

If the battery is removed from a MacBook or MacBook Pro, the computer will automatically reduce the processor speed. This prevents the computer from shutting down if it demands more power than the A/C adaptor alone can provide. Click to expand... While you can't remove the new built-in batteries, this method of using both AC power and battery during periods of peak power demands is still applicable. This is why you may find your battery may temporarily stop charging or even drain somewhat, even though you have your AC adapter plugged in. This is working as designed and will only be used during periods of peak power demands.​ It is not recommended to run your Mac on the AC adaptor with the battery out (Of course, this only applies to removable batteries).While you can't remove the new built-in batteries, this method of using both AC powerbattery during periods of peak power demands is still applicable. This is whyThis is working as designed and will only be used during periods of peak power demands.​

pre-calibrated and do not require regular calibration like the removable batteries. For models that require calibration, see the CALIBRATION section below.

Portables with built-in batteries



Current Apple portable computer batteries are pre-calibrated and do not require the calibration procedure outlined in this article. These computers use batteries that should be replaced only by an Apple Authorized Service Provider.



MacBook

MacBook (13-inch, Late 2009) and later MacBook Air

MacBook Air, (all models) MacBook Pro

MacBook Pro with Retina display (all models)

MacBook Pro (13-inch, Mid 2009) and later

MacBook Pro (15-inch, Mid 2009) and later

MacBook Pro (17-inch, Early 2009) and later outlined in this article. These computers use batteries that should be replaced only by an Apple Authorized Service Provider.MacBookMacBook AirMacBook Pro Click to expand... If you suspect your battery readings are inaccurate, calibration won't harm your battery and will make your readings more accurate.​ The built-in batteries in the newer Mac unibody notebooks comelike the removable batteries. For models that require calibration, see the CALIBRATION section below.If you suspect your battery readings are inaccurate, calibration won't harm your battery and will make your readings more accurate.​

Be aware that your battery doesn't stop working if the health drops below 80% or if you exceed the number of cycles listed here. You can still use a battery with 79% or lower health or 1001+ cycles, as long as it still holds sufficient charge to meet your needs.

You can use your battery after it reaches its maximum cycle count, but you may notice a reduction in your battery life. Click to expand... If you have a battery that has failed to meet its expected lifespan, assuming your battery is properly calibrated (for those models that need calibration), you may have a defective battery. If so, contact AppleCare to see if they will replace it.



For the newest generation of batteries (Late 2010 and later):

The built-in battery of your MacBook, MacBook Pro or MacBook Air is designed to deliver up to 1000 full charge and discharge cycles before it reaches 80 percent of its original capacity. Click to expand... For earlier models:

For Apple notebooks with removable batteries  such as previous generation MacBook and MacBook Pro computers  a properly maintained battery is designed to retain up to 80% of its original capacity at 300 full charge and discharge cycles. You may choose to replace your battery when it no longer holds sufficient charge to meet your needs.



The built-in battery of the MacBook Air is designed to retain up to 80% of its original capacity at up to 750 full charge and discharge cycles.



The built-in battery in the new 13-, 15-, and 17-inch MacBook Pro is designed to retain up to 80% of its original capacity at up to 1000 full charge and discharge cycles. Click to expand... If you have a battery that has failed to meet its expected lifespan, assuming your battery is properly calibrated (for those models that need calibration), you may have a defective battery. If so, contact AppleCare to see if they will replace it.For earlier models:

battery status, use



Option key +  > System Profiler > Hardware > Power > Charge Information: (Snow Leopard and earlier)

Option key +  > System Information > Hardware > Power (Lion and later)



Be aware that some of the apps mentioned above may report your battery charge as much as 5-6% different than shown in Apple's battery indicator on the Menu Bar. This is normal, and not a cause for concern.



On the MBPr and on Mountain Lion and later OS X versions, the Menu Bar battery indicator no longer offers "Time Remaining" as an option on the Menu Bar. It still appears in the dropdown menu.



Your battery health is referred to either as a percentage or in mAh and represents your current full charge capacity (mAh) as compared with the ideal full charge capacity (100%). Be aware that battery readings are not 100% accurate and they fluctuate up and down, so if your brand new battery health is somewhat more or less than 100% or if it fluctuates up and down over time (100%, 91%, 95%, etc.), don't worry. It will not only decline. For example, if your battery health is 92% one day, it could be back up to 97% a few days or weeks later. It is not