How does using your MacBook while charging affect its battery life?

When you’re deep in the zone and typing on your MacBook, the last thing you want is for its battery to die in the middle of a work session. But is it safe to keep your device plugged in without interruption? There is a widely held belief that this could fry your battery, or at least reduce its efficiency. But in fact, thanks to the lithium batteries and smart charging software installed in new MacBooks, it’s usually possible to keep your laptop plugged in at all times.

There are some caveats, however, including accounting for unusual problems with home electricity, such as storms or power outages, or overheating due to other factors. And there are some tips for keeping your battery healthy, which may include occasional unplugging, as well as a number of settings that promote battery health. Read on for tips on how to consistently charge your MacBook without affecting its long-term battery life.

The short answer is that it usually makes no difference. Mac computers use software by default to monitor battery life and adapt to user habits and device power fluctuations. These tools work by monitoring its temperature history and charging patterns and modify the charging accordingly. MacBooks (and virtually all other laptops) run on lithium batteries, which have a high number of charge cycles. They also contain software that uses charging data to calculate when to reduce the maximum charge on your battery, thereby reducing wear and giving it more longevity.

The battery health management feature is enabled by default on Mac laptops running Catalina operating systems 10.15.5 (released in 2019) or later. If for some reason you have it disabled, you can enable it by going to your Apple menu, clicking “System Settings” and looking for “Battery” in that sidebar. Click “Battery Health” in this section and select “Manage Battery Longevity”.

While in the past it was wise to avoid letting your battery charge to 100% and let it stay there, today it’s perfectly acceptable to keep your MacBook plugged in while you use it. In fact, the system will simply pause its charging cycle at optimized times.

If you’re worried about your MacBook’s battery health, you can start by checking its status under “System Settings.” Click “Battery” in the left sidebar and look at “Battery Health” to see its status – it will usually say “normal” or “recommended service”. Some fluctuations over time are to be expected, but Apple does not recommend replacement until capacity is below 80%.

It’s important to monitor battery levels when storing your device long-term: According to Apple, the best way to preserve battery health if you don’t use your device for an extended period of time is to charge it to around 50%. “If you store it fully charged for an extended period of time, the battery may lose some capacity, resulting in a shorter lifespan,” the guide says.

The biggest issue affecting battery health is heat: if you’re working outside at a coffee shop on a hot day, for example, you may want to unplug your device or move to a shadier location. A computer that heats up and charges at the same time could negatively impact battery health, and Apple lists MacBook Air operating temperature ranges between 50° and 95° F. In addition to hot environments, some laptop cases or stands can cause a device to overheat while charging. If you notice that your device is heating up, make sure its fans are unblocked. Generally, keeping batteries cool is one of the easiest ways to help them last longer.