Maximize Battery Life and Lifespan for Apple MacBook

Authored by: Support.com Tech Pro Team

1. Introduction: macOS: Maximize Battery Life for Apple MacBook

Getting the most out of your MacBook's battery involves some care and some simple maintenance.

This guide will walk you through updating, basic care, and some things you can check to get the longest, and best performance from your Mac.

2. macOS: Battery: Updates Check

Apple takes care of a great many battery optimizations for you, through software updates.

Making sure your Mac is up to date is often the first, and easiest way to ensure you're battery life will be good, as well as keeping your Mac in excellent working condition, generally.

3. macOS: Check for Updates

1. Click the Apple menu, then click onApp Store.
   

1. Select Updates on the bar at the top.
   

1. Any pending updates for your Mac will be listed here. Select Update All to apply these updates.

MacBook, MacBook Pro, and MacBook Air must have the power adapter plugged in to automatically download updates.

4. macOS: Avoid Extreme Temperatures

Operating your Mac in low temperatures can cause a shorter battery life for that use. Doing so does not cause damage.

Operating, charging, or storing your Mac in high temperatures, such as in your car in a parking lot, can cause damage to your Mac's battery, decreasing the charge it will hold long-term. This damage is not reversible, and would require the battery to be replaced.

Temperature When Using Your Mac

Like most electronic equipment and most batteries, your Mac and its battery does not function well in extreme heat or extreme cold.

• Apple recommends an ideal operating temperature between 50°F and 95°F (10°C and 35°C).
• If your Mac is too hot, the battery will not charge to full; it will charge to around 80% and stop, to avoid damaging the battery.
• If possible, avoid leaving your Mac in direct sunlight on warmer days. The combination of the warm ambient temperature and direct sunlight can bring your Mac's temperature up well beyond the recommended range very quickly.

Temperature When Storing Your Mac

Again, as with most electronics and batteries, the way your Mac is stored can affect its battery life.

• Apple recommends an ideal storing temperature between -4°F and 113°F (-20°C and 45°C).
• If you're storing your Mac for more than 12 hours, it is recommended to Shut Down your Mac, rather than leave it in Stand By (just closing the lid).

• To Shut Down your Mac, select the Apple Menu, then select Shut Down.
  

• If you intend to store your Mac for longer than a week, it's best to bring the battery to between 40% and 60% charge before turning it off for storage. Do not fully charge, or discharge, the battery before you store your Mac.

5. macOS: Battery Optimizations

There's a number of different areas to check on your Mac to make sure your battery is going to provide you the best performance.

You may, or may not need to check every last item listed. If you are using, or depend on a feature of your Mac, such as Wi-Fi, it's best to leave it enabled for now, and disable that feature last.

6. macOS: Energy Saver

1. Choose Apple menu > System Preferences.
   

1. Choose Energy Saver.
   

1. Here you can change various Energy Saving features of your Mac.
   

1. Turn display off after
   This adjusts how long your Mac waits till the display turns off automatically. Dragging it all the way to the right will disable turning off the display.
2. Prevent computer from sleeping automatically when the display is off
   This allows your computer to remain up and running, performing tasks, when the display is off. This uses significantly more battery life.
3. Put hard disks to sleep when possible
   Your storage drive on your Mac uses a lot of power to operate, compared to most of the other components (other than the screen itself). While it can take a few seconds to 'wake-up' when you start using your computer again, allowing the drives to sleep saves wear and tear, and battery life.
4. Wake for network access
   This allows network apps, such as your browser or other instant messaging apps, to wake up your computer to perform tasks. Uses more battery life, but you won't have to wait a few moments for your communication apps to 'catch up' when you return to your computer.
5. Start up automatically after a power failure
   If the power goes out (or the battery dies completely) and your Mac shuts down, the instant it has power again causes the computer to turn itself on.
6. Enable Power Nap
   Lets your computer turn on and off various features dynamically to save battery life.

7. macOS: Battery Optimizations Check

When trying to maximize the battery life on your Mac, it's often a good idea to check all different areas. This way, you have the best chance of getting the best battery life from your Mac.

8. macOS: Test Battery Life

Try using your Mac now, after charging. You should notice an improvement in how long you can use your Mac between recharges.

It's best to test for a day or two, then return to this guide.

9. What's next?

10. macOS: Adjust Display Brightness

1. Select Apple menu > System Preferences.
   

1. Select Displays.
   

1. Check the Brightness slider and options.
   

1. If your Mac has the option, it can use its built-in ambient light sensor, and try to adjust the display brightness automatically to a comfortable level.
2. If you do not have this option, or choose to disable it, use this slider to make the display brighter or dimmer so it is comfortable to use, yet as low as possible.

11. macOS: Disable Wi-Fi

This will stop your ability to connect to Wi-Fi networks, and you will be unable to use the Internet or other network resources over Wi-Fi untl you turn it back on.

1. Click the Wi-Fi icon in the menu bar. By default it will be in the upper right corner near the time and date.
   

1. Select Turn Wi-Fi Off.
   

12. macOS: Disable Bluetooth

This will stop your ability to connect to Bluetooth devices, and you will be unable to use Bluetooth devices, such as speakers or headphones, till it is turned back on.

1. Open the Apple menu and then click on System Preferences.
   

1. Click on Bluetooth.
   

1. Click Turn Bluetooth Off.
   

13. macOS: Disconnect Peripherals

External devices, such as mice, keyboards, and drives, use power from your computer to function.

If you are not using a device, it's best to disconnect it from your computer, to help save battery life.

14. macOS: Close Unused Applications

When you hit the red circle to close a window, the program may still run in the background. If you run too many applications at the same time you can have issues where you run out of memory, or an open program is using a good chunk of your CPU, and decrease battery life.

There are 2 ways to close a program on your Mac. The first way is preferred.

Quit A Program Normally

1. Look at the Dock, the bar with the icons, usually at the bottom of your screen.
   

1. 
   
2. Items that are running have a small black dot below them. Select that item to bring that App to the forefront.

Finder, the first icon on the bar, will always be running, and can be ignored.

1. Select the name of the program from the menu bar at the top, then choose Quit.
   

Force Quit a Program

1. Select the Apple menu, then select Force Quit.
   

1. Select the program you are having problems closing, then select Force Quit.
   

1. You will be prompted to confirm, select Force Quit.
   

• Any unsaved work will be lost from a program that you Force Quit.
• You can not close the Finder application.

15. macOS: Login Items

When your Mac starts up, it launches extra programs you, or other programs have setup to launch right away. These programs are 'in use' on the computer, so they decrease battery life and can cause your Mac to run slower. It's best to disable these programs if you are not using them.

1. Select Apple menu > System Preferences.
   

1. Select Users & Groups.
   

1. Select Login Items.
   

1. Select the lock at the bottom.
   

1. Enter your password, then select Unlock.
   

1. Select items you do not use, then select the minus button at the bottom to remove that item from startup.
   

Any items you've removed will remain running until you reboot your computer. You don't have to reboot right away, simply do so at your next convenience.

16. macOS: Restart

1. From the menu bar across the top of the screen, select the Apple menu (1), then select Restart... (2).
   

Any unsaved work will be lost.