For the full breakdown, see our best 2015 MacBook Battery guide.
A dead battery in a decade-old laptop is usually your bill to pay. There’s one standing exception: the MacBook Pro (Retina, 15-inch, Mid 2015), which Apple will still re-battery at no charge if the serial number passes its checker. That program exists because some batteries in this specific model can overheat and pose a fire risk, so Apple handles the repair itself.
The cost of a 2015 MacBook Pro battery replacement swings from zero to a paid service fee, and exactly which machine you own decides which one you get. The model name and the serial number are the two facts that matter. Below are the eligibility check, the service steps Apple lists, and what the picture looks like for the 2015 models left outside the program.
2015 MacBook Pro Batteries: Which Models Qualify
Every other MacBook Pro sits outside it, including the 13-inch Retina from early 2015 and the older 15-inch Retina models, whatever their batteries are doing.
Eligibility runs per serial number, not per model line, which is why two owners of the same 15-inch Mid 2015 laptop can get different answers from Apple. Here’s how the 2015 machines sort out:
| 2015 Model Or Situation | Recall Status | What You Pay |
|---|---|---|
| 15-inch Retina, Mid 2015, eligible serial | Covered worldwide | Nothing |
| 15-inch Retina, Mid 2015, serial not eligible | Examined, then declined | Apple’s battery service fee |
| 13-inch Retina, Early 2015 | Outside the program | Apple’s battery service fee |
| Older 15-inch Retina (2012–2014) | Outside the program | Apple’s battery service fee |
| Battery under 80% with Apple coverage | Covered by the plan | Often free |
| Battery under 80%, no coverage | Not covered | Fee quoted at service |
| Self-supplied or non-genuine battery | Not covered | Cost of any damage is yours |
How Do You Check Eligibility And Book The Service?
Confirm the model through About This Mac, then put the serial number into Apple’s 15-inch MacBook Pro Battery Recall Program checker.
- Click the Apple menu in the top-left corner of the screen, then choose About This Mac. The window opens on the Overview tab and shows the model name; you want it to read MacBook Pro (Retina, 15-inch, Mid 2015).
- Copy the serial number from the same window, where it sits under the model name.
- Enter that serial number in Apple’s recall checker and read the result.
- If the result is eligible, arrange service through one of Apple’s three options: an Apple Authorized Service Provider, an Apple Retail Store, or mail-in service through the Apple Repair Center.
- Back up your data before the laptop leaves your hands.
You’ll know the check worked when the page names your serial number and returns an eligible result; the parts you should treat as done are the backup and the service booking. Pickup costs nothing for a covered unit.
What A Paid Battery Service Involves And What It Costs
Outside the recall, the work is a paid repair, and Apple’s guidance on who should do it is firm: built-in Mac laptop batteries belong with an Apple Authorized Service Provider, an Apple Store, or an Independent Repair Provider using genuine Apple parts.
What you pay depends on coverage.