Apple recalls MacBook Pro batteries over 'fire safety risk'

If you have an older MacBook Pro, you might need to get its battery replaced.
 By 
Karissa Bell
 on 
Apple recalls MacBook Pro batteries over 'fire safety risk'
If you have an older MacBook Pro, you might need to get its battery replaced. Credit: spencer platt / Getty Images

If you have an older MacBook Pro, you might need to get its battery replaced.

Apple is recalling 15-inch MacBook Pro laptops sold between between September 2015 and February 2017 over a battery issue it says poses a "fire safety risk."

"Apple has determined that, in a limited number of older generation 15-inch MacBook Pro units, the battery may overheat and pose a fire safety risk," the company writes on a support page about the recall.

Affected laptops should not be used until the company can issue battery replacements, Apple says. The recall only applies to 15-inch Pro models and other MacBooks are unaffected. Even if you're not totally sure if your laptop is impacted, it's probably a good idea to double check.

Here's how Apple recommends you check to see if your laptop is affected:

To confirm which model you have, choose About This Mac from the Apple menu () 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 to see if it is eligible for a battery replacement.

The recall comes shortly after one musician posted videos of his smoking MacBook Pro, which he said "exploded" after normal use. The musician, who goes by the name "White Panda," told Mashable in an interview that he had his laptop in his lap when smoke suddenly began pouring out of it. It later "popped" and caught on fire.

It's not clear if the current recall is related to that issue, but Apple does make it very clear that the MacBook Pros in question could pose a serious safety risk.

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Karissa Bell

Karissa was Mashable's Senior Tech Reporter, and is based in San Francisco. She covers social media platforms, Silicon Valley, and the many ways technology is changing our lives. Her work has also appeared in Wired, Macworld, Popular Mechanics, and The Wirecutter. In her free time, she enjoys snowboarding and watching too many cat videos on Instagram. Follow her on Twitter @karissabe.

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