While your MacBook, MacBook Pro or MacBook Air itself can last you several years before it’s time to get a new one, the battery might not make it the entire way through. I bought my current MacBook Air five years ago and already replaced the battery once at the Apple Store. It didn’t die on me, but the health got so poor that I thought it was time for a fresh one.
The most prominent tell-tale sign of a waning battery is its battery life. Remember when you first bought your MacBook and you were easily getting eight or nine hours of usage if not more before having to charge it? Over only a few years battery life quickly gets chopped in half with heavy usage. My MacBook Air came with seven-hour battery life and at the time I replaced the battery, it was getting around three hours. Since I was still in school at the time, that wasn’t nearly enough to get me through all my classes.
Your best bet for monitoring battery health on your Mac is to get a free app that does so. My preferred one is Battery Health 2, but any free one in the Mac App Store should suffice.
Monitor Battery Health
Battery Health 2 is a lightweight app that functions from your menu bar. It outlines several key statistics about your battery charge, health and usage over time and more. You can even use it to replace macOS’s default battery indicator in the menu bar.
Clicking the battery status in the menu bar opens a long window with stats. At the top, you can see a percentage of the estimated health of your battery. The percentage represents the maximum charge your battery can now receive compared to what it would in full health.
For instance, the original maximum charge of my MacBook Air’s battery is 6,700 mAh. Its current maximum charge is 5,774 mAh. That means now when I charge it to 100 percent and my Mac says its fully charged, it has a charge of 5,774 mAh — 86 percent of the original max.
Underneath that, Battery Health 2 presents the OS X Health Status. The information draws from what your Mac indicates, either normal, service soon, service now, or replace battery. In fairness though, if you notice your battery life slipping significantly and the Battery Health 2 status still reads “good” you should probably use your own discretion.
The Battery Details section provides even more insight about the battery. Most are self-explanatory, but you can click the Question Mark icon for explanations. While temperature is an obvious one, it is crucial to maintaining optimal battery health. More on that in a bit.
Last but not least, the Power History section is the only paid upgrade in Battery Health 2. If you pay the $9.99 fee to unlock this, you get visual graphs about your charging and health history. Plus, it allows you to set up notifications for when battery life drops below certain customizable percentages. I don’t think the purchase is necessary, so we’ll focus on the free features.
Tips to Improve Battery Health
To improve your battery health, or at least slow down its eventual degradation, there are a few steps you can take. Using the information from Battery Health 2, ensure that the temperature is never insanely hot or cold. Don’t use your MacBook in extreme conditions as this can damage the battery.
Additionally, try as best as you can to let the battery fully drain then fully charge. If you can’t every day, aim for once per month. Keeping your MacBook plugged in all the time or charging it more than you need to can hinder its capacity quicker and throw your system out of whack.
If you’re experiencing problems with your MacBook’s battery try resetting the System Management Controller (SMC). This can sometimes solve issues with the battery not charging correctly or when the percentage and indicator lights seem off. Apple has a detailed guide on how to reset the SMC depending on your MacBook, but it takes under a minute to complete.
If Battery Health 2 indicates your battery is in bad health or you just feel it’s time for a new one to boost your battery life again, take your Mac in for service. Check to see how much Apple charges to replace and recycle your previous battery on Apple’s website — anywhere from $129 to $199 depending on your type of MacBook.
Your best bet is to just get a replacement battery if you’re having severe charging issues or extremely poor battery life. Otherwise, using these tips to ensure your battery health is kept in check should help provide longevity.
