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Why would you keep the MacBook always plugged in, whenever possible, for long periods?
- Thread starter chmania
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I think people do that because MacBooks can bypass the battery and take power directly from the adapter, therefore preserving battery health.
Because it's easier than spending my time fretting about battery capacity/health.
I had my MacBook plugged in almost all the time for about three months in 2022. Battery health dropped quite a lot (nearly 5%) with only few cycles. But I don't really mind.
Now the battery health is 81%, and it can still lasts a full day for my work. If it cannot hold much battery life, I would just buy a replacement from iFixit and DIY repair.
Now the battery health is 81%, and it can still lasts a full day for my work. If it cannot hold much battery life, I would just buy a replacement from iFixit and DIY repair.
I did the same thing before with the same result, with the battery health dropping a bit quicker, while using it on battery, the cycles goes up, as it should be, but the battery capacity stayed put for months. Now, I have a new MacBook and I am debating with myself, whether to keep it plugged in or not. The battery capacity is much above 100%.
I keep all my MacBooks constantly plugged in. Battery management is on, an after a few weeks the OS 'realized' that I never unplug them, and so they are never charged to 100%, they are always keeping the charge at 80%.
My MBP 16 M4 has had 22 cycles in 9 months, and the battery health is 100%.
My MPB 16 M1 bought in December 2021 has 38 cycles and a battery health of 98%.
My MBP 16 M4 has had 22 cycles in 9 months, and the battery health is 100%.
My MPB 16 M1 bought in December 2021 has 38 cycles and a battery health of 98%.
I do just because I'm usually needing external monitors for my work. Yes keeping devices plugged in constantly can degrade battery but in the more modern OS's they have things to mitigate that (like when you see it only charges your battery to 80% for example).
I personally think the panic around these things is overblown, computers are "tools not jewels" so to speak and by the time a battery degrades enough to be really noticeable it's usually time to upgrade anyway.
This times one hundred.
In addition, Apple's battery management works very well. My M4 MBP stays charged to 80% even though it's plugged in about 95% of the time. And when it's off the charger (which is my monitor; one cable for everything) the battery life is so ridiculously good 80% more than takes care of my wanderings.
Because…work gave me a MacBook Pro with the intention of my using it as a work computer. I work from home, but even before that, the MBP was still the primary work machine. Your brought it in, hooked it up to power, displays, and keyboard/mouse and did your job. At the end of the day you disconnected and put it away in your bag and it went home with you. Repeat next day.
At home, it's always in clamshell mode - attached to a dock, two displays and a keyboard/mouse. It never leaves charger because the MBP never goes anywhere. It's set to stop charging at 80 percent though.
At home, it's always in clamshell mode - attached to a dock, two displays and a keyboard/mouse. It never leaves charger because the MBP never goes anywhere. It's set to stop charging at 80 percent though.
In between your journey home from work, your MacBook Pro is on battery, and when you re-plug it in at home, does the charging stop at 80%?
Yes. And I don't work a 9-5 job, so I unplug and plug in my laptop multiple times a day.
My MBP was purchased February 2023 and now has a battery capacity of 86%. I've never had an issue with having enough charge in that time.
That's good to hear. Do you keep it plugged in at night too? And, all that time, it shows 80%?
I haven't unplugged my MBP in six or seven days, and it has stayed at 80%.
Yup. Optimized battery charging has always been on. Sometimes if I keep a regular schedule, it will go up to 100% for a while.
I worked in the office from February 2019 to I think July 2020. The MBP I was using at that time was a 2015 15" MBP on High Sierra. It's still on High Sierra by the way. I did not have it set to 80 percent because I had no idea at the time, and even if I did, finding an app for High Sierra would have been a search. Because Apple hadn't made that part of High Sierra.
Sometime in 2022 I believe, the battery had to be replaced. Sitting on charger day in and day out (operated in clamshell mode) caused the battery to swell. The tech told my boss that he was surprised that nothing was damaged.
In mid-2023, work issued new M2 MBPs and the 2015 MBPs were retired from daily use, although I still have the one they issued me here at home. Since charging to 80 percent on the M2 was a thing, I set it.
I cannot answer your question, because I have worked from home since July 2020. So when I got the M2 in 2023 it went immediately on charger and into clamshell mode with the battery set at 80 percent charge.
Aside from power outages, or small things here or there, this M2 MBP does not move. The lid is not opened and when I am not using it I switch monitors and keyboard/mouse (it's attached to a KVM). It has a scheduled shut down and start up. I rarely touch it.
Right now, battery charge on the M2 is reporting 81 percent full…
Here you can see why the MBP does not move.
…and why I rarely touch it.
Old MBP (2015).
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Certainly! Once the optimised charging mode is disrupted, it needs to catch up, but this process takes a few more days. Until then, it will simply charge up to 100%, effectively slowly "killing" the battery.
Oh no.Certainly! Once the optimised charging mode is disrupted, it needs to catch up, but this process takes a few more days. Until then, it will simply charge up to 100%, effectively slowly "killing" the battery.
You mean the consumable product that I use daily to make money might eventually wear out after a few years, requiring me to replace a part for $250 max or buy a new model that's faster and more efficient—while being able to trade in my current one for credit?
I like to save my worries and brainpower for more important things than the health of my laptop battery.
Absolutely!
Sure, you shouldn't waste your brainpower on such tiny problems such as the health of your laptop battery.
The sarcasm is not appreciated.Absolutely!
Sure, you shouldn't waste your brainpower on such tiny problems such as the health of your laptop battery.
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Excellent!
Let others share their thoughts. I killed one MBP by keeping it plugged in always. Battery health dropped double quick. MacBooks are not made to be kept plugged in always. Apple had never said so, anyway. Even here.
I'm always plugged in as the MBP lives pretty much on the couch. I've never had much luck with optimised charging on the iP, nor the M2, so I am using AlDente Pro (which I can only recommend) at 80%.
2023 M2 MBP "16: 11 cycles and 100% battery health.
2023 M2 MBP "16: 11 cycles and 100% battery health.
The software tracks the period every day you use the device unplugged. And it charges from 80% to 100% immediately before these periods 'hit'.
So if you unplug the device at 7 am for example at home and start using it from 8 am to 5 pm at work, and then you plug it in when back home in the evening, it will – after a few days – start to charge slowly from 80% to 100% before 7 am. But this only works if there is a regular and identical unplugged usage pattern.
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