Macbook Air x Plugged In.

[BR4DOKYBrazil]

I'm passionate about the brand and I'm about to enter the world of Macbooks. I am waiting for March for the announcement of the new ones and, in the meantime, an old question has arisen again:

As my job is practically 90% at home/office, is it better for me to use the Macbook always connected to electricity or, when it finishes charging, unplug it?

I question this because I know that it is harmful to the battery to keep it charging all the time and I also know that keeping it 100% all the time is also harmful.

Can you tell me if, when the Macbook completes charging and we keep it connected to electricity, it is being maintained by the battery or by electric power?

Thank you for your help.

 

[Bigwaff]

macOS includes features to optimize the health and longevity of batteries. You’ll find lots of opinions on the forum regarding best practices for maintaining batteries. There are even third party applications to help manage battery health and longevity, although there isn’t a lot of evidence that these solutions do better than Apples built-in features. However, they do allow the user more control and insights into battery maintenance. In the end, if you are anxious and obsessive, turn off Apple features and install third-party applications like Al Dente. Otherwise, go about your day, keep your laptop plugged in or don’t, and let macOS do its thing.

 

[FreakinEurekan]

I work at home, and my MacBook Pro stays plugged in easily 90% of the time. When I do travel or use it in another room occasionally, battery life is excellent. I've had the Mac for over a year and...

 

[Jim Lahey]

Apple’s optimized charging is entirely useless unless you either have it plugged in 24/7/365 or have a very rigid and predictable charging routine. AlDente is the weapon of choice if you care about such things and want a hard charge limit. Set and forget 👍

 

[BR4DOKYBrazil]

Thank you for all your help. Really my question would be, as I work 90% close to an electrical outlet, would it be better for me to charge it completely and take it out of the outlet or leave it plugged all the time? What is the least harmful to the battery?

 

[Saturn007]

Most comments I've read over the years are to NOT leave it plugged in all the time. You don't need to be compulsive about unplugging it (i.e., watching the battery % and quickly unplugging when it reaches 100%), but just avoid leaving it plugged in for long stretches after 100% -- e.g., unplug it before bed..

Others say none of it matters.

Now, the question I have is whether Apple's OSs or Al Dente are able to stop charging the battery when it's plugged in and reaches 100%... Then, you could leave it plugged in and not worry about it all.

Many, however, recommend charging only to 80% and not letting it drop below 20% -- but that's also a matter of debate, and the argument that you are, thus, shortchanging yourself of 40% of battery life is persuasive.

Also, does Apple let us to change the threshold for Apple's low level battery alert? I understand Al Dente can do that, but I may be wrong about that.

 

[SuperCachetes]

Most comments I've read over the years are to NOT leave it plugged in all the time. You don't need to be compulsive about unplugging it (i.e., watching the battery % and quickly unplugging when it reaches 100%), but just avoid leaving it plugged in for long stretches after 100% -- e.g., unplug it before bed..

Others say none of it matters.

Now, the question I have is whether Apple's OSs or Al Dente are able to stop charging the battery when it's plugged in and reaches 100%... Then, you could leave it plugged in and not worry about it all.

Many, however, recommend charging only to 80% and not letting it drop below 20% -- but that's also a matter of debate, and the argument that you are, thus, shortchanging yourself of 40% of battery life is persuasive.

Also, does Apple let us to change the threshold for Apple's low level battery alert? I understand Al Dente can do that, but I may be wrong about that.

I have had my M2 MBA plugged in nearly non-stop for 6 months, and what I have noticed is that MacOS will keep the MBA at an ~80% charge all on its own. Every once and a while if the battery gets fully charged for some reason (i.e. my specific request because I am going to unplug the MBA and use it elsewhere), once it is plugged back in, MacOS will let the battery fall to an 80% charge and hold it there.

The relevant points are: 1) I am not using any 3rd-party software for battery management, and 2) I have Apple's settings for battery health set however they recommend them.

So, I would not say "none of it matters," but I also don't think any of it requires user intervention or is worth worrying about. As someone else said, "relax and let it do its thing." Being plugged in all the time is fine for the latest/greatest Apple kit.

 

[vanc]

My MBP 16" with M1 Pro was purchased in early 2022. This is a work laptop. I did carry it around between home and work. But whenever I was closed to a outlet, I plugged it in.

I never used any 3rd party software for the battery maintenance. macOS does all the work.

So far, the battery is still in excellent condition after almost 2 years. System information even said it's in 100% capacity.

Coconut Battery gave a lower rating. But still good regardless.

 

[ignatius345]

Unplug it once in a while and let the electrons in the battery do their thing. Then plug it back in, it'll be fine. Don't mind the battery hobbyists. The OS is fully capable of not overcharging the battery.