Help and setup guide
Last updated: , for Broken Charger 1.0.
Broken Charger is a menu bar app for Mac (macOS 12.0 or later, Apple Silicon and Intel) that watches how reliably your Mac charges, catches power that comes and goes, and walks you through finding the broken part: wall socket, plug piece, cable, or charger. No subscription, no accounts, no ads, and no data collection; the app contains no network code at all.
How do I install Broken Charger?
Install Broken Charger from the Mac App Store like any other app. It requires macOS 12.0 or later and runs natively on Apple Silicon and Intel Macs. After the first launch it lives in your menu bar; there is no Dock icon to manage.
What happens on first launch?
First launch is a short onboarding with two optional permissions, both explained in plain words before you decide:
- Notifications. Used only for genuine findings, for example repeated power loss or a guided test verdict. Decline them and everything still works; you just have to open the app to see findings.
- The power diary. macOS logs charging events to
/var/log/powermanagementon its own. Broken Charger offers to read that folder so it can judge roughly the past two weeks of charging immediately instead of starting blind. The grant is one click in the standard macOS file picker, read-only, and entirely optional: choose "Skip for now" and the app starts watching from that day onward.
What do the menu bar icon and colors mean?
The menu bar item is the whole app at a glance: a symbol, a live wattage, and a color.
While plugged in the number is the wattage negotiated with your charger, for example
96W. On battery it is the power your Mac is drawing right now.
| Color | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Green | Plugged in and everything looks right |
| Blue | Actively charging, no concerns |
| Orange | Caution: weak charger, hot-battery pause, or a guided test step is waiting for you |
| Red | A recent unexplained power loss needs your attention |
| Plain (no color) | On battery, nothing to report |
A small leaf next to the icon means macOS Low Power Mode is on. A thermometer symbol means charging is paused because the battery is hot, which is macOS protecting the battery, not a fault.
If the icon is hidden: macOS drops menu bar items when the bar is full, especially around the notch on newer MacBooks. Hold Command and drag the icon further left, or clear out items you do not use.
How does naming chargers work?
Broken Charger recognizes each charger you plug in and remembers it separately, so you can name them: "Desk charger", "Travel 67W", "Office cable". Each gets its own history and its own one-word health verdict. That is how the app can tell you the problem follows one specific charger around, which is exactly the evidence you need before buying a replacement.
How do I run the guided test?
You usually do not start it; it offers itself. After repeated unexplained power loss, Broken Charger raises a finding titled "Something's wrong with your charging" and proposes the first step. Each step is one small change, then the app watches for about a day and compares the dropout rate to your baseline:
- Plug the charger into a different wall socket.
- Check the removable plug piece sits firmly in the charger.
- Try a different cable, if you have one.
- Try a different charger, if you have one.
- Plug into a different port on your Mac.
Press "Done, start watching" after making a change; use your Mac normally and the app reports within a day or so. You can skip any step you cannot do. Verdicts are honest: "fixed" needs a genuinely quiet observation window, "still broken" is declared as soon as the evidence is in, and if the problem simply never comes back the test stands down.
Which warnings can it show?
- Weak charger: the connected charger cannot cover what your Mac is drawing, so the battery drains while plugged in.
- Power sharing: the charger is delivering noticeably less than its rating, typical of a multi-port charger also feeding another device.
- Hot-battery pause: macOS paused charging to protect a hot battery; not a fault.
- Low Power Mode: shown as a leaf so you know why things are slower.
- Battery health note: if macOS reports reduced battery capacity, it is mentioned calmly, without scare tactics.
Troubleshooting
The menu bar icon disappeared. Where did it go?
macOS hides menu bar items when the bar runs out of room, most often on notched MacBooks with many icons. Hold the Command key and drag the Broken Charger icon further left, away from the notch area, or remove menu bar items you do not use.
Why does Broken Charger ask to access a folder on first launch?
It offers to read /var/log/powermanagement, the folder where macOS itself logs power events, so it can judge roughly the past two weeks of charging on day one. Access is read-only, granted through the standard macOS file picker with one click, and optional: choose "Skip for now" and the app starts watching from that day onward instead.
Why has Broken Charger not alerted me about anything?
That is the normal, healthy state. Its alerts are deliberately conservative and fire only on repeated unexplained power loss, so if your charging is fine you will simply see a quiet green or blue icon. It never invents problems to look busy.
The wattage shown is lower than the number printed on my charger. Is the app wrong?
No, that difference is the finding. The menu bar shows the wattage your Mac actually negotiated. A worn cable, a weak socket, or a charger shared between two devices can make a 96W charger deliver far less. If the gap is persistent, run the guided test.
Does Broken Charger drain my battery?
No measurable amount. It listens to the power events macOS already produces (IOKit power source notifications) instead of polling, so it does close to zero work when nothing changes.
How do I uninstall Broken Charger?
Quit the app from its menu bar item, then delete Broken Charger from your Applications folder. It stores its small local database in your user Library and nothing anywhere else; no other cleanup is needed.
Still stuck?
Use the app's built-in "Get Help" from the menu bar item, which can attach recent app logs to a support message (you see exactly what is included and can send without logs), or send a message through the contact form.