How do I prevent my MacBook Air from overheating? This is a question I have seen many people ask in major forums like Reddit and Quora.Today, I am going to share some tips to stop your Mac laptop, especially the MacBook Air, from overheating or getting too hot.
Apple has even released models of Macs without the presence of a fan — specifically, the 12-inch MacBooks and MacBook Airs with the M1 and M2 chips. However, the fact is that the vast majority of Apple computers have this component.
In certain cases, however, these fans can become a problem, which can even cause your computer to overheat.
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How to prevent Macbook Air from overheating
Here are some basic tricks that can be done to prevent your MacBook Air or any other Mac laptop from getting too hot.
Don’t block the vents
Although it is more comfortable to use a MacBook on your lap, be careful not to block any air vents on it.
Also avoid using your Macbook on the bed, on top of a pillow, or any other object that doesn’t let air circulate from the inside to the outside of your Mac. There are, in the market, some supports that serve and also help keep the computer at a better angle for use.
Keep Macs away from hot environment
Make sure that your MacBook is in a well-ventilated environment and that it is not in extreme temperatures. That is, it is neither too cold nor too hot.
To prevent the MacBook Air from overheating, Apple recommends a range of 50 to 95 degrees Fahrenheit as the ideal range of operating temperature. And try as much as possible to avoid working in direct sunlight.
Keep your MacBook internals clean
If you’ve had your Mac laptop for a very long time, chances are that it might have gathered some dust and particles, which can block airflow and cause the machine to overheat.
So, here is what you should always do: open the MacBook up once in a while and clean the dust. With a simple Phillips-head screwdriver, open the system, remove the bottom panel, and carefully blow out any gathered dust.
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Close all power-consuming Apps
Make sure there are no apps that are consuming too much power on your MacBook machine. This can be done by opening the Activity Monitor tool.
To find out or check which apps are consuming the most power or giving you issues, go to the Finder, press “Applications,” and then click “Utilities.” Then start “Activity Monitor.” In the Activity Monitor tool, click the CPU tab to see the apps using high percentage of the CPU’s resources or causing problems. If you’re not using the app that consumes the most power, try closing it to see if the issue will be resolved.
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You can also force-close an app by going to the Apple menu and clicking “Force Close“. If you want, you can also do this using the shortcut ⌥ option +⌘ command + ⎋ esc.
Don’t open too many browser tabs
Read this right! If you want to prevent your MacBook from overheating, you should limit the number of browser tabs you open.
This might sound surprising, but I need you to understand that opening a lot of tabs at a given time is a resource-intensive activity. And if your machine is starting to overheat, close any used or unnecessary tabs to take the load off the CPU.
Your MacBook should be updated.
Another good way to prevent the MacBook Air from overheating is to ensure all the system software and firmware are up-to-date. You can confirm if your Mac is up to date by opening your MacBook’s System Preferences and then clicking “Software Update.”
Make sure your fans are working properly
If you have tried all the above tips and the problem of overheating still persists, it’s possible (however unlikely) that your MacBook’s fans have failed. You can find out by running a diagnostic built into your Mac. For most MacBooks, here’s what to do:
- Turn off your MacBook and be sure it’s plugged into an outlet.
- Turn on the laptop and quickly press and hold the D key. Leave the key when the diagnostic screen appears and follow the directions to complete the test.
- The test results won’t be in plain English, but search for any error codes that begin with “PPF“; these are fan issues. You can find a key to all the error codes on Apple’s support page.
- If you do see a PPF error code, you’ll need to get the MacBook serviced.
And if nothing resolves the overheating issue?
If these tips above still don’t solve the MacBook overheating problem, it might be a good idea to reset or restore your Mac to factory settings.
In more extreme cases, you may also be required to contact Apple Support. In the latter case, this can be done in several ways—either by calling, through the website, or through the Support app.
You can also make an appointment at any of the many Apple Stores located in the USA or at an Apple Authorized Service Center.
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