The MacBook (Retina, 12-inch, Early 2016) is a laptop computer with a convenient size and form factor, about the same size as a (paper) notebook and weighing only 2 pounds or 0.92 kg. It has a high resolution display, decent acoustic performance, and a potential for long battery life.

However, the subject of this article is a decade old 12-inch MacBook in need of repair, with a nearly non-functional battery and twitchy USB-C port. The original battery had become swollen, causing enough of a bulge in the bottom panel of the lower case to create a gap between the metal pieces of the case. Much of the battery damage was likely due to repeated overheating caused by playing Twitch streams in a hot upstairs bedroom. The machine had also developed a tendency to make unsettling noises whenever the USB-C cable providing it with power was disturbed, behaving as if its power was temporarily disconnected.

Thankfully, the attempt to repair this machine was successful, made possible by iFixit battery fix kit and USB-C port assembly tools and parts. Their excellent battery replacement and USB-C port replacement guides were also essential.

An iOpener was used twice during the repair to soften adhesive on tape attaching components to the case. The iOpener is a tool mentioned in the repair guide but not included in the battery fix kit (was borrowed from a different kit).

Some steps of the repair were anxiety inducing, requiring careful and patient work with tiny and fragile components such as antenna wires, ZIF connectors, and very thin ribbon cables. Additionally, during reassembly the need to seat the USB-C connector onto the main board before bolting it down is an important step that could have easily been overlooked.

After the repair, there was a moment of suspense upon plugging the machine in and pressing the power button. It showed no sign of activity for 10-20 seconds, prompting a brief moment of reflection about the machine being bricked, followed by sigh of relief upon hearing the power-on sound and seeing the boot process begin. The repair involved disconnecting many of the machine’s components, including the trackpad, battery, USB-C port, audio jack, display, speakers, and antenna wires, so it was interesting and satisfying to see them all working again afterward. However, it would be difficult to argue against giving the machine a low repairability rating.

Following the repair, installing some flavor of Linux such as Debian will be the next step for this machine. Apple doesn’t support anything beyond macOS 12 on this hardware and, for example, Homebrew now requires at least macOS 14.