How To Make Your Mac Stop Charging At 80%

By Marlo Strydom

Limiting your Mac's battery charge to 80% can significantly extend its lifespan and maintain optimal performance. Apple's built-in Battery Health Management automatically handles this, but there are also manual methods and third-party solutions for more precise control.

Quick Answer: Enable Battery Health Management in System Settings > Battery > Battery Health to automatically limit charging to 80% when beneficial. For macOS Ventura and later, also enable Optimized Battery Charging for intelligent charging patterns based on your usage.

Lithium-ion batteries perform best when kept between 20-80% charge. Constantly charging to 100% creates stress that reduces battery capacity over time. Apple's intelligent charging features learn your patterns and optimize charging to preserve battery health while ensuring full charge when you need it.

Why Limit Mac Charging to 80%

Understanding the science behind the 80% rule helps you make informed decisions about your Mac's battery management and longevity.

Battery Chemistry and Degradation

  • Lithium-ion stress: Charging above 80% increases electrochemical stress on battery cells
  • Heat generation: Higher charge levels create more heat, accelerating chemical degradation
  • Cycle preservation: Partial charging cycles preserve total battery capacity longer
  • Voltage optimization: 80% charge maintains optimal voltage levels for battery health

Real-world Benefits

  • Extended lifespan: Can preserve 10-20% more battery capacity after 2-3 years
  • Consistent performance: Reduces battery swelling and performance throttling
  • Temperature control: Lower charging stress means cooler operation
  • Cost savings: Delays expensive battery replacement services

Method 1: Enable Battery Health Management

Apple's Battery Health Management is the most effective built-in solution for automatically managing your Mac's charging to optimize battery longevity.

For macOS Big Sur and Later

  1. Click the Apple menu in the top-left corner
  2. Select System Settings (or System Preferences on older versions)
  3. Click Battery in the sidebar
  4. Select Battery Health from the options
  5. Check the box next to Battery Health Management

Once enabled, your Mac intelligently manages charging based on your usage patterns. It may charge to 80% and pause when it predicts you'll keep the Mac plugged in for extended periods.

Note: Battery Health Management requires your Mac to learn your charging patterns. It may take several weeks to fully optimize based on your usage habits.

Method 2: Enable Optimized Battery Charging

Apple has introduced Optimized Battery Charging to help extend your battery's lifespan. This feature predicts your charging habits and adjusts the charging rate to reduce battery wear.

  1. Open your Mac and go to the Apple Menu.

  2. Select System Preferences .

  3. Click on Battery .

  4. In the Battery window, select Battery from the sidebar.

  5. Check the box for Optimized Battery Charging .

This feature adjusts the charging speed based on your usage patterns, often keeping the charge around 80% if it predicts that you will keep it plugged in for a long time.

Method 3: Third-Party Battery Management Apps

For users who want more precise control over charging limits, several third-party applications provide manual battery management capabilities.

AlDente (Recommended)

AlDente offers the most comprehensive battery management features with precise charge limiting and detailed battery monitoring.

  • Download from the official AlDente website
  • Install the application and required helper components
  • Disable Apple's Optimized Battery Charging to prevent conflicts
  • Set charge limit slider to 80% for optimal battery preservation
  • Enable "Top Off" feature for occasional full charges when needed

Charge Limiter

A simpler alternative focused specifically on charge limiting without additional monitoring features.

  • Install from the Mac App Store or official website
  • Set maximum charge threshold to 80%
  • Configure automatic startup for consistent operation
  • Monitor effectiveness through system battery status

Battery Health Manager

Combines charge limiting with comprehensive battery health monitoring and reporting capabilities.

  • Provides detailed battery cycle count and health metrics
  • Offers customizable charge limits between 50-100%
  • Includes battery temperature monitoring
  • Features battery usage history and analytics

Compatibility and Requirements

Different Mac models and macOS versions support various battery management features. Understanding compatibility ensures optimal setup.

macOS Version Requirements

  • macOS Big Sur 11.0+: Battery Health Management available
  • macOS Monterey 12.0+: Enhanced Optimized Battery Charging
  • macOS Ventura 13.0+: Improved machine learning algorithms
  • macOS Sonoma 14.0+: Additional battery health insights

Compatible Mac Models

  • MacBook Air: 2018 and later models support all features
  • MacBook Pro: 2016 and later models with full compatibility
  • Mac mini: Not applicable (no built-in battery)
  • iMac: Not applicable (no built-in battery)

Troubleshooting Common Issues

When battery management features don't work as expected, these troubleshooting steps can help identify and resolve problems.

Battery Health Management Not Working

  • Check compatibility: Verify your Mac model and macOS version support the feature
  • Reset SMC: System Management Controller reset can resolve charging issues
  • Update macOS: Ensure you're running the latest system version
  • Allow learning time: Give the system 2-3 weeks to establish patterns

Third-Party App Conflicts

  • Disable native features: Turn off Apple's battery management when using third-party apps
  • Check permissions: Ensure apps have necessary system access permissions
  • Restart applications: Quit and restart battery management apps after system updates
  • Monitor effectiveness: Use Activity Monitor to verify apps are functioning correctly

Forcing Full Charge When Needed

If you ever need your Mac to charge fully, but it's stopping at 80%, here's what to do:

  1. Unplug the charger for a few seconds, then plug it back in. This often triggers charging to continue beyond 80%.

  2. Restart while charging: Reboot your Mac while connected to power
  3. Change location: Move to a different location to trigger charging resumption
  4. Adjust sleep schedule: Modify sleep times to signal immediate charging need

Third-Party App Overrides

  • Temporary disable: Turn off charge limiting in app settings
  • Override function: Use built-in override features for one-time full charges
  • Schedule full charge: Set specific times for 100% charging when needed

Before You Go

By enabling Battery Health Management or Optimized Battery Charging, your Mac will automatically manage its charge to stop at 80%, helping to maintain your battery over time. If you ever need to fully charge your Mac, you can easily adjust the settings to allow charging past 80%.

You can watch the video summary of this article over here .