These tips apply to most cases where your MacBook’s battery is working as expected. However, if you’ve seen a precipitous drop in battery usage, it could be getting old or something could be wrong with it.
To check the battery’s health, click the Battery icon in the menu and choose Battery Settings (or go to System Settings > Battery) and look to the right of Battery Health. If it’s Normal, all’s well, but if it reads Service Recommended the battery may need to be replaced.
Click the (i) button to get more information. The Maximum Capacity percentage goes down over time as you use the laptop and the battery ages, but 80% or higher is still considered normal. (Turning on Optimized Battery Charging can help prolong the battery’s life by scheduling charging times. On some models this option is called Manage Battery Longevity.)
For more MacBook coverage, check out the best MacBook for 2024 and our review of the 2024 M3 MacBook Air.
