Should I charge MacBook all the time

The answer might surprise you…

Photo by Homemade Media on Unsplash

If you’re like me, your MacBook probably lives on your desk plugged in for the majority of the time when it’s used and begs the question, should you keep your MacBook plugged in?

The short answer is yes, you can, but it pays to understand the reason behind it. When you know a little about how they work, it can work that much better for you…

It’s no secret that Apple uses lithium-ion batteries for all of its devices. This is because lithium-ion technology provides the best performance, weigh’s less, lasts longer, and the charge is more efficient, which make it the ideal solution for maximising power to any of Apple’s devices.

One of the crucial elements with lithium-ion batteries is that they charge faster, last longer and have a higher power density for more battery life in a lighter package. This means that the battery fast charges quickly to reach 80% of its capacity, then switches to slower trickle charging.

Fortunately, Apple made charging the batteries less of a concern as much as possible by suggesting to charge your battery whenever you want as lithium-ion batteries work in charge cycles. Charge cycles are what matters here.

What is a Charge Cycle?

A cycle is a complete discharge, followed by a full charge. You complete one charge cycle when you’ve used (discharged) an amount that equals 100% of your battery’s capacity — but not necessarily all from one charge.

For example, you might use 75% of your battery’s capacity one day, then recharge it fully overnight. If you use 25% the next day, you will have discharged a total of 100%, and the two days will add up to one charge cycle. It could take several days to complete a cycle.

Apple.com

Do note that the capacity of any type of battery will diminish after a certain amount of recharging. With lithium-ion batteries, the capacity diminishes slightly with each complete charge cycle. Apple lithium-ion batteries are designed to hold at least 80% of their original capacity for a high number of charge cycles.

Battery Tips

There are a few performance tips that Apple recommends.

Keep updated.

The first one is obvious: ensuring your macOS has been updated to the latest version. Updates can often include energy-saving technologies and improvements. To check that you are using the latest OS, head over to the ‘System Preferences’> ‘Software Update’. This is a quick way to identify if there is an update waiting to be implemented.

Photo provided from Barclay Sloan.

Avoid extreme temperatures.

The second tip is to avoid exposing your MacBook to temperatures higher than 35° C (95° F). This includes,

• using it (in high temperatures),
• charging it (in high temperatures) and,
• storing it (in high temperatures) as this could lead to permanently damaging your battery capacity and not last long on a given charge.

Apple.com

Also, be mindful if your MacBook is in a case that promotes limited airflow or has the potential to generate excess heat. This will also affect battery capacity if it is too restrictive.

The third tip from Apple is if you plan on not using your MacBook for an extended period of time, Apple recommends,

• to not store it fully charged or,
• fully discharged,

but at a charge around the 50% mark. This is to prevent the battery incapable of holding a charge when stored fully, discharged or lose some capacity when it is stored fully charged.

Optimise your settings.

The fourth tip is to optimise your settings.

The Battery settings in system preferences include several settings that determine power levels for your MacBook. The great thing about macOS is your MacBook knows when it’s plugged in and runs accordingly.

For example, when using battery power (should you have this option enabled), it dims the screen and uses other components sparingly. If you change this setting to maximise performance, your battery will drain more quickly.

You can check the condition of your Macbook’s battery and see if it’s functioning normally. You can do this by heading over to the System Preferences > Battery, and you will be able to see the Battery Health:

• ‘Normal’: The battery is functioning normally.
• ‘Service recommended’: The battery is performing normally, but its ability to hold a charge is less than when it was new. You may want to consider replacing the battery.

There are some settings to also ensure you are doing a service to your battery.

Visit the Battery settings by heading over to ‘System Preferences’> ‘Battery’> ‘Battery’> and ensure “Optimised battery charging” has been ticked as this is how your MacBook will be effective in managing your battery’s life. Check also by clicking the ‘Battery Health’ button and ensure you have ticked “Manage battery longevity” as this will also help extend the battery life.

Photo provided from Barclay Sloan.

Other simple battery saving settings could be:

Brightness: When on battery, dimming your screen to the lowest comfortable level will help to achieve maximum battery life.

Wi-Fi: Wi-Fi consumes power, even if you’re not connected to a network. If you are not connected, turn it off either in the Wi-Fi status menu in the menu bar or in the Network preferences found in the ‘System Preferences’.

App Recommendations.

Some clever apps can help with effective battery management.

The first one is my top pick is called AlDente. This app is the built-in macOS battery manager on the next level. With AlDente installed, you can set charging limits in a more healthy charging range. It also features Sailing Mode (setting a “sailing” range in which the battery will stay) and Heat Protection (charging will automatically stop when your battery temperature is too high) so you can keep your battery healthy even longer. I highly recommend this one as it won’t disappoint. You check it out by clicking here otherwise this is part of the Setapp mac suite you can get here and get more for your buck.

AlDente menu bar drop-down.AlDente charge settings window.

This second one is my second pick and is called Endurance. It’s an app that promotes effective battery use by ensuring key settings that fit your usage requirements are set (and on auto). The app suggests it can give you about 20% more run time. Worth checking out by clicking here.

Endurance settings window.

Another one worth mentioning is called Wattagio. I use this for key information on my battery, like current battery health, battery life, battery consumption, and battery cycle count. It also lets me know which are my power-hungry apps and sends me welcomed notifications when the battery temperature is more than or less than a particular limit and a notification of the time remaining to full charge. You can check it out by clicking here (right now there is 30% off) otherwise this is part of the Setapp mac suite you can get here and get more for your buck.

Wattagio menu bar drop-down.

Conclusion

If your setup calls for your MacBook to be plugged in 99% of the time, then this is absolutely fine. Your MacBook has circuitry to protect the battery from over or undercharging. So you never have to worry about leaving it plugged in too much or even leaving it unplugged too long.

The far more important thing is to minimise cycles — a complete discharge, followed by a full charge. Partial charges and discharges count, so if you use 25% of the battery today and 75% of the battery tomorrow and then charge it to 100%, you would have done one cycle in two days. So, the more you minimise cycles, the longer your battery will last. You can minimise cycles by keeping your laptop plugged in, allowing the battery management technology to do its thing.

The battery, over time, will ‘naturally’ degrade even when plugged in. Nothing can stop a battery from degrading over time.

If you know what you’re doing and are comfortable with, I highly recommend the AlDente app. The settings that this app has is an excellent extension to the default macOS battery management setting.

There are so many other ways to make the most out of your MacBook and understanding your battery is only one part of it. Get the most of your MacBook and check out a Setapp membership for all your app needs.

Setapp membership gives you an all-access pass to curated Mac and iOS apps. Its like the Netflix of apps.

From maintenance and productivity apps to task management, education and creativity apps, Setapp has you covered. Check is out by clicking here.

Setapp | The best apps for Mac in one suite.

References:

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Disclaimer: I am not a subject battery expert but share my findings and understanding from my own research to get the most out of my MacBook Pro and you can too.

This article contains some affiliate links. This means if you click on a link and purchase an item or service, I may earn a tiny commission at no cost to you.

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