Battery Health

[JoelBC]

After 9 years with a MacBook Air I decided it was time for an upgrade and ordered a new MacBook Pro which will arrive next week.

Question: In terms of battery health, is it better to leave the MacBook plugged in all the time, is it better to let it run down and then recharge fully, other and, of course, why?

Thanks.

 

[Sanpete]

If you use the optimized battery charging (System Preferences > Battery), it will probably be fine however you want to do it. The main advice these days is to avoid discharging completely and charging past what you need. The optimizing function will keep it at 75-80% while it's plugged in if you keep it plugged in long enough.

 

[cababah]

I also use the optimize function and try to use the machine on battery once or twice per week. I kind of stopped worrying about it as I will most likely upgrade long before battery wear becomes an issue.

 

[kvlq]

i see a lot of people asking if working with the mbp all time connected to the charger is causing future battery issues.
But what about using it on battery all the time (plugged in only when charging - 2 hrs)? Personally, i charge it to 100% and then use it until 20% then charge it again and so on..

 

[JoelBC]

If you use the optimized battery charging (System Preferences > Battery), it will probably be fine however you want to do it. The main advice these days is to avoid discharging completely and charging past what you need. The optimizing function will keep it at 75-80% while it's plugged in if you keep it plugged in long enough.

I also use the optimize function and try to use the machine on battery once or twice per week. I kind of stopped worrying about it as I will most likely upgrade long before battery wear becomes an issue.

i see a lot of people asking if working with the mbp all time connected to the charger is causing future battery issues.
But what about using it on battery all the time (plugged in only when charging - 2 hrs)? Personally, i charge it to 100% and then use it until 20% then charge it again and so on..

@All the above, much thanks for the response.

I am getting a new laptop not so much because my laptop is 9 years old because it actually works fine (albeit a little slow) but because I am stuck at Catalina and thought it a good idea to be "os current". I see that a lot has changed from Catalina to Monterey as I was not aware of the Optimize Battery functionality.

Thank you.

 

[Isamilis]

i see a lot of people asking if working with the mbp all time connected to the charger is causing future battery issues.
But what about using it on battery all the time (plugged in only when charging - 2 hrs)? Personally, i charge it to 100% and then use it until 20% then charge it again and so on..

If possible, it’s better to charge up to 75-80% and charge it again when 40%. That will reduce “stress” on battery.

 

[TinyMito]

I know there is an app to force the battery to stop at 80%.

But been a month and over, I have never seen that built-in battery optimization activate yet. It did on my 2020 model.

 

[Lucas Curious]

my new 16" does this. I notice it continues to charge past 80% in morning since it knows what time I usually use Mac on battery. 32 cycles on battery and its still at 100% health.

 

[ChpStcks]

If you use the optimized battery charging (System Preferences > Battery), it will probably be fine however you want to do it. The main advice these days is to avoid discharging completely and charging past what you need. The optimizing function will keep it at 75-80% while it's plugged in if you keep it plugged in long enough.

I don't think I've ever seen the optimizedfunction cap at 80% it eventually charges fully... and how do folks manage this battery "optimal" range if you're plugged into an external monitor?

 

[wilberforce]

You no longer need to worry about it, it will stop charging at about 80% if always plugged in, with the status:

"Charging on Hold (Rarely Used on Battery)"

If battery charging is paused or on hold on your Mac - Apple Support (MD)

Use the battery status menu to resume charging if you need to have your Mac fully charged sooner.

support.apple.com

The worst things for a Li-ion battery are:
1. Maintaining it fully charged (100%) for long periods
2. Deep discharges
3. High temperature
4. Very fast charging

BU-808: How to Prolong Lithium-based Batteries

BU meta description needed...

batteryuniversity.com

 

[Sanpete]

I don't think I've ever seen the optimizedfunction cap at 80% it eventually charges fully... and how do folks manage this battery "optimal" range if you're plugged into an external monitor?

It takes a couple weeks of being consistent in being plugged in, and then it will allow the battery to run down to 80% and cap it there. It might charge up to 100% full again when it thinks you might want to use it on battery. If your usage isn't predictable enough for whatever its algorithm is, it might not work for you. Then you might try AlDente or the like instead.

Doesn't matter what the source of the power is.

