Power Saver mode helps save battery

MacBook users can activate Power Saver mode to conserve battery life when not connected to a power source. This built-in feature reduces chip performance, dims the screen, and pauses background tasks, and it can be configured in System Settings > Battery with several options.

Screen brightness affects battery life

The screen is one of the largest energy consumers on a MacBook, so adjusting its brightness can significantly extend battery life. Disabling automatic brightness and manually lowering it using the keyboard can help, even if it slightly affects visual comfort.

Safari is more energy efficient

Using Safari instead of other browsers like Chrome can improve battery efficiency. Safari is optimized for Apple Silicon chips and uses less power by freezing inactive tabs and blocking heavy scripts by default, making it a good choice for conserving energy.

Closing apps properly saves power

On macOS, simply clicking the red close button in an app window does not fully close the application. To ensure an app is completely closed, users should use the keyboard shortcut Cmd + Q or right-click the app icon and select Quit, which reduces resource usage and battery drain.

Monitoring energy use with Activity Monitor

The Activity Monitor, accessible via Cmd + Space, includes an Energy tab that shows which apps are consuming the most power. Users can force quit apps with unusually high energy use to help restore battery efficiency and performance.

Adjusting screen lock delay saves energy

Reducing the time it takes for the screen to lock when not in use can prevent unnecessary energy consumption. Changing the default sleep timer in System Settings to a shorter duration, such as 2 or 3 minutes, helps preserve battery life throughout the day.

Good charging habits extend battery life

To maintain the long-term health of a MacBook’s battery, users should avoid leaving it plugged in continuously or charging it to 100% regularly. Setting the Charge Limit to 80% in System Settings > Battery can help reduce chemical aging and internal heating that can degrade the battery over time.