Is your MacBook battery draining fast, much faster than before? That may be an app using power in the background, your settings, or a battery that is worn. The good news: with a few checks you can often quickly see the cause. This article explains how to find out, what you can do yourself to make your battery last longer and when a new battery is the solution.
Blue Apple repairs MacBooks in Amsterdam and replaces MacBook batteries. Start with the steps below.
Step 1: which apps use a lot of power?
- Click the battery symbol in the menu bar. It lists apps using significant energy.
- Open System Settings, Battery. The graph shows usage over the past hours and days, and how much each app used.
- Open Activity Monitor, Energy tab, for more detail. See Activity Monitor explained.
Known power hogs: browsers with many tabs, video calls, games, and apps that sync or index in the background.
Step 2: settings that help
- Brightness: the screen is one of the biggest consumers. Turn it down a bit.
- Low Power Mode: turn it on in System Settings, Battery.
- Keyboard backlight: lower it or let it turn off after a few seconds.
- Bluetooth and Wi-Fi: off when you do not use them.
- Login items: remove apps you do not need at startup (System Settings, General, Login Items).
- Connected devices such as drives and phones that are charging also draw power from your MacBook.
Step 3: after an update
After a major macOS update the battery drains faster for a few days, because the Mac analyses photos and indexes files in the background. Give it a few days before drawing conclusions. Leave the MacBook on the charger overnight now and then during that time, so that work finishes sooner. If usage stays high afterwards, look at the battery graph again to see which app uses the most.
Step 4: is the battery worn?
Go to System Settings, Battery and click the i symbol next to Battery Health. You see the maximum capacity. If it is around or below eighty percent, or it says "Service Recommended", the battery is worn. The cycle count is in System Information, Power. See checking battery health and cycles.
Keeping your battery healthy longer
- Keep Optimised Battery Charging on. Then the MacBook only charges the last percent when you need it.
- Avoid heat: do not leave it on a cushion or in the sun while it works hard.
- Do not leave it completely empty for weeks. See MacBook will not start after a flat battery.
When is it more than the battery?
- The battery drains while the MacBook is closed and off.
- The MacBook gets warm while doing nothing.
- The battery swells: the trackpad gets stiff or the bottom no longer sits flat. Stop using it and have it checked.
Then there may be a problem on the logic board, for example after water damage.
What we do at Blue Apple in Amsterdam
We test the battery and power use, and replace the battery if it is worn. You hear beforehand what it costs. More on our page about MacBook battery replacement and in replacing a MacBook Air battery.
Frequently asked questions
How long should a MacBook battery last?
Newer MacBooks are designed for about a thousand charge cycles. After that capacity drops noticeably.
Is it bad to keep my MacBook on the charger all the time?
No. With Optimised Battery Charging macOS protects the battery itself.
Why is my battery empty while the Mac was closed?
Sometimes apps or connected devices keep the Mac awake. Check the battery graph to see what happened.
