Mac battery status is “Not Charging

The Battery Status menu on your Mac notebook computer might say “Not Charging,” even if it’s connected to power. This can happen for a few reasons:

Your computer temporarily paused charging to extend the life of your battery. Your battery may drain to 90% or lower before it begins charging again. If you have an Intel-based Mac, you can turn off battery health management in Energy Saver preferences to immediately resume charging. See the Apple Support article About battery health management in Mac notebooks.

Your computer is connected to a power source that gives it enough power to run, but not enough power to charge the battery. For example, your Mac might not charge when it’s connected to a low wattage adapter. You can still use your Mac without draining its battery, but the battery won’t charge, even if you turn off your Mac or put it to sleep.

Your computer is running at a very high performance level that uses more power than the power source provides. For example, some apps—such as video editing software and video games—can require more power and drain the battery more quickly.