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Difficulty

Moderate

Steps

5

Time Required

                          20 minutes

Sections

3

  • Lower Case
  • 2 steps
  • Battery
  • 1 step
  • Solid-State Drive
  • 2 steps

Flags

1

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Introduction

Before you perform this repair, if at all possible, back up your existing SSD. Then, either familiarize yourself with internet recovery or create a bootable external drive so you’ll be ready to install macOS onto your new drive and migrate your data to the new SSD.

Finally, we strongly recommend installing macOS 10.13 High Sierra (or a later macOS) before replacing the original SSD from your MacBook Air. Most new SSDs require updated storage drivers not found in versions of macOS prior to High Sierra.

What you need

Step 1

              Lower Case
  • Before proceeding, close your computer and lay it on a soft surface top-side down.
  • Remove the following ten screws:
  • Two 8 mm 5-point Pentalobe screws
  • Eight 2.5 mm 5-point Pentalobe screws
  • The special screwdriver needed to remove the eight 5-point Pentalobe screws can be found here.

Before proceeding, close your computer and lay it on a soft surface top-side down.

Remove the following ten screws:

Two 8 mm 5-point Pentalobe screws

Eight 2.5 mm 5-point Pentalobe screws

The special screwdriver needed to remove the eight 5-point Pentalobe screws can be found here.

1024

Step 2

  • Wedge your fingers between the display and the lower case and pull upward to pop the lower case off the Air.
  • Remove the lower case and set it aside.

Wedge your fingers between the display and the lower case and pull upward to pop the lower case off the Air.

Remove the lower case and set it aside.

Step 3

              Battery
  • In this step you will disconnect the battery to help avoid shorting out any components during service.
  • Use the flat end of a spudger to pry both short sides of the battery connector upward to disconnect it from its socket on the logic board.
  • Bend the battery cable slightly away from the logic board so the connector will not accidentally contact its socket.

In this step you will disconnect the battery to help avoid shorting out any components during service.

Use the flat end of a spudger to pry both short sides of the battery connector upward to disconnect it from its socket on the logic board.

Bend the battery cable slightly away from the logic board so the connector will not accidentally contact its socket.

Step 4

              Solid-State Drive
  • Remove the single 2.9 mm T5 Torx screw securing the SSD to the logic board.

Remove the single 2.9 mm T5 Torx screw securing the SSD to the logic board.

Step 5

  • Use a spudger to help lift the free end of the SSD just enough to grab it with your other hand.
  • Do not lift the end of the SSD excessively.
  • Pull the drive straight out of its socket and remove it from the logic board.
  • When reinstalling the SSD, be sure it is properly seated before reinstalling its retaining screw.

Use a spudger to help lift the free end of the SSD just enough to grab it with your other hand.

Do not lift the end of the SSD excessively.

Pull the drive straight out of its socket and remove it from the logic board.

When reinstalling the SSD, be sure it is properly seated before reinstalling its retaining screw.

To reassemble your device, follow these instructions in reverse order.

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                    Andrew Bookholt

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Rohit Lamba - Apr 18, 2016

Reply

is there any difference between SSD for macbook air and macbook pro…??

is that possible that we can just run macbook air only HDD..?

mariawinter - Jun 10, 2016

Reply

Any chance of squeezing in an SSD any larger than 256 GB?

Ted Buila - Dec 28, 2017

Reply

A bit of an oldie needs some help with upgrading his late 11" macbook air with a WD 500GB Blue SATA III 2.5" Internal SSD. Q 1 is it doable? Q2 Will I need an adapter “kit” of some kind or just be sure not to lose the screws in the process? Thanks in advance for any help. ted