 

[Fishrrman]

My boilerplate advice:

DON'T leave it plugged in "all the time".

Instead, "exercise" the battery by disconnecting it from the charger 3-4 times a week, let it run down to say, 45%, then plug it back in.

Also, I'd pull the charger plug out of the wall each night (whether you shut down the MBP or just "let it sleep"). Then, plug it back into charge the next morning.

 

[GoztepeEge]

After 9 years with a MacBook Air I decided it was time for an upgrade and ordered a new MacBook Pro which will arrive next week.

Question: In terms of battery health, is it better to leave the MacBook plugged in all the time, is it better to let it run down and then recharge fully, other and, of course, why?

Thanks.

I have done lots of researches about this topic. My personal opinion and advise is: use a battery management program like AlDente or Chargelimiter to put a charging limit on your battery while you use your computer always plugged.

In this case, it means that you power your computer via the charger, while the battery stays at a determined percentage (like 50% or 70%) at the same time. Without a program, Apple makes the similar thing by an internal software, it keeps your battery at 80%. But it needs so much time to learn your usage type. If you are a user who is not working in an office, or not distinct intervals, this makes the situation harder to learn for the internal software.

Hence I suggest to use one of the aforementioned programs, set a charging limit, and use it always in charge.
The charging limit could be 50%, 60%, or up tp 80%.
More than 80% accelerates the degradation of the battery by giving it high stress. Less than 20% does the same as well.
The stable region is considered in between 30% and 80%.

Right now I am always keeping mine (a new device, opened 4 days ago and has 100% battery health + 5 cycles) at always 50%. I am using AlDente by the way. Sometimes I will need to charge it up to 75% to make sure the battery is charged. Then I will use it until it gets around 35%. Then again, charging at staying at 50%. This might be the best case, if you are a user that uses the computer always a charger connected.

Additionally, it is best to use your battery at least 1-2 times a week. I mean, charge your battery up to 75% or 80%, then use it normally (not heavy load, please) up to 30%. Then charge and stay at 50% again.

It is also advised by Apple that, if you are planning not to use your computer for a long time, like at least 1 month, charge it until 50% and leave it like that. This is the best scenario for a battery. Because it is the most stable region. Hence I am advising to use it at the same level with the help of a battery manager software.

 

[Fatus_Asticus]

I'm using Aldente. I have it set to stop charging at 60% and I leave it plugged in most of the time. When I'm off on battery 60% is enough to get me many hours of screen time and it is low enough that the battery is in a really good store state. Ardent keeps the Mac from being charged to 80% or higher and it stops the flow of electricity to the battery until the 5% sail (which I set) is exceeded which has never kicked in yet.

Time will tell but I've worked with batteries on some personal solar projects and everything I have read indicates this is the best way to limit wear and tear on the cells. You basically don't want them sitting at or close to full with a trickle charge on them and as you cycle them they lose life over time.

Heat is also a killer. I use Mac fan control and keep the fans running at 50% to prevent heat buildup. The default settings are a bit lenient on heat and I'd rather not be running at 45c all the time when I could be running 10c lower.

 

[white7561]

I just use AlDente and set it to 50% everytime. Calibrate it every month (charging it to 100% - draining to 15% - charging it back to 100% - drain to the 50% limit)

And when I know I need to go somewhere etc I just use the top up button to charge fully.

 

[kvlq]

some advices for using it all the time on battery? i charge it only during the night when im not working on it.

 

[GoztepeEge]

some advices for using it all the time on battery? i charge it only during the night when im not working on it.

This is actually not a correct way in my opinion. When you do a hard work which requires much power, it means you push your battery to the limits. But you could use the charger to power up the computer.

There are some users who advise always charging and leaving the charger always plugged-in, they rely on the MacOS’s new optimized battery feature. However I do not agree. It is because we all know the “stable region” of a battery, in between 30%-75%, approximately.

You can search it on the google. Just type “chemistry of batteries” or “stable region of a battery”.

 

[JoelBC]

Apologies for the slow response but I have been slammed at work...I appreciate all the advice and will look into the battery software options tomorrow.

Am I correct that the preferred options are:

1. Chargelimiter

2. Aedent

3. AlDente

Am appreciate of the all the advice. Any insights into the pros / cons of these?

Thanks.

