How healthy is your MacBook's battery? Three things tell you: battery health, maximum capacity and the number of charge cycles. This article explains where to find them on your Mac, what the numbers mean and when it is time to have the battery replaced.
Blue Apple replaces MacBook batteries in Amsterdam. Many people come to us with a MacBook that is "suddenly" flat, while the battery status had been warning for a long time.
Battery health and maximum capacity
- Open System Settings and choose Battery.
- Under Battery Health it says "Normal" or "Service Recommended".
- Click the info button next to it. You see the maximum capacity: how much charge the battery can still hold compared with new.
A new battery sits around 100 percent. After a few years of use 85 to 90 percent is quite normal. Around 80 percent or lower you notice the MacBook lasting clearly less long, and macOS often shows "Service Recommended".
The number of charge cycles
- Hold the Option key and choose System Information in the Apple menu.
- On the left under Hardware, choose Power.
- Under Health Information you see the cycle count.
One charge cycle is 100 percent of use, spread over several times. Use 60 percent today and 40 tomorrow, and together that is one cycle. Apple states that the batteries of recent MacBooks are designed to retain a large part of their capacity after about 1000 cycles. Older models had a lower limit.
What do the numbers mean together?
- Few cycles, low capacity: the battery is mainly old or has often been warm. Unused batteries age too.
- Many cycles, good capacity: a good battery, used sparingly.
- "Service Recommended": time to consider replacement, especially if the MacBook no longer lasts the whole day.
Battery health shows no information
If Battery Health shows nothing, or a message about an unknown part, the battery may not have been paired through Apple after an earlier replacement. The battery usually works normally, but the Mac cannot show its health. A program such as coconutBattery often still shows the capacity in that case.
What wears the battery most
Three things speed up ageing: heat, long periods at 100 percent and often running completely flat. A MacBook that sits on the charger all day on a warm desk doing heavy work ages faster than one that runs on battery now and then. Charging every day is not a problem; it is the combination of heat and a full battery.
Keeping your battery healthy
- Keep Optimised Battery Charging on in System Settings, Battery. The Mac then waits to charge beyond 80 percent if it is usually on the charger.
- Avoid heat. Heavy work in a warm place, or the MacBook in the sun, ages the battery faster.
- Store a MacBook you will not use for a long time half charged, not flat.
Signs that replacement is needed
- "Service Recommended" under Battery Health.
- The MacBook shuts off at a reasonable percentage.
- The trackpad clicks stiffly or the bottom bulges: a possibly swollen battery. Then stop charging it.
Also read replacing a MacBook battery: when, and with a swollen battery and, for the Air, replacing a MacBook Air battery.
What we do at Blue Apple in Amsterdam
We measure the battery and the charging circuit, so it is certain what causes a short battery life. Then we replace the battery if needed, and check that the Mac recognises it properly. You hear beforehand what it costs. More on our page about MacBook battery replacement.
Frequently asked questions
Is 85 percent maximum capacity bad?
No, that is normal after a few years. Replacement is only needed when the MacBook no longer gets you through the day.
Can I calibrate the battery?
On modern MacBooks that is not necessary.
Does charging to 50 percent count as half a cycle?
Yes, cycles add up usage, not the number of times you plug in.
