macOS · Devices
Monitor and manage battery health and power
Battery settings show battery level history, condition, and power usage by app on Mac laptops, and let you configure power modes and options like optimized battery charging.
How to open Battery
- Open System Settings → Battery
- Review the Battery Level graph and Battery Health details
- Choose a Power Mode under the Power Mode section if available on your Mac
- Toggle Optimized Battery Charging under Battery Health if desired
What you should know
- Battery Health section shows maximum capacity and cycle count
- Power Mode selection between Low Power, Automatic, and High Power (on supported models)
- Optimized Battery Charging slows charging past 80% to reduce battery aging
- Usage history graph showing battery level and screen-on time over the past 24 hours or 10 days
Why it matters
Lithium-ion batteries degrade with every full charge cycle, and features like Optimized Battery Charging directly extend a MacBook's usable lifespan by reducing time spent at a full charge, which is when batteries age fastest. Being able to see cycle count and maximum capacity also gives an early, objective signal of when a battery may need service, rather than only noticing a problem once daily battery life has already dropped noticeably.
Best practices
- Leave Optimized Battery Charging enabled for daily use to slow long-term battery aging
- Use Low Power Mode when working away from an outlet for longer battery life
- Check Battery Health periodically, especially on Macs more than a couple of years old
- Avoid routinely running the battery all the way to 0% or leaving it at 100% plugged in for extended periods
Common problems and fixes
- Battery health shows 'Service Recommended'
- Have the battery evaluated at an Apple Store or authorized service provider, since this indicates significantly reduced capacity or an irregularity.
- Battery drains faster than expected
- Check the App usage list in Battery settings to identify apps consuming disproportionate energy, and consider quitting or updating them.
- Mac stays at 80% charge and won't go higher
- This can happen with Optimized Battery Charging if the Mac has learned your routine; unplug and replug, or temporarily disable the feature if 100% is needed immediately.
Tips and tricks
- Use the 24-hour battery graph to correlate specific usage spikes with faster battery drain.
- Switch to High Power Mode temporarily on supported models for demanding tasks like video export.
Frequently asked questions
What does cycle count mean?
One cycle equals using an amount of battery equal to 100% of capacity, whether from a single full discharge or several partial ones added together.
Does Low Power Mode affect display brightness?
It can reduce some background activity and performance, and may dim the display slightly, to extend battery runtime.
Is it bad to keep my MacBook plugged in all the time?
Optimized Battery Charging and battery health management are designed to make this safe for the battery over the long term.
Related settings
- Displays SettingsDisplays settings let you change resolution, brightness, arrangement of multiple monitors, and features like Night Shift and True Tone for more comfortable viewing.
- Storage ManagementStorage settings show a visual breakdown of exactly what's using space on your Mac's disk, plus built-in recommendations — like storing files in iCloud or automatically emptying the Trash — to free up space without manually hunting for large files yourself.
- Software UpdateSoftware Update in System Settings keeps macOS current with the latest security fixes, features, and app compatibility improvements. Regular updates help keep your Mac fast, stable, and protected.
More Devices guides for macOS
- TrackpadTrackpad settings control click pressure, tracking speed, scrolling direction, and the full set of multi-touch gestures used for navigating macOS — everything from a simple tap-to-click to four-finger app switching.
- MouseMouse settings control tracking speed, scrolling direction, and secondary-click behavior for any connected mouse, including Apple's Magic Mouse, which also supports its own set of swipe gestures.
- KeyboardKeyboard settings control key repeat speed, modifier key behavior, text input sources, and Dictation — plus Touch Bar customization on supported MacBook Pro models. It's also where you add languages and manage keyboard shortcuts across the system.
- Printers & ScannersPrinters & Scanners settings let you add, configure, and manage printers and scanners connected over USB, Wi-Fi, or a network, including setting a default printer and checking on active print jobs.
- CDs & DVDsCDs & DVDs settings let you choose what happens automatically when you insert a music CD, picture CD, video DVD, or blank disc into a connected optical drive, such as opening a specific app.
- DictationDictation lets you speak instead of type in nearly any text field on the Mac, converting speech to text using either on-device processing or enhanced online recognition depending on the language and settings.