Apple Preparing Fix for Sleep/Wake Crashes in 2013 MacBook Airs

macbook_air_mavericks_roundup_headerApple is preparing an update to fix an issue that causes 11 and 13-inch 2013 MacBook Airs to crash when they are wakened from sleep, according to information from an Apple Authorized Service Provider.

According to multiple lengthy threads on the Apple Support Communities, 2013 MacBook Air users have been experiencing sleep/wake issues for several months. Crashes, freezes, and blank black screens are common after waking a MacBook Air from sleep, and fixing the problem requires a hard restart.

It appears that the problem is related to OS X Mavericks and requires a combination of the computer going to sleep and a press on the keyboard or touchpad to initiate. One user has been able to successfully re-create the problem by pressing the power button to put the MacBook Air to sleep and then immediately clicking on the touchpad, which causes the machine to freeze.

The service provider that notified MacRumors about the update has said that it appears to be a bug in the sensor that detects when the lid is being opened, which has led to multiple machine returns and replacements as it was previously unclear whether it was a hardware issue or a software issue.

An Apple Support representative has also confirmed that a fix is in the works and should be bundled with the next OS X Mavericks update, which likely points to 10.9.2. A user on Apple's support forums has noted that 10.9.2 beta 4 appears to fix part of the problem by altering the function of the power button, preventing the machine from going to sleep when the power button is mis-tapped.

Ahead of the update, customers who are experiencing sleep/wake crashes with their MacBook Airs appear to be able to repair the problem with a restart.

Related Roundup: MacBook Air
Related Forums: MacBook Air, OS X Mavericks

Popular Stories

2024 iPhone Boxes Feature

Apple Adjusts Trade-In Values for iPhones, iPads, Macs, and More

Thursday November 6, 2025 11:12 am PST by
Apple today updated its trade-in values for select iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple Watch models. Trade-ins can be completed on Apple's website, or at an Apple Store. The charts below provide an overview of Apple's current and previous trade-in values in the U.S., according to its website. Maximum values for most devices either decreased or saw no change, but the iPad Air received a slight bump. ...
Liquid Glass General Feature

Apple Shares Liquid Glass Design Gallery

Thursday November 6, 2025 2:45 pm PST by
Apple is promoting the new Liquid Glass design in iOS 26, showing off the ways that third-party developers are embracing the aesthetic in their apps. On its developer website, Apple is featuring a visual gallery that demonstrates how "teams of all sizes" are creating Liquid Glass experiences. The gallery features examples of Liquid Glass in apps for iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, and Mac. Apple...
iOS 26

iOS 26.1 Available Now With These 8 New Features

Monday November 3, 2025 5:54 am PST by
Following more than a month of beta testing, Apple released iOS 26.1 on Monday, November 3. The update includes a handful of new features and changes, including the ability to adjust the look of Liquid Glass and more. Below, we outline iOS 26.1's key new features. Liquid Glass Toggle iOS 26.1 lets you choose your preferred look for Liquid Glass. In the Settings app, under Display...
airtag purple

Apple's Website Lists AirTag 4-Pack at Shockingly Low Price [Updated]

Friday November 7, 2025 6:40 am PST by
Apple's online store in the U.S. is suddenly offering a pack of four AirTags for just $29, which is the same price as a single AirTag. This is likely a pricing error, and it is unclear if orders will be fulfilled. Apple has not discounted the AirTag four-pack in any other countries that we checked. Delivery estimates are already pushing into late November to early December, suggesting...
Finder Siri Feature

Apple's New Siri Will Be Powered By Google Gemini

Wednesday November 5, 2025 11:57 am PST by
The smarter, more capable version of Siri that Apple is developing will be powered by Google Gemini, reports Bloomberg. Apple will pay Google approximately $1 billion per year for a 1.2 trillion parameter artificial intelligence model that was developed by Google. For context, parameters are a measure of how a model understands and responds to queries. More parameters generally means more...
apple watch se 3 always on

