You might be aware of the ongoing debate about the best way to charge your Mac to extend its battery life. A prevalent view among some experts and laptop manufacturers is that keeping the battery charge level around 80% can help prolong its lifespan. This guide will cover multiple methods to achieve this, including manual unplugging, using macOS features, and third-party apps.

Manual Unplugging

The simplest method to stop your Mac from charging beyond 80% is to unplug it manually. Monitor your Mac’s battery percentage and disconnect the charger as it nears 80%. This method requires attention and timing, especially if you are not constantly using your Mac.

Utilize macOS’s Optimized Battery Charging

With recent macOS updates, Apple introduced a feature called Optimized Battery Charging. This feature is designed to learn your charging habits and slow down battery aging by reducing the time your Mac spends fully charged.

Steps to Enable Optimized Battery Charging

Click on the Apple Menu and select System Preferences.
Navigate to Battery settings.
Click on Battery in the sidebar, then check the box for Optimized Battery Charging.

When enabled, this feature will delay charging past 80% in certain situations, based on your typical usage patterns.

Employ Third-Party Applications

For more control over your Mac’s charging behavior, you can use third-party applications that can stop charging at a preset battery level. These applications generally require your Mac to be awake to function correctly and won’t work if the Mac is shut down.

Recommended Applications

AlDente: This app allows you to set a maximum charge limit. It’s available in both free and paid versions, with additional features in the paid version like Heat Protection.
Charge Limiter: This app is useful for setting a charging limit, especially on older Mac models.
BatteryStatusShow: Similar to Charge Limiter, this app also offers a way to set a specific charge threshold.

How to Use These Apps

Download and install the application of your choice.
Open the application and set the charge limit to 80%.
Ensure your Mac is in Sleep or Standby mode to enable the app to function correctly.

Advanced Manual Adjustment

For users comfortable with terminal commands and system settings, macOS developer tools provide options to manually set battery charge limits. This method is advanced and recommended only for those familiar with macOS’s system processes.

Setting Up BCLM (Battery Charge Level Max)

Open Terminal.
Use specific commands to set the desired charge limit (e.g., sudo pmset -b battterychargepercent 80).
Verify the settings to ensure the changes are applied.

This approach is typically used by developers and power users who need precise control over their device’s hardware behavior.

Considerations for Letting Your Mac Charge Fully

While adjusting your Mac’s charging capacity can help extend the battery’s lifespan, some argue that modern batteries are robust enough to handle charges up to 100% without significant degradation. If the methods above seem too cumbersome, you might find it just as effective to let your Mac charge fully, especially if it includes modern battery management features.

Monitoring Battery Health and Cycle Count

Keep track of your battery’s health and charging cycles to better understand how it’s holding up under your current usage and charging habits:

Go to About This Mac > System Report > Power.
Look at the battery cycle count and condition.

Apple suggests that a typical MacBook battery maintains a strong performance through 1000 complete charge cycles.

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Conclusion

Choosing how to charge your Mac can depend on your personal usage habits, the specific model, and how much effort you want to put into managing your battery’s lifespan. Whether you opt for manual monitoring, system settings adjustments, third-party apps, or simply letting your Mac charge fully, each method has its advantages. Consider your daily usage patterns and choose the strategy that best suits your needs.