Why MacBook Pro Keeps Shutting Down and How to Fix It

Is your MacBook Pro shutting down randomly, even when the battery isn’t empty? In Terminal, it might prompt ‘recent shutdown cause error code -xx’. You are having the same issue as many other MacBook Pro users. The cause of MacBook Pro randomly turning off can range from minor software glitches to hardware issues, which is a lot messier to handle. To avoid a random shutdown when you are in the middle of some work, let’s diagnose and solve the problem.

Why Does My MacBook Keep Turning Off?

There are several reasons your MacBook shuts down randomly, and here’s a list you can double-check to identify the cause in your case.

1. Battery Issues

Even if your MacBook shows it has battery left, it might not be accurate. Faulty battery calibration or a worn-out battery can cause unexpected shutdowns. If you notice signs that battery health shows ‘Service Recommended’ in System Preferences, it’s time for a new one.

2. Software Glitches

We are sure you’ve experienced this—a glitch in some bad app causes your MacBook to freeze, and then the system shuts off randomly. An unexpected MacBook Pro shutdown can also happen after downloading a new app, often from unknown sources.

3. Malware Attack

Have you downloaded any suspicious apps or files? Or clicked any unverified link? If your Mac starts to misbehave after these activities, MacBook turning off repeatedly might be a hint that it’s malware-infected.

4. macOS Bugs, Be It Old or New

This is the biggest chance to cause your MacBook Pro to turn off randomly, on the software level. Possibly, you are running an out-of-date macOS that finds it hard to keep up. More likely, you just updated your MacBook to a new macOS, and it followed with annoying shutdowns. We all know how unreliable the first few patches of a new system can be.

5. Overheating Mac

How hot is your MacBook every time it shuts down? Overheating has always been a problem for Apple products. macOS could automatically shut down the system to prevent damage.

6. Faulty Hardware

A damaged logic board, memory issue, or SSD failure could all cause MacBook shutdowns. If your MacBook shuts down with still battery charge left, and you’ve ruled out software and Battery, hardware might be the problem. It’s also the last scenario we’d like to confront.

How to Fix a MacBook That Keeps Shutting Down

Once you have a vague suspect, follow these fixes to tackle the MacBook Pro randomly turning off error.

1. Resetting SMC/PRAM

Resetting the SMC (System Management Controller) and PRAM resolves a wide variety of system problems related to battery, power, display settings, system performance, etc., which is a great start to troubleshoot MacBook shutting down randomly. Below is a quick guide on how to reset SMC & PRAM:

• To Reset SMC (for Intel-based Macs):

  1. Shut down your MacBook.
  2. Press and hold Shift + Control + Option on the left side of the keyboard and the power button for 10 seconds.
  3. Release all the keys and turn on your MacBook by pressing the power button again.

• To Reset PRAM:
  1. Shut down your MacBook.
  2. Turn it on, then immediately press and hold Option + Command + P + R for about 20 seconds.
  3. Release the keys and let the MacBook boot normally.

2. Booting into Safe Mode

If suspicious software is causing your MacBook to randomly shut off, especially after installing new apps, booting your MacBook into Safe Mode is the best way to identify the culprit. It performs a basic system check and only loads necessary system software, disabling unnecessary system extensions, third-party login items, and fonts.

This will limit the running processes and can help you identify if an app is causing the issue. Here’s how to boot your Mac into Safe Mode.

• For Intel-based Macs:
  1. Shut down your Mac.
  2. Press the power button to turn it on.
  3. Immediately hold down the Shift key as soon as you hear the startup chime or see the Apple logo on the screen.
  4. Release the Shift key when you see the login window.
  5. Once logged in, you should see Safe Boot in the upper-right corner of the screen (this indicates that your Mac is in Safe Mode).

• For Apple Silicon Macs (M1, M1 Pro, M1 Max, etc.):
  1. Shut down your Mac.
  2. Press and hold the power button until you see Loading Options on the screen.
  3. Click Options, then click Continue.
  4. When the macOS Recovery screen appears, go to the Apple menu in the upper-left corner and select Startup Disk.
  5. Select your startup disk (usually named Macintosh HD), then hold down the Shift key and click Restart.
  6. After booting into Safe Mode, you may have identified that certain apps or programs are causing your MacBook to shut down randomly. To ensure these apps do not continue to affect your system, it’s important to uninstall them for good. Simply dragging an app to the trash isn’t enough - it often leaves behind residual files that can continue to cause issues.

For a thorough app uninstall, use BuhoCleaner. This Mac cleaner allows you to completely uninstall apps, including all associated files and preferences, ensuring that no leftover data remains to interfere with your Mac’s performance. Plus, it’s always a good idea to regularly clean up your Mac.

3. Removing Malware

Similar to unknown apps, malware is another cause that triggers your Mac to shut down. In the meantime, malware-infected Macs are often accompanied by symptoms such as files or documents disappearing, system or browser settings being modified, etc. If you spot these co-existing issues, it’s urgent to spot the malware and remove it from your Mac before anything worse happens.

First, go to Applications and remove apps you don’t recognize or remember installing. Then, use trusted antivirus software for Mac to scan and remove potential threats. These malware are often hard to get rid of, so using professional antivirus tools is highly recommended.

After clearing any threats, monitor whether the shutdown issue persists on your Mac.

4. Updating or Downgrading macOS

If the shutdown occurs right after you upgrade macOS, which seems to be the case for quite a few MacBook owners, the problem lies in the system. In a situation like this, you can either wait for the next version, which repairs bugs that cause system instability. Or, you can downgrade macOS to an earlier version that was more stable for your system.

5. Cooling Down Overheating Macs

There’s not much to do to fix an overheating MacBook, except give it time to cool down. To speed the process, you can use a little fan or a cooling pad to help with heat dissipation, and use compressed air to clear out dust from your MacBook's cooling vents.

To prevent your MacBook from getting hot and crashing, try not to run multiple programs all at once, especially memory-occupying large apps such as video editors.

6. Changing the Faulty SSD

If all software-related fixes don’t resolve the problem, you may be dealing with hardware failure, particularly the SSD. It’s not officially verified by Apple, but users on the forum indicate the root cause could very well be a faulty SSD, often linked to NAND issues.

After all software fixes failed, one MacBook user tried swapping the SSD between two MacBooks. Surprisingly, it worked well for random MacBook shutdowns. However, replacing the SSD on your MacBook Pro is challenging and intimidating, so ask for professional help if you decide to do it. Moreover, this approach only works on older MacBook models that come with a replaceable SSD.

Final Thoughts

If your MacBook shuts down randomly with still battery charge left, it could be a minor software glitch or an early sign of hardware trouble. Start with a basic battery check and follow the solutions above, and you’ll likely find a solution to fix the MacBook Pro that keeps shutting down.