Why Is My Mac Charger Yellow? The 7 Easy Steps To Fix It!

Using the same charging cable for a long time can turn a Mac charger yellow. In fact, it happens with all Apple chargers that are at least one year old.

Naturally, then you would ask, “why is my Mac charger yellow?”

Usually, the Mac charger gets yellow when it gets too old and may feel sticky on your hand. However, when a new charger turns yellow even before it hits the one-year mark, it might be due to faulty charging materials inside the charger.

It’s true that you can’t stop time and save it from aging, but you can maintain it properly to prevent it from turning yellow.

For instance, you should stop wrapping the charger and keep it clean so that it doesn’t get old quickly. Also, you can fix any yellowish charger following our guidelines below.

Key Takeaways:

• MacBook charge turns yellow when the insulation or copper inside it gets damaged. Also, due to overuse, the charger turns yellow.
• You should let the charger as it is and stop wrapping it tightly. Also, clean the charger with a proper liquid cleaner and microfiber cloth. Before using the cleaned charger, ensure it is dry and safe.
• You may use any USB-C-supported cables for charging your MacBook. However, it’s not a recommended process unless you lost the original cable.

Is It Dangerous When My MacBook Charger Turns Yellow?

If you’ve ever noticed your MacBook charger turning yellow, you may have wondered if something is wrong. While it’s not necessarily dangerous, it is an indication that the charger is aging and may need to be replaced soon.

The yellowing is caused by a build-up of dust and debris on the charging prongs. Over time, this can cause the charger to overheat and potentially become a fire hazard.

If you notice your charger turning yellow, be sure to clean it regularly and keep an eye on it for any signs of wear and tear. If the charger shows any damage, such as frayed wires or exposed metal, it’s best to replace it with a new one. With proper care, your MacBook charger should last for many years.

Usually, the fluid inside the charger works as the charging ions. When the fluid gets too old or bad, the charger loses its white color.

Also, when the fluid of the charger goes bad, you will see overheating issues with it. Thus, using a charger with an overheating problem can be dangerous. It can ruin the MacBook charging port and the device itself, and you may even see blasts at the worst.

When replacing the charger, always get an authorized and official one from Apple’s store to avoid inconsequence later.

Why Is My Mac Charger Yellow?

Mac charger comes in bright white color, and it looks quite attractive out of the box. But, when you use it for years, residues may slowly build over the charger and the cable resulting in a dull-looking charger. Also, it might become yellowish.

Nonetheless, when the charger of your MacBook becomes yellow, it is a sign of aging. Also, there could be other reasons for a yellowish charger.

So, let’s check the reasons for a yellow Mac charger.

Aging

One of the most obvious reasons for the Mac charger turning yellow is aging. Usually, Apple maintains the highest industry standard for manufacturing each product, including the charger. So they will last for years.

Therefore, when you use the charger for years, exterior residues and dirt slowly develop on the charger and the cable.

Consequently, it will start getting dirty. When you don’t clean the residual build-up of the charger for years, it will start looking yellowish.

As the charger ages, you will certainly find it turning yellow. It will take a couple of years for the Mac charger to turn yellow in normal circumstances. So, it is a normal procedure, and you should replace the old charger.

Nonetheless, there could be other reasons why the Mac charger becomes yellow without getting too old.

Charger Has Gone Bad

Modern-day chargers are designed to charge your device as fast as possible. The same goes true for the Apple chargers for Mac. However, when the charger gets bad, it will start working slowly or even stop working entirely.

When the charger gets bad, you might see green liquid pouring through the charger. The green liquid is the copper oxide combined with the plasticizer. If the charger is overheated and the circuits’ inside it burnt, the green liquid comes out due to the burns.

It indicates the charger has gone bad. Also, when the charger turns fully yellow, it might be due to the faults inside the charger.

Again, when the charger overheats continuously day after day, the overheating will damage the wiring of the charger and the circuits of the charging blocks. Naturally, the charger turns yellow.

One of the best ways to identify the fault of a charger is to see its charging speed. When you get your MacBook, you will see that its user manual will clearly state how long it will take to charge the battery fully with the given charger and power brick.

Thus, when you see that your MacBook is charging slower than usual and taking more than the suggested time, the power cable or brick has gone bad. Thus, you might need to replace it with a new one.

You can try to fix the charging cable and charger, but it is quite a complex process.

Wrapping the Charger Inappropriately

Although it is not an obvious cause of the Mac charger turning yellow, many people have experienced it. Many people said that my mac charger is turning yellow, and I don’t know why it is happening. It might be because you wrap the charger after each use and you do it quite poorly.

Of course, we all want to keep the charger in a more “organized way“. Thus, many of us wrap it and put it in a safe place when not in use.

Although it is recommendable, most of us will wrap the charger too tightly or abruptly. Thus, the charger might get stretched due to its overpressure while wrapping.

So, wrapping the charger too tightly can also help it turn yellow.

How Do You Clean A Yellow MacBook Charger?

When you see your MacBook charger turning yellow or getting dirty due to residual build-up on it, you would want to clean it. Thankfully, the cleaning process of your MacBook charger is simple. On top of it, you can apply the cleaning process for all the Apple chargers too.

When you clean the charger regularly, it helps the cable remain in good condition for an extended time, but it doesn’t also become sticky. Residual development on the charging cable may make it sticky.

In this case, you must clean the charger to remove the stickiness and stop it from being yellow or dirty.

