Apple’s current MacBooks, based on the company’s own M1 and M2 processors, have better battery life than previous Intel-based machines, but there are still some easy ways to make your MacBook run longer.
For most people, you can spend a few minutes tweaking a few settings to extend your laptop’s battery life. Below, we’ll show you how to check its health, along with tips like reducing the keyboard and display brightness. We also made a case for using Safari over Chrome.
Check your MacBook’s battery percentage
Keeping a close eye on remaining battery life won’t make it last longer, but it can help you plan how much work you can get done before you need to recharge. Click the battery icon in the menu bar to see what the remaining battery percentage is. If you’re running on AC power, it estimates how long you’ll need to keep charging the battery to get it back to 100% charge. Here you can also see which apps (if any) are causing a lot of battery drain.
Check your MacBook’s battery health
It’s a good idea to check the overall health of your battery. MacOS includes a tool that can tell you its potential capacity and whether you need to replace it.
To view your battery’s health report, click the battery icon in the menu bar and select Battery Preferences. Next, make sure to select the Battery tab on the left side of the window and click on Battery Health. A window will pop up showing the current condition as well as the maximum capacity. If you have questions or want to learn more about what the status means, click the Learn More button to open the Apple Support page specific to your MacBook processor.
Optimized battery charging
If your MacBook is plugged in most of the time, you’ll definitely want to change this setting. MacOS can learn your charging habits to reduce battery aging. Click the battery icon on the menu bar at the top of the display and select Battery Preferences from the drop-down menu, as described earlier. At the bottom of the list of options, select Optimize battery charging. This will slow down your charging once the battery reaches 80% charge.
Save battery by dimming the display, optimize video streaming
Powering the display is the biggest drain on battery resources. So the first thing to do: lower the brightness of the display to a level that is comfortable for your eyes. The brighter the display, the shorter the battery life. You can also set the display to dim slightly on battery power and turn off after a period of inactivity by going back to Battery Preferences.
Turn off keyboard backlight when not needed
The backlit keyboard is great for typing in the dark, but it also drains the battery. You can set the keyboard backlight to turn off after a period of inactivity, so that it comes on when you need it and goes off when you’re away. Go to System Preferences > Keyboard. On the Keyboard tab, check the Turn off keyboard backlight after [X secs/min] of inactivity checkbox. Your choices range from 5 seconds to 5 minutes.
Turn off bluetooth if you are not using it
There’s a good chance you won’t be carrying a Bluetooth mouse or speaker with you when you’re away from your desk. There is no point in enabling bluetooth with nothing to connect to. I recommend disabling the radio to save battery. Just click the Control Center icon in the menu bar, then click Bluetooth and click the switch to slide it to the off position.
The only potential downside to disabling Bluetooth is that Apple’s Continuity feature doesn’t allow you to quickly and easily share information between your iPhone or iPad and your Mac.
Consider switching from Chrome
If Chrome is your primary web browser, you might consider switching to Apple’s Safari browser. Chrome is a well-known resource hog, taking up precious memory and draining laptop battery life through extensions.
Stay up-to-date with software updates
Keeping up to date with the latest MacOS updates will help you get the best battery life. To see if an update is available for your MacBook, go to System Preferences > Software Update. While you’re there, checking the Automatically keep my Mac up-to-date checkbox, then clicking the Advanced button will let you automatically check for updates, automatically download, or automatically install them.
Quit apps you no longer use
It’s best to close programs after using them. This can be done by pressing the Command and Q keys at the same time, or by clicking the program name in the menu bar and selecting the Exit option. To see how much energy each open app is using, open Activity Monitor and click the Energy tab or click the battery icon in the menu bar.
Disconnect accessories after using them
As with Bluetooth, if you are not actively using USB to connect your device, you should unplug it to prevent battery drain. Charging your smartphone or tablet through the MacBook‘s USB port can also drain the battery if the power cord is not connected.