You Can Use a Laptop Without a Battery

Not all laptops are created equal

This might be the case for Windows machines, but on macOS, it’s another story. Even though macOS tells you it’s running on the Power Adapter when you plug in the charger, it’s inadvisable to use a MacBook without the battery installed. In fact, it might not even work at all.

If you manage to boot up a MacBook without the battery in place, you’ll suddenly think your laptop aged five years. That’s because the software, recognizing there is no battery, underclocks (slows down) the processor significantly. While it’ll work, and you’ll be able to use your MacBook without the battery, it’ll be a much slower experience, and, in turn, not a fun one.

As such, it’s likely not worth trying in the first place: If you need to remove the battery in your MacBook, you should pay for a new one to properly use it. Then again, that advice probably applies to all laptops anyway, since removing the battery entirely also removes half the functionality of the machine.

But this article isn’t about whether you should you use a laptop without a battery: It’s a question of if you can. And you can! So, if you’re going to try using your laptop sans battery, whether to save money, while you wait for a battery replacement to come through, or because it seems fun, there are a few things to keep in mind.

How to use a laptop without a battery

To start, make sure to use the power adapter that came with the device. Without the battery, the power supply needs to work as the manufacturer intended. Any deviation in the amount of power puts the operation at risk, since there’s no battery backup in the laptop to pick up the slack.

Speaking of which, you’ll need to be very careful with the data on your laptop now that you’re running on a power adapter alone. If there’s a power outage, or you knock the plug out of the wall, your laptop will turn off instantly, putting your entire system at risk. Save all the time. Better yet, use programs with auto-save features.

Don’t forget to fully power down your machine before unplugging it from power, too. You might be used to ripping the plug out of your laptop before leaving the room, which you can no longer do for obvious reasons, but you need to make sure the machine is 100% shut down before moving it. If it’s still working through the shut down process, and you unplug it, that’s risky business.