Optimizing your MacBook’s battery involves a two-pronged approach: adjusting current system settings to maximize the time you have on a single charge, and adopting habits that preserve the long-term health of the battery itself.
Optimize System Settings for Immediate Power Savings
The most effective way to extend your MacBook’s runtime between charges is to adjust how macOS utilizes power. These settings can be found primarily in the Battery section of System Settings .
- Enable Low Power Mode: This is the most direct tool for saving energy. When activated, it reduces your Mac’s screen brightness slightly and lowers the CPU clock speed, which conserves power with minimal impact on everyday tasks . You can configure it to activate Only on Battery, which is ideal for extending life when you are unplugged, or set it to Always if you prioritize battery life over performance .
- Reduce Display Brightness and Lighting: The display is one of the largest consumers of battery power. You can manually lower the screen brightness using the function keys . For further savings, navigate to System Settings > Battery > Options and toggle on Slightly dim the display while on battery power . Additionally, if you’re not using it, turn off the keyboard backlight manually or let it time out quickly to save extra power .
- Turn Off Wireless Radios: Wi-Fi and Bluetooth continue to consume energy even when not actively in use . If you’re working on a plane or in an area with no internet, turn them off via the Control Center menu bar. You can also disable Bluetooth completely in System Settings > Bluetooth .
- Optimize Video Streaming: When watching video on battery power, you can save energy by having macOS play high-dynamic-range (HDR) content in standard dynamic range (SDR). This option, Optimise video streaming while on battery power, can be found in System Settings > Battery > Options .
- Manage Sleep and Display Settings: Setting your display to turn off more quickly when idle is a simple way to save power. You can adjust this in System Settings > Lock Screen by setting Turn display off when inactive to a shorter duration, such as 5 or 10 minutes . For older Intel-based MacBooks, you might also have options like Put hard disks to sleep when possible and Automatic graphics switching in the Battery settings, both of which should be enabled for optimal battery life .
Manage Apps and System Activity
Even when you aren’t actively using them, applications can run in the background and consume significant power. Managing these processes helps your MacBook enter low-power states more effectively.
- Close Unnecessary Apps: An app that’s open, even if minimized, can still use resources. You can get a quick overview by clicking the battery icon in the menu bar, which lists “Apps Using Significant Energy” . Close any apps you’re not currently using.
- Use Activity Monitor: For a more detailed view, open Activity Monitor (found in Applications > Utilities) and go to the Energy tab. This shows you the precise energy impact of all running processes, helping you identify and quit any power-hungry apps .
- Manage Login Items: Prevent apps from launching automatically when you start up your Mac, as they consume resources from the moment you log in. Go to System Settings > General > Login Items and remove any unnecessary apps from the “Open at Login” list .
- Limit Background Activity: Some apps have permission to run in the background. You can review and restrict this by going to System Settings > General > Login Items and reviewing the “Allow in the Background” section . You may also want to review notifications in System Settings > Notifications, as every notification can briefly wake your system .
Prioritize Long-Term Battery Health
Extending the life of your battery today is important, but preserving its capacity for years to come requires a different set of strategies focused on charging habits and environmental conditions.
- Enable Optimized Battery Charging: This built-in feature learns your daily routine and holds the battery at around 80% until just before you typically unplug your Mac, reducing the time the battery spends at 100% charge, which can degrade it over time. You can find this in System Settings > Battery > Battery Health .
- Set a Charging Limit (macOS 26.4 and later): With the upcoming macOS 26.4 update, Apple is introducing a native feature that allows you to set a hard charge limit, as low as 80%. This is an even more proactive way to preserve long-term battery health by ensuring the battery is never fully topped up if you don’t need it to be .
- Avoid Extreme Temperatures: Heat is a major enemy of battery health. Avoid charging or using your MacBook in direct sunlight or hot environments. Also, ensure the laptop’s ventilation is not blocked when in use, especially on soft surfaces like beds or couches .
- Follow the 20-80% Rule for Storage: While modern batteries are smart, a good habit for longevity is to avoid regularly letting the battery drop below 20% or charging it to 100% if you don’t immediately need the full runtime. If you plan to store your MacBook for a long period, leave it with a charge of around 50-80% .
Bonus: How to Check Your Battery’s Health
To see how well your battery is holding up, you can check its condition. Hold the Option key and click the battery icon in the menu bar. One of the statuses will appear:
- Normal: The battery is functioning properly.
- Service Recommended: The battery’s capacity has significantly degraded, and it may be time to consider a replacement .
For a more detailed cycle count, go to System Settings > General > About and click System Report. Under the Hardware section, select Power to see detailed information, including the cycle count .
I hope this detailed guide helps you get the most out of your MacBook’s battery both today and in the future. Are you interested in learning more about any of these specific settings?