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PedalAround
User level: Level 1 (4 points)

Excess Heat in 2019 MacBookPro 16"

Our 2019 MacBookPro 16" gets hot while using it whether it's plugged in or not. The computer and charger also get hot when it is charging and the machine is shut down. This, even well after it has reached 100%. I have reset the SMC without seeing any change in this issue. When I describe it as hot I do not mean pleasantly warm. It is hot. I am concerned that it will damage itself. I have attempted to vacuum dust out thru the ports but also seen no change.


Is this an issue for a service center to deal with?

Posted on Oct 4, 2026 4:20 AM

4 replies

MartinR
User level: Level 7 (27,833 points)

Oct 4, 2026 6:38 AM in response to PedalAround

PedalAround wrote: Is this an issue for a service center to deal with?

Yes. Take it to an Apple Genius Bar or Authorized Service Center. What you describe does not sound like something caused by dust in the ventilation ports.


If you have AppleCare for this Mac, contact AppleCare to start the process.


HWTech
User level: Level 9 (78,350 points)

Oct 5, 2026 12:46 PM in response to PedalAround

FYI, the computer may not be powered off like you think since pressing any key or even the Trackpad can cause these laptops to wake up or even power on. Connecting/disconnecting any device can do the same as well.


So the laptop being hot is not exactly surprising to me even when you think you powered it off. If the laptop is actually on, then it may be running enough apps to cause the system to be hot. After logging into your computer after one of these episodes where you thought the laptop was powered off, wait a minute or two for the logs to update, then run the following Terminal command which will show you whether the laptop was on/awake, or powered off during that time. Copy & paste this command since some spacing in the filter sectiion is critical to get the desired results (pay attention to the date & times):

pmset  -g  log  |  grep  -E  'Sleep  |Wake  |Start  |ShutdownCause  |Notification  '



As for the power adapter, they can sometimes get quite warm, even hot while charging the laptop. Over the years I have encountered some power adapters which seem to be hotter than others, but I rarely touch the power adapters.


You can try running the Apple Diagnostics to see if any hardware issues are detected. Only errors are useful results since a passing result is meaningless.


Did you perform the SMC Reset correctly? The process is different for the 2018-2020 T2 Macs. See the following Apple article for details:

Reset the SMC of your Mac - Apple Support



For safety and peace of mind, I agree with @MartinR to have Apple examine your laptop along with your power adapter & charging cable. While we can offer some tips, there is no way we can be sure of what is going on here since we cannot see & feel the system.



Allan Jones
User level: Level 10 (85,896 points)

Oct 5, 2026 11:06 AM in response to PedalAround

Make sure the battery is not starting to swell. My "swell check" symptoms:


— Unexpected trackpad and/or keyboard behavior.

— The gap between the display and the deck is not even when the display is closed.

— The gap between the bottom plate and chassis is uneven in places.

— Some of the screws that hold the bottom plate have popped out.

— The trackpad surface is higher than the surrounding deck surface.

— The computer "rocks" a bit on a known flat surface†.

.......

†  I find solid-surface and granite countertops very effective flat test surfaces.

Originally posted at discussions.apple.com/thread/256370176