How do I protect my battery while using an external display that automatically charges through USB-C?

[jmpmntwnty3]

I've had my 16" Macbook Pro M1 Max for about two months now and just started using an external monitor that connects via USB-C and also charges while connected. Prior to using the external monitor, I would just use the Macbook without the charger until it's about to die. But now that I'm connected to the monitor, it's always charging.

I used to do keep my old Macbook (2012 unibody) on the charger and after a while, the battery got so bad that I was only able to use it for about 30 minutes before it completely died. I don't want this to happen with this new Macbook (or at least keep the battery as healthy as possible for as long as possible) so how do I make sure that the battery is protected? Is the Mac OS battery optimization enough? I'm not entirely sure how that works, whether it's automatic or if I need to turn it on... or should I be using some sort of 3rd party software? Any help is much appreciated, thanks!

 

[astorre]

its not "always charging" when you have charging cable connected it draws power from that not battery, it even tells you that when you click on battery icon , if you wanna keep battery at 70% or so, download Aldente and thats it

 

[jmpmntwnty3]

its not "always charging" when you have charging cable connected it draws power from that not battery, it even tells you that when you click on battery icon , if you wanna keep battery at 70% or so, download Aldente and thats it

Ha, you're right, I didn't mean "always charging" because once it's done charging it says "Charged" in the toolbar. I meant "always connected to power." Thanks for the suggestion though, looking into Aldente now.

 

[astorre]

Ha, you're right, I didn't mean "always charging" because once it's done charging it says "Charged" in the toolbar. I meant "always connected to power." Thanks for the suggestion though, looking into Aldente now.

also always running on battery until its about to die is good way to kill it

 

[Weaselboy]

Go here and turn on Optimized battery charging and the OS will take care of it for you.

 

[jmpmntwnty3]

also always running on battery until its about to die is good way to kill it

So if I'm using it unplugged, when is the best time to reach for the charger? 20%?

 

[chengengaun]

View attachment 1962634

Go here and turn on Optimized battery charging and the OS will take care of it for you.

If you have a predictable schedule or plug in the MBP all the time, then optimised battery charging works very well. It will take a while for the OS to learn the pattern, after which it is good to go. I started using this in Big Sur.

Recently I have been moving about quite a bit and did not have a predictable plugged/unplugged schedule. There is not much tweaking that can be done with Optimised Battery Charging. I decided to get more hands-on and installed AlDente Pro. It allows me to manually control the maximum charging limits, manage calibration automatically upon my triggering it, prevent the battery from charging when the temperature exceeds the set threshold, etc.

Does AlDente Pro offer advantages over Optimised Battery Charging? Arguably, and it satisfies my desire to control the Mac, lol. Coming from Intel Macs, my main concern was running out of power while on battery when Optimised Battery Charging does not top up the battery before I unplugged it. Having moved to M1 Max, I am starting to treat the Mac like the iPhone - battery life (and full charge) is just not a concern to me anymore.

So if I'm using it unplugged, when is the best time to reach for the charger? 20%?

Lithium ion batteries are most happy staying within 20-80% charge range, so 20% is sensible.

 

[AndrewWx]

I decided to get more hands-on and installed AlDente Pro.

I can vouch for AlDente Pro - it is great software and is very customizable. I highly recommend it.

 

[Christopher Kim]

You've already gotten good advice re: Aldente or when using MacOS Optimized Battery Charging feature works best.

Only other thing I'd suggest is when you're not using your computer, unplug the USB-C / TB cable. I know it can be a little annoying - especially when you come back and want to wake the computer (eg. you can't just touch your external keyboard / trackpad, you need to re-open your laptop, touch a key, wait for MacOS to load, plug in the USB-C / TB cable, and then re-close the laptop into closed clamshell mode).

Some ppl may say that's not worth it. But I personally think that small amount of effort is worth it for the chance to keep battery longevity as healthy for as long as possible (even if it ends up providing nil benefit). Prior MBP generations (especially the 2016 - 2020 versions), premature battery issues often coincided with ppl who plug in their laptops 24/7. Hopefully Apple put in hard-ier batteries in this new 2021 remodel, but any issues wouldn't pop up for a few years, at which point if it is an issue, it would be too late to change then. So for me, no qualms about being slightly more proactive, again even if at the end of the day it provides nil benefit.

 

[blazerunner]

I've had my 16" Macbook Pro M1 Max for about two months now and just started using an external monitor that connects via USB-C and also charges while connected. Prior to using the external monitor, I would just use the Macbook without the charger until it's about to die. But now that I'm connected to the monitor, it's always charging.

I used to do keep my old Macbook (2012 unibody) on the charger and after a while, the battery got so bad that I was only able to use it for about 30 minutes before it completely died. I don't want this to happen with this new Macbook (or at least keep the battery as healthy as possible for as long as possible) so how do I make sure that the battery is protected? Is the Mac OS battery optimization enough? I'm not entirely sure how that works, whether it's automatic or if I need to turn it on... or should I be using some sort of 3rd party software? Any help is much appreciated, thanks!

What monitor is it?

 

[chengengaun]

Only other thing I'd suggest is when you're not using your computer, unplug the USB-C / TB cable. I know it can be a little annoying - especially when you come back and want to wake the computer (eg. you can't just touch your external keyboard / trackpad, you need to re-open your laptop, touch a key, wait for MacOS to load, plug in the USB-C / TB cable, and then re-close the laptop into closed clamshell mode).