Fortunately, you don’t need to be a rocket scientist to clean the MacBook or other Apple chargers. You can easily follow these steps and wash off the charger.

Things you will need:

• A cleaning liquid
• A clean piece of microfiber cloth
• Lukewarm water

You can use regular plastic or display cleaner liquids for the job. Also, you may use any microfiber cloth. Just ensure that the piece of cloth you are using is clean. It doesn’t need to be soft since you won’t apply it over the sensitive display.

Steps to Clean a Yellow MacBook Charger

Step-1:

When you have got the right cleaning liquid and a microfiber cloth, you are all set to clean off the dirt and debris from the charger and power brick.

Step-2: 

First, dampen the microfiber cloth in lukewarm water. Make sure the water isn’t too hot to burn your fingers. Also, while dampening the cloth in warm water, ensure your safety.

We realize that you would never like to see your fingers having a burning sensation due to the water.

Step-3: 

After that, you should pour in a few drops of the cleaning liquid on the dampened microfiber cloth.

You don’t need to pour in a massive amount of liquid to wash off the charging cable. Just a few drops of the cleaning agent will work fine.

Step-4:

Before cleaning the cable and the power brick, carefully remove them from the power outlet. Then wait for a few seconds before cleaning the cable and the brick.

It ensures maximum safety of you from the electric shock. Also, ensure that you have removed the charger from the MacBook.

Step-5:

Now you may clean the charger from one end of it. Carefully rub the cleaning liquid containing a microfiber cloth on the cable and the power brick.

You don’t need to apply too much pressure on the cable and power brick to remove the dirty appearance and residues.

Step-6:

Work gently and clean off the cable and power brick multiple times. It would be best never to squeeze the charger with too much force. Or else the charger may get damaged.

Step-7:

When you have cleaned the charger and see its appearance as neat and clean, you need to air dry it. So, keep the charger in an open place with proper ventilation. Ensure that it has dried properly and there’s no remaining water.

Drying the charger and the power brick after cleaning them is crucial.

If you plug the charger or power brick into the power outlet without drying them, it increases the cause of electrical hazards. Also, inserting the charger into the MacBook will detect the wetness or moisture on the charging port. As a result, it will refuse to charge.

This guideline on how to clean a yellow MacBook charger is easy. So, never forget to follow the steps and maintain the charger.

How to Protect Your Mac Charger Cables from Getting Yellow

One of the best ways to protect your Mac charger from getting yellow is to maintain and clean it properly. We have already discussed the cleaning steps for your Mac charger. So, let’s focus on the other convenient ways to protect the charger.

Method 1: Don’t wrap the charger

Why is my charger cable turning yellow? The most obvious reason can be the tightly wrapped charger. When you wrap the charger too tightly, it can soon turn yellow. Thus, you shouldn’t wrap the charger and allow it to be as it is.

Since during the charging process, the cable gets overheated, wrapping it immediately after the charging session can be dangerous. You can’t do anything about the overheating issue. But, we suggest you keep the charger as it was and remove it from the power source. It will prevent the charger from turning yellow soon.

Method 2: Don’t overuse the cable

Like the charging cycle of the MacBook battery, the cable also has a definite lifespan. Thus, when you use the charger too frequently, it can soon turn bad and become yellowish. It is recommended that you don’t use the charger too much.

Instead, follow the charging instructions of the MacBook battery. It also helps the charger remain in good shape for a longer period.

Method 2: Try fixing the cable

Lastly, you may fix the charger when it gets yellow and old. The cable will often go bad and discharge the insulation from its inside. You may use moldable glue or adhesive to fix the destroyed rubber covering of the wires and insulations inside the cable.

You can easily find glues or adhesives from online shops. When you apply it to the charger and keep it overnight, the glue or adhesive will form a rubberized structure to help the insulation remain inside the cable.

Frequently Asked Questions

What Does It Mean if My Mac Book Charger Is Yellow?

If your MacBook charger turns yellow, the cable has become too old. If you have used it for years, you are better to replace the yellow charger with a new one.

Also, a yellow charger suggests that the cable has gone bad and maybe the insulation inside is outdated, so it is dangerous to use the charger.

Can I charge my MacBook with a phone charger?

You can charge your MacBook with the phone charger if the phone charger supports the USB port. If the phone charger supports USB Type-C ports, you can easily plug it in with the MacBook to charge it.

How long do Mac Chargers last?

Usually, there’s no specific lifespan of the Mac chargers. With proper care, you can expect the charger to last for years. In fact, there’re cases where people have used their MacBook chargers for three to five years, so it should last pretty long.

Can you charge a MacBook with any USB C?

Yes, you can charge your MacBook with any USB-C-supported charger. However, the charging speed may be slow if you don’t use the actual MacBook charger.

So using another USB C charger for MacBook is only recommended during emergencies when you don’t have the original one.

Why is my IPAD charger yellow?

If your IPAD charger has gone bad or has faulty manufacturing, it will turn yellow. Also, when there’s low power mode, IPAD’s battery icon turns yellow on display. But, this is another point of discussion related to battery performance.

Conclusion

Hope this article answers why is your Mac charger cable turning yellow. To wrap up, the Mac charger turns yellow when it gets too old, the copper inside the circuit gets damaged, or the insulation has gone bad, as well due to residual development.

You can clean the charger with liquid cleaner and fix the damaged charger with adhesive to help it perform for a longer period. However, we recommend replacing the charger after years of use if it has gone yellow. It will protect your MacBook from any faulty charging issues.