
Your options range from 5 seconds to 5 minutes. On the Keyboard tab, check the box for Turn keyboard backlight off after of inactivity. You can set the keyboard backlights to turn off after a period of inactivity so that they're on when you need them and off when you step away. That way when your attention is elsewhere, your MacBook's screen turns off completely, saving precious battery life.Īpple's M1 MacBooks have crazy battery life, but you can always tweak it.Ī backlit keyboard is great for typing in the dark, but it can also drain your battery. I also suggest customizing how long your display will remain on to as short of an amount of time as you can. There's an option to slightly dim the screen when you're on battery power, and to reduce battery drain when streaming video on battery power.

You can also set the display to dim slightly on battery power and to shut off after a period of inactivity by going back to Battery Preferences. The brighter your display, the shorter your battery life. So, first things first: Lower the brightness of your display to a level that's comfortable for your eyes.

Powering the display is the biggest drain on battery resources. Save battery by dimming your display, optimize video streaming This will slow down your charging once the battery hits 80%. At the bottom of the list of options, select Optimized battery charging. Click on the battery icon on the menu bar at the top of your display and select Battery Preferences from the drop-down menu as mentioned earlier. MacOS can learn your charging habits to reduce battery aging. If your MacBook is going to spend most of its time plugged in, you'll definitely want to change this setting. Most newer MacBook batteries have an expected life of 1,000 charge cycles, after which Apple suggests getting your battery replaced. For reference, check out Apple's chart of the expected battery cycles. There you'll see your battery's health, capacity level and cycle count. The System Information app will open, where you then need to find and select the Power section, and then look for Health Information. Click on the Apple icon in the upper-left corner, and then while holding in the Option key on your keyboard, click System Information. If you have questions or want to know more about what the status means, click the Learn More button to open an Apple support page that's specific to your MacBook's processor (Intel or Apple Silicon).įor those who want more insight into their MacBook's battery history, you can view the number of charge cycles the battery has gone through. A window will pop up showing you the current condition as well as the max capacity. Next, make sure the Battery tab on the left side of the window is selected then click Battery Health. To view your battery's health report, click the battery icon in the menu bar, then select Battery Preferences. MacOS includes a tool that will tell you its potential capacity, and if you need to have it replaced.Ĭheck your MacBook's Battery Health so you know when it's time to get it replaced. Whether you buy a refurbished MacBook or you've been trying to squeeze every last ounce of life out of your aging MacBook, it's a good idea to check your battery's overall health. Ou can see a lot of information just by clicking on the battery icon in the menu bar.

Here you can also see which apps, if any, are causing significant battery drain. And if you're running on AC power, it will give you an estimate for how long you need to continue charging the battery to bring it back 100% charged. Click on the battery icon in the menu bar to see how the percentage of battery remaining. Keeping an eye on the remaining battery life won't make it last any longer, but it can help you plot out how much work you can get done before you need to recharge. We also make the case for using the Safari browser over Chrome.
Macbook pro battery indicator lights how to#
Below, we'll show you how to check its health, as well as cover tips like reducing keyboard and display brightness. If you'd like to improve the battery life, we're here to say you don't have to trail a bulky charger just to get through the day (although ancient laptop batteries may legitimately need to be replaced).įor most people, you can take a few minutes to adjust some settings to extend your laptop's battery.

Apple's current crop of MacBooks based on the company's own M1 and M2 processors have better battery life than the previous Intel-based machines, but there are still some easy ways to extend your MacBook's running time.
