Did you know you can upgrade your MacBook cable?

Apple regularly releases new updates. For various products. Would you think there are cable upgrades?

We often talk about updates in our articles. Because they are important, on the one hand, and often cause sympathy. Between new features, bug fixes, or security fixes, every update is an invitation to dive into the changelog to fully understand what’s changing. Some, however, sometimes go completely unnoticed. Such is the case with Apple’s update posted a few days ago regarding…the MacBook MagSafe cable.

Apple is even updating their cables!

Yes, you read it right. Update for USB-C cable – MagSafe 3. This was reported by user @aaron613 on Twitter. YouTuber Aaron Zollo quickly confirmed this by releasing a firmware version marked 3.1.12 for build number 10M1543. But none of this matters much. We’re talking about a cable upgrade here!

Why does the Cupertino company need to offer a firmware update for the cable? Not for the charger, no. This update specifically addresses the USB-C cable to MagSafe 3. This may have been done in order to make charging more efficient. Perhaps to make the recharge indicator more reliable. Maybe it’s just the Apple brand mocking us and decided to upgrade the cable because it can. Whatever the reason, we just want to know!

Unlike other updates, Apple has never officially acknowledged its existence, so there is no dedicated note explaining the reason and changes introduced by this patch. We know, for example, that iOS 16.3.1 and macOS 13.2.1 exist primarily to fix zero-day flaws that put your devices at risk. Unless someone hacks a MacBook via a MagSafe cable, this patch has little reason to fix that aspect.

Also keep in mind that this update only affects the MagSafe 3 cable on the latest MacBook Pro and MacBook Air models. If your MacBook only charges via USB-C or is using an older version of MagSafe (2015 or earlier), this update does not apply to you.

How to update USB-C cable – MagSafe 3

Updating your MacBook MagSafe cable is a complex process and should be done by a professional with a lot of experience. That being said, if you accept the risks, you can try the operation yourself by following these instructions:

1. Take the USB-C to MagSafe 3 cable and connect it to the USB-C power adapter.
2. Plug the adapter into a power outlet.
3. Connect the MagSafe cable to your MacBook.
4. And here you go.

In excellence. All you have to do to update the MagSafe cable is plug it into your MacBook. The update process happens automatically, in the background, so many of them do not even suspect that this cable can be updated. You can check the firmware version of your cable under “Power”in “System Information”. You access it by holding down the Option key, then clicking the Apple logo in the top left corner of the screen and selecting System Profiler.

There is a very good chance that you have already installed such an update. But who knows, maybe one day we will see MagSafe 3 USB-C collector cables on the market, frozen in one firmware version or another!