In contrast to common understanding, you cannot recharge lithium-ion batteries endlessly, not even in MacBooks. Eventually, you will have to swap out the battery in your laptop, if not the whole device – this need arises sooner if you maintain poor daily habits with your laptop. While there are numerous indicators that your battery is nearing the end of its life, MacBooks can actually provide an estimate of how much battery life remains. Or at least approximate it based on the total power cycles. As per Apple, you can gauge your laptop battery’s remaining lifespan through the System Information menu on your computer. To find this information:
– Press and hold the Option key and click on the Apple menu.
– Choose “System Information.”
– Expand the “Hardware” dropdown menu, and then click on “Power.”
The data you need is labeled “Cycle Count,” found under “Health Information.” This section will also inform you about the battery’s condition and whether it is experiencing a decline in charge capacity (shown under “Maximum Capacity”).
The “Cycle Count” detail is quite straightforward, as it merely presents a number. Apple also offers a comprehensive list of the “Maximum Cycle Count” applicable to each MacBook model, which indicates the maximum instances you can safely charge the battery. For example, if you possess an M5 Max MacBook Pro (considered one of the finest models available today), and your “Cycle Count” reads 126, you still have a substantial amount of time before needing to replace your MacBook’s battery.
One full charge doesn’t equate to one battery cycle.
When you encounter the term “battery cycle,” you might think it signifies that each time you recharge your battery, it counts as one cycle. Nonetheless, the chemistry of a rechargeable lithium-ion battery operates differently. Apple clarifies that a battery charge is determined by how much power the charger replaces. Suppose one day you utilize 90% of the MacBook’s battery and then recharge it overnight. This does not constitute a full battery cycle but rather 90% of one — although the System Information menu won’t indicate this.
However, the next instance your laptop operates on battery power and is afterwards plugged in, as long as you consume at least 10% of the stored energy, your MacBook will acknowledge it as one entire battery cycle. While many may suggest that leaving a laptop plugged in all the time is unwise, you can do so, provided your MacBook is running macOS Catalina 10.5.5.
This update introduces an option to enable “optimized battery charging,” which limits the battery charge to 80%. You will need to recharge it more frequently once you unplug the laptop, but battery cycles won’t accumulate as rapidly since the computer is not reaching full charge. Always ensure your MacBook is running the latest macOS (and rectify it if it isn’t) to receive more beneficial updates like this.