Here are some things you can try to help your battery out both today and for the long haul.

MacBooks are generally efficient at managing their power consumption, but users may want to take additional steps to maximize battery life. Here are several settings adjustments that can help extend the longevity of your MacBook’s battery, as detailed by Engadget.

Battery Health and Menu Bar Monitoring

Before making any adjustments, it’s essential to check your battery’s health. Navigate to System Settings > Battery and look for the Battery Health section. Clicking the “i” icon will show the battery’s capacity as a percentage of its original state. A reading of 100% indicates that the battery is in good condition, while a percentage below 80% suggests it may need replacement, as Apple recommends.

To optimize battery longevity, enable Optimize Battery Charging in the same menu. This feature caps the charge at 80%, which can help extend the battery’s lifespan over time. The Battery menu bar shortcut is also useful for monitoring charge levels and energy usage by apps. If the Battery icon is not visible, ensure it is enabled in System Settings > Menu Bar.

Utilizing Low Power Mode

One of the most effective settings for extending battery life is Apple’s Low Power Mode. Access this feature under System Settings > Battery and adjust the Energy Mode to Low Power when necessary. This setting is particularly beneficial for users with older batteries or those needing to conserve power throughout the day.

Display Settings Adjustments

Screen brightness significantly impacts battery life. To conserve energy, go to System Settings > Battery > Options and enable Slightly dim the display on battery. Additionally, set a short interval for Turn display off on battery when inactive in System Settings > Lock Screen.

For users who stream video, enabling Optimize video streaming while on battery can help reduce energy consumption by playing HDR video in SDR mode. Adjusting keyboard backlight settings in System Settings > Keyboard can also contribute to minor savings.

Identifying Power-Draining Applications

To find applications that consume excessive battery power, use the built-in Activity Monitor found in Applications > Utilities. The Energy tab displays the current Energy Impact of running apps. Users can also check which applications are Preventing Sleep to identify any that may be keeping the Mac awake unnecessarily.

For a deeper audit, review System Settings > General > Login Items & Extensions to see which apps are running in the background. However, caution is advised, as disabling essential background processes may disrupt app functionality.

Browser Settings for Battery Conservation

Web browsers, particularly Chrome, can be significant battery drains. Users are encouraged to consider Safari for its power efficiency. In Safari, users can prevent auto-playing videos by adjusting settings under Websites > Auto-Play. For Chrome users, enabling Energy Saver in Settings > Performance can help reduce background processes and visual effects that consume power.

macOS also offers a setting to disable auto-play for animated images. This can be found in System Settings > Accessibility > Motion, where users can turn off Auto-play animated images.

Reducing Background Activity

To further conserve battery life, check System Settings > Battery > Options > Wake for network access and set it to Only on Power Adapter. This prevents the Mac from waking to receive network updates while unplugged. Additionally, reviewing location permissions in System Settings > Privacy & Security > Location Services can help identify apps that may be drawing power unnecessarily.

While these adjustments may not double battery life, they can collectively contribute to a more efficient use of power, especially for users looking to maximize their MacBook’s uptime.