MacBook battery health and cycle count, explained

How do I check my MacBook’s battery health?

1. Choose Apple menu > System Settings, then click Battery in the sidebar. Scroll down if you don’t see it.
2. Look at Battery Health. It shows the battery’s condition.
3. Click the info button (ⓘ) next to it to see Maximum Capacity.

What do Normal and Service Recommended mean?

macOS shows one of two conditions:

• Normal: the battery is working normally.
• Service Recommended: the battery holds noticeably less charge than when it was new. You can keep using it. If the shorter battery life bothers you, Apple suggests having it checked by Apple or an Apple Authorized Service Provider.

Maximum Capacity is how much charge the battery can hold now, as a percentage of what it held when new. A lower number means less time between charges.

How do I find the battery’s cycle count?

1. Hold the Option key, click the Apple menu, then choose System Information.
2. Under Hardware, select Power.
3. Under Battery Information, find Cycle Count in the Health Information section.

What counts as a charge cycle?

A charge cycle is all of the battery’s power used up, but not necessarily in one go. Using half the battery one day, charging it, and using the other half the next day adds up to one cycle.

Apple designs each MacBook’s battery for a maximum cycle count: 1,000 for recent MacBook Air and MacBook Pro models, including every model with Apple silicon. At that count, the battery is designed to keep up to 80% of its original capacity. You can keep using it after that, though you may notice it lasts less.

How do I keep my battery healthy for longer?

• Leave Optimized Battery Charging on. On Mac laptops with Apple silicon, macOS can temporarily hold the battery below a full charge, to suit how you use your Mac. To find it, click the info button (ⓘ) next to Charging or Battery Health in Battery settings.
• Keep it at room temperature. Use your Mac between 10 °C and 35 °C (50 °F and 95 °F), and don’t leave it in a parked car.
• Check Battery Health now and then. If it changes to Service Recommended, see what Apple suggests before replacing anything.

Questions people also ask

What’s a good maximum capacity for a MacBook battery?

There’s no single cutoff. If Battery Health says Normal, the battery is fine. Apple designs it to keep up to 80% at its maximum cycle count, so 97% at 94 cycles is right on track.

Is 1,000 cycles the end of the battery?

No. Apple says you can keep using the battery after its maximum cycle count, though you may notice shorter battery life.

Why does my MacBook stop charging at 80%?

That’s usually battery health management: on Mac laptops with Apple silicon, macOS can temporarily hold the battery below a full charge, to suit how you use your Mac.