 13” Retina Display Late 2018 Battery Replacement, Disconnect the trackpad cable: crwdns2935265:028crwdnd2935265:01crwdnd2935265:03crwdne2935265:0 MacBook Air 13” Retina Display Late 2018 Battery Replacement, Disconnect the trackpad cable: crwdns2935265:028crwdnd2935265:02crwdnd2935265:03crwdne2935265:0 MacBook Air 13” Retina Display Late 2018 Battery Replacement, Disconnect the trackpad cable: crwdns2935265:028crwdnd2935265:03crwdnd2935265:03crwdne2935265:0
    • Use the flat end of a spudger to lift the small locking flap on the trackpad ZIF connector.

    • Slide the trackpad cable straight out of its connector.

  29. MacBook Air 13” Retina Display Late 2018 Battery Replacement, Separate the trackpad cable adhesive: crwdns2935265:029crwdnd2935265:01crwdnd2935265:02crwdne2935265:0 MacBook Air 13” Retina Display Late 2018 Battery Replacement, Separate the trackpad cable adhesive: crwdns2935265:029crwdnd2935265:02crwdnd2935265:02crwdne2935265:0
    • Carefully slide an opening pick under the trackpad cable to separate the adhesive securing it to the battery.

    • If you have difficulty separating the adhesive, heat it slightly with an iOpener or hair dryer. Be careful not to overheat the battery.

  30. MacBook Air 13” Retina Display Late 2018 Battery Replacement, Unscrew the battery: crwdns2935265:030crwdnd2935265:01crwdnd2935265:01crwdne2935265:0
    • Use a T3 Torx driver to remove four 2.5 mm screws securing the battery.

  31. MacBook Air 13” Retina Display Late 2018 Battery Replacement, Remove the battery adhesive: crwdns2935265:031crwdnd2935265:01crwdnd2935265:03crwdne2935265:0 MacBook Air 13” Retina Display Late 2018 Battery Replacement, Remove the battery adhesive: crwdns2935265:031crwdnd2935265:02crwdnd2935265:03crwdne2935265:0 MacBook Air 13” Retina Display Late 2018 Battery Replacement, Remove the battery adhesive: crwdns2935265:031crwdnd2935265:03crwdnd2935265:03crwdne2935265:0
    • Use a pair of tweezers to lift up the black adhesive pull tab on the side of the battery, enough so you can grab it with your fingers.

    • Grab the adhesive strip pull tab and slowly and carefully pull the adhesive strip out from under the battery.

    • Keep the angle of the adhesive strip as parallel to the laptop as you can. Try to avoid dragging it across the inside of the case.

    • If the adhesive strip breaks, leave it in and proceed to the next step.

  32. MacBook Air 13” Retina Display Late 2018 Battery Replacement: crwdns2935265:032crwdnd2935265:01crwdnd2935265:02crwdne2935265:0 MacBook Air 13” Retina Display Late 2018 Battery Replacement: crwdns2935265:032crwdnd2935265:02crwdnd2935265:02crwdne2935265:0
    • Repeat the previous step to remove the next two adhesive strips on the same side of the battery.

    • If any adhesive strips break, leave them in and proceed to the next step.

  33. MacBook Air 13” Retina Display Late 2018 Battery Replacement: crwdns2935265:033crwdnd2935265:01crwdnd2935265:03crwdne2935265:0 MacBook Air 13” Retina Display Late 2018 Battery Replacement: crwdns2935265:033crwdnd2935265:02crwdnd2935265:03crwdne2935265:0 MacBook Air 13” Retina Display Late 2018 Battery Replacement: crwdns2935265:033crwdnd2935265:03crwdnd2935265:03crwdne2935265:0
    • Repeat the previous two steps to remove the three adhesive strips on the other side of the battery.

    • If any of the adhesive strips broke, you can use high-concentration (>90%) isopropyl alcohol to help remove them:

    • Carefully drip isopropyl alcohol along either edge of the battery, in the recessed part of the upper case, where the adhesive pull tabs were.

    • Applying too much alcohol or applying it outside of the wells in the case where the adhesive sits risks damaging other components.

    • Let the alcohol soak into the adhesive for a minute or two.

    • Use opening picks to gently pry the battery away from the upper case.

  34. MacBook Air 13” Retina Display Late 2018 Battery Replacement, Remove the battery: crwdns2935265:034crwdnd2935265:01crwdnd2935265:01crwdne2935265:0
    • Remove the battery.

    • Calibrate your newly installed battery: charge it to 100%, and keep charging it for at least 2 more hours. Unplug and use it normally to drain the battery. When you see the low battery warning, save your work, and keep your laptop on until it goes to sleep due to low battery. Wait at least 5 hours, then charge your laptop uninterrupted to 100%.

    • If you notice any unusual behavior or problems after installing your new battery, you may need to reset your MacBook's SMC.

crwdns2915888:0crwdne2915888:0

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.

crwdns2935229:030crwdne2935229:0

Adam O'Camb

crwdns2935283:004/11/15crwdne2935283:0

195,355 crwdns2915208:0crwdne2915208:0

crwdns2935297:0416crwdne2935297:0

crwdns2944067:09crwdne2944067:0

Well done article and I acheived my goal of changing out my very puffy old battery for the new one (still need to recycle the old… ASAP). Curiously, I had to open it again as I, somehow, didn’t get the battery cable pushed in far enough and it wasn’t working. Now, all is well. Strangely, even after a couple of attempts at resetting the SMC, my fan is running almost constantly. I’m kind of not sure what to do about that at this point (yes, I used the iFixIt guide to clean my fan as well). Anyway, thanks for the help.

Michael Cleveland - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

great article, havent used it as yet, but just wanted to check the complexity before I purchased the battery

Jay Haripersad - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

New battery is in and on 1st round of charging! Thank you very much!!!

As a note, I also purchased some Tesa tape with the battery as the shopping cart recommended it. I used that under the speakers before replacing them. The left & right sides of the batteries are kind of loose, but I’m not overly worried about that as it’s attached to metal backing.

Micah Miller - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

Extremely pleased with this tutorial and the ifixit.com battery replacement kit. Since one of my USB-C ports died and the Apple certified folks told me to expect to pay over $500 to replace the port and battery I came here to sort it out myself. Happy to say with ifixit's awesome parts and tutorials that I have a fully functional Air again for about $150. I also recommend the magnetic project board as this was super helpful in keeping all of the various sized screws organized to the steps.

Jennifer Barnes - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

Great guide, except a small mistake in the required tools: we don't need a T4 screwdriver at all but we do need a T5 screwdriver.

HugoThomas - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0

crwdns2917038:0crwdne2917038:0

crwdns2936625:0crwdne2936625:0:

crwdns2936751:024crwdne2936751:0 41

crwdns2936753:07crwdne2936753:0 314

crwdns2936753:030crwdne2936753:0 1,254

crwdns2942667:0crwdne2942667:0 34,861