Why Your Mac Battery Drains So Quickly and What to Do About It
Mac battery draining fast? Rule out a charge limit, then work through Apple's list: check the battery, dim the display, Low Power Mode, quit apps and update.
If your Mac battery does not last as long as it used to, the cause is usually a setting, an app or how the battery has aged, not a faulty Mac. This guide takes you through the checks in the order we use them, starting with the quickest.
First, check it is not a charge limit
A Mac that stops charging below 100 per cent may not have a problem. If “Charging On Hold” or “Charged to [%] Limit” appears in the battery status menu, your Mac is using Optimised Battery Charging or Charge Limit. If you need a full charge sooner, choose Charge to Full Now from that menu. Our battery health guide explains both.
Quick fixes
The first fixes for a Mac laptop battery that runs out of charge more quickly than expected are short, and each step is quick.
- Check your battery’s condition. Its ability to hold a charge may be less than when it was new.
- Change your settings. Dim the display, turn off Bluetooth and Wi-Fi when you do not need them, and set the display to turn off after a period of inactivity.
- Turn on Low Power Mode. In System Settings, click Battery.
- Quit apps that you are not using. Even an app you are not using may be working in the background and using energy.
- Disconnect any accessories you are not using, such as external hard drives.
- Keep your software up to date. Choose Apple menu, then System Settings, then General, then Software Update.
Find the app using the energy
Click the battery icon in the menu bar to see which apps are using a lot of energy. If an app is using a lot and you are not using it, close it and see whether things improve. Browsers with many tabs open, especially tabs with video or interactive content, are a common cause, so close tabs you do not need and restart the browser if it has been open for a long time.
Trim what starts at login
Apps that open automatically can keep working in the background. Open System Settings, click General, then click Login Items, and remove apps you do not need to start automatically.
Check the battery’s condition
Open System Settings, click Battery and look at Battery Health. If it shows reduced capacity or recommends service, the battery may need attention.
When it needs more than a quick fix
Get the Mac checked if the battery drains very quickly even after these steps, if the Mac shuts down unexpectedly, if Battery Health recommends service, or if the Mac becomes hot during simple tasks. A slow Mac can also be mistaken for a battery problem. Our guides to why a Mac runs slowly and to freeing up disk space cover the common causes.
Need a hand?
We can check your battery and settings and tell you honestly whether a replacement makes sense. See our Mac and Apple device setup and troubleshooting service, or contact Your Mac Tech.