 

[CoastalOR]

Apologies for the slow response but I have been slammed at work...I appreciate all the advice and will look into the battery software options tomorrow.

Am I correct that the preferred options are:

1. Chargelimiter

2. Aedent

3. AlDente

Am appreciate of the all the advice. Any insights into the pros / cons of these?

Thanks.

If your new Mac is a Silicon Mac (M1, M1 Pro, M1 Max) then you can not use Chargelimiter since it works by setting the SMC. The Silicon Macs do not have a SMC.

Aedent is a misspelling that I thinks is really AlDente.

I use AlDente on my M1 Pro and it works very well. I highly recommend it.

AlDente

AlDente – Charge Limiter The ALL-IN-ONE charge Limiter App for MacBooks. Download Free Get AlDente Pro AlDente gives you the tools you need to extend the life of your MacBook battery. Why do I need this? Li-ion batteries (like the one in your MacBook) last the longest when operated between 20%...

apphousekitchen.com

 

[JoelBC]

If your new Mac is a Silicon Mac (M1, M1 Pro, M1 Max) then you can not use Chargelimiter since it works by setting the SMC. The Silicon Macs do not have a SMC.

Aedent is a misspelling that I thinks is really AlDente.

I use AlDente on my M1 Pro and it works very well. I highly recommend it.

AlDente

AlDente – Charge Limiter The ALL-IN-ONE charge Limiter App for MacBooks. Download Free Get AlDente Pro AlDente gives you the tools you need to extend the life of your MacBook battery. Why do I need this? Li-ion batteries (like the one in your MacBook) last the longest when operated between 20%...

apphousekitchen.com

Appreciate the clarification.

I was just about to ask for clarification because I could not find anything on Ardent.

I was reading about AlDente and will purchase and install it tomorrow. I like the added features, Christmas present to me!

Yes, my new mac is Apple Silicon. I definitely over purchased for my needs but am enjoying the new laptop, just finding the setup overwhelming as I am doing a fresh build after 9 years, did not want the migration wizard to move all the junk across.

Thanks for all the help, greatly appreciated!

 

[JoelBC]

Thanks to everyone for the help.

I have AlDente up and running and I will share my thoughts with you in a week or so.

Initial thoughts, not so sure it is working. Spent most of the day configuring my laptop and the battery is still at 100% even though AlDente says that charging is paused!

Interested in comments / thoughts.

Thanks!

 

[cool11]

If you use the optimized battery charging (System Preferences > Battery), it will probably be fine however you want to do it. The main advice these days is to avoid discharging completely and charging past what you need. The optimizing function will keep it at 75-80% while it's plugged in if you keep it plugged in long enough.

I am looking in System Preferences > Battery, and I cannot see anywhere the 'optimized battery charging'.
Where is it?

Mainly I use my mbp plugged in.
But I want to maintain a healthy battery, without having to deal with it all the time.
Is this setting enough?

But on the other hand, it will not always charge in 100%? So if I need to take my mbp and go away, there is the possibility of having just 75% of battery on the road?

 

[JoelBC]

I am looking in System Preferences > Battery, and I cannot see anywhere the 'optimized battery charging'.
Where is it?

Mainly I use my mbp plugged in.
But I want to maintain a healthy battery, without having to deal with it all the time.
Is this setting enough?

But on the other hand, it will not always charge in 100%? So if I need to take my mbp and go away, there is the possibility of having just 75% of battery on the road?

In response:

1. See the below graphic which is from Monterey 12.1

2. Would suggest reading the above, I opted to install AlDente.

3. Would suggest trying AlDente, it has a top up option for that very reason.

 

[cool11]

JoelBC thank you.

I thought that 'optimized battery charging' was a standard/universal choice, at least at the latest mac os versions.
It seems that it does not.
I am on big sur, fully updated, but not moterey.

Here is what I can see and the options I have (my own window at the top right):

----
In any case, as you suggest, probably I have to check aldente.

If keep charging the mbp battery at 80%, means a better life for them in the long run,
as I keep my mbps for many years,
then I will take this option.

 

[JoelBC]

@cool11 , pleasure, don't mention it!


@ All, do you think that AlDente is working? The reason I ask is that I have had it running for 2 days now, have been busy setting up my laptop yet it still reads 100%. Would appreciate your comments / suggestions / thoughts.