If it is too troublesome, at least try to unplug the power cable every evening, then plug in again the next day. That's what I did (in addition to using AlDente Pro).

 

[Big Jobs]

turn off all power settings on monitor menus and turn on optimized battery charging in system preferences on mac: I have a 14" M1 MacBook Pro that i use a external usb c monitor without power delivery just like you and my battery sits between 99%-100% after being plugged in since december: i let Mac OS manage my battery as it does it better than i can

 

[JPack]

You've already gotten good advice re: Aldente or when using MacOS Optimized Battery Charging feature works best.

Only other thing I'd suggest is when you're not using your computer, unplug the USB-C / TB cable. I know it can be a little annoying - especially when you come back and want to wake the computer (eg. you can't just touch your external keyboard / trackpad, you need to re-open your laptop, touch a key, wait for MacOS to load, plug in the USB-C / TB cable, and then re-close the laptop into closed clamshell mode).

Some ppl may say that's not worth it. But I personally think that small amount of effort is worth it for the chance to keep battery longevity as healthy for as long as possible (even if it ends up providing nil benefit). Prior MBP generations (especially the 2016 - 2020 versions), premature battery issues often coincided with ppl who plug in their laptops 24/7. Hopefully Apple put in hard-ier batteries in this new 2021 remodel, but any issues wouldn't pop up for a few years, at which point if it is an issue, it would be too late to change then. So for me, no qualms about being slightly more proactive, again even if at the end of the day it provides nil benefit.

I'd strong recommend against doing that.

With Battery Health Management on Apple Silicon-based MacBooks, macOS will automatically limit charging to 80-90%. If you start unplugging and plugging each time, macOS will think the user actually wants to use the battery. It will allow charging to 100%.

If you leave it plugged in, your intentions are clear and after a few weeks, the computer will put charging on hold indefinitely.

 

[Christopher Kim]

I'd strong recommend against doing that.

With Battery Health Management on Apple Silicon-based MacBooks, macOS will automatically limit charging to 80-90%. If you start unplugging and plugging each time, macOS will think the user actually wants to use the battery. It will allow charging to 100%.

If you leave it plugged in, your intentions are clear and after a few weeks, the computer will put charging on hold indefinitely.

I don't disagree that if you unplug when not using it, the macOS charge-limiting feature won't work as well. I guess I just prefer to do it the old-fashioned way where I know it's unplugged when I'm not using it.

 

[niray9]

I'd strong recommend against doing that.

With Battery Health Management on Apple Silicon-based MacBooks, macOS will automatically limit charging to 80-90%. If you start unplugging and plugging each time, macOS will think the user actually wants to use the battery. It will allow charging to 100%.

If you leave it plugged in, your intentions are clear and after a few weeks, the computer will put charging on hold indefinitely.

Does this only apply only to MBPs with Apple Silicon or also to Intel CPU based 2018+MBPros?

I got a new keyboard+battery on a 2018MBP, hence trying to keep the battery healthy as long as possible.

I have a 2012 MBP retina, which is almost always on charge and the battery barely lasts an hour when not connected to power. 2012 MBP I believe does not have the option for Optimized battery.

 

[JPack]

Does this only apply only to MBPs with Apple Silicon or also to Intel CPU based 2018+MBPros?

I got a new keyboard+battery on a 2018MBP, hence trying to keep the battery healthy as long as possible.

I have a 2012 MBP retina, which is almost always on charge and the battery barely lasts an hour when not connected to power. 2012 MBP I believe does not have the option for Optimized battery.

The battery charging was held on my 2017 MBP as well, so it's not just Apple Silicon.

 

[niray9]

I tried to go through a few threads on this. I'm a little confused - If there a unanimous view whether to use the 'mac battery optimizer' OR 'unplug' to keep the battery good? Or use a mix of the two? I mean do we know what works the best?

Asking because the MBP might only sometimes be using the battery. Most of the time it will be on the charger.

 

[omvs]

I tried to go through a few threads on this. I'm a little confused - If there a unanimous view whether to use the 'mac battery optimizer' OR 'unplug' to keep the battery good? Or use a mix of the two? I mean do we know what works the best?

Asking because the MBP might only sometimes be using the battery. Most of the time it will be on the charger.

I leave mine plugged in all the time with the optimizer enabled. Before the optimizer unplugging was added to macOS unplugging may have made sense (though I’m somewhat doubtful) but with it enabled,you’ll probably confuse it with plugging/unplugging - it uses some sort of machine learning.

My understanding is that full discharging and recharging would probably be toughest on lithium ion battery. Leaving it at 100% ideal either - apparently 80% is about optimal which is why batteries tend to ship that way.

 

[jmpmntwnty3]

What monitor is it?

LG 27UN850-W Ultrafine UHD (3840 x 2160) IPS Monitor​

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www.amazon.com

 

[Fishrrman]

Does the monitor have a menu control that will turn off the charging feature?

 

[Basic75]

So if I'm using it unplugged, when is the best time to reach for the charger? 20%?

Yes.

 

[niray9]

Adding the picture for future reference for anyone having the same question.

After using the laptop for @2-3 weeks on continuous charge.