Apple to Remove iPhone-Apple Watch Wi-Fi Sync in EU With iOS 26.2

Thursday November 6, 2025 4:37 am PST by
Apple in iOS 26.2 will disable automatic Wi-Fi network syncing between iPhone and Apple Watch in the European Union to comply with the bloc's regulations, suggests a new report. Normally, when an iPhone connects to a new Wi-Fi network, it automatically shares the network credentials with the paired Apple Watch. This allows the watch to connect to the same network independently – for...
ikea smart home devices

IKEA Debuts 21 HomeKit-Compatible Smart Bulbs, Sensors, and Controls

Thursday November 6, 2025 4:08 pm PST by
IKEA today announced the upcoming launch of 21 new Matter-compatible smart home products that will be able to interface with HomeKit and the Apple Home app. There are sensors, lights, and control options, all of which will be reasonably priced. Some of the products are new, while some are updates to existing lines that IKEA previously offered. There are a series of new smart bulbs that are...
Home Hub Command Center with Dome Base Feature

Apple's 2026 Smart Home Revamp: All the Rumors

Wednesday November 5, 2025 3:54 pm PST by
It's been over a decade since Apple's HomeKit smart home platform launched, and it is overdue for an update. HomeKit and the Home app can no longer keep up with AI-powered solutions from other companies like Google and Amazon, but that's set to change with a smart home revamp that Apple has planned for 2026. Home Hub Apple is working on a home hub or "command center" that will serve as a...
apple tv logo physical

New Apple TV Intro Was Made With Practical Effects

Thursday November 6, 2025 7:02 am PST by
The all-new intro sequence for Apple TV was made with practical effects and shot in-camera, Ad Age reports. Rather than using digital techniques, the new sequence was made by shooting large glass versions of the Apple TV logo, with physical motion and changing lighting used to create effects. Apple partnered with TBWA\Media Arts Lab to create the intro. Ad Age released an exclusive look...

Top Rated Comments

2457282 Avatar
153 months ago
If you try to wake me too soon after I have gone to sleep -- I too will freeze up and crash. It is not just an Mac Air problem. :D
Score: 15 Votes (Like | Disagree)
rotax Avatar
153 months ago
Its not just the Mac Book Air that has this problem. My MBP has been having this crash problem for 2 years.
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
needfx Avatar
153 months ago
at least the MBAs are not falling asleep and crashing against each other
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
casperes1996 Avatar
153 months ago
I've been asked about this

I've been asked about this a few times. I always thought it was a user error, as the girl who asked me had never used a Mac before her Air, and was, no offense to her and god bless her, not exactly gifted when it comes to electronics...

Moral: Don't judge users when they report issues... And actually read up on it before you assume them to blame... At least now I have good news for her.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
gpat Avatar
153 months ago
About ********** time. I've been having this problem since October.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
btbeme Avatar
153 months ago
I was working on this for my father-in-law today...frustrating issue for sure.

I fiddled with some of the sleep and hibernate settings in the Terminal to see if I could either replicate or fix the problem. I don't know if I was able to cure it by changing a couple very specific parameters (this is an intermittent issue on his Air) but I was able to freeze it on command.

Was pretty simple - in the terminal I just used a sleep now command, then attempted to "intercept" the sleep (or wake it up I guess you could say) by touching the spacebar as the system started to sleep. Trying to wake it just as the keyboard lights went out would freeze it every time. The backlight and keyboard would light back up but the screen would stay blank and a hard reset was the only way to get back in.

Whether this has anything to do with the power button or a lid sensor I do not know...but I wasn't closing the lid or touching the power button in any way and could freeze it at will.

As much as I like Mavericks, I sure do see a lot of problems with it. Lazy icons, sleep issues, wireless connectivity issues, etc. - across the board, and having little or nothing to do with hardware. All of it since Mavericks.

I think that a lot of it relates to trying to make an OS as power-friendly as possible and the hardware not being able to keep up. Too many different hardware combos to try to smother their power use with software and drivers that try to make it all work on the knife-edge of power consumption.

Let's get this fixed, folks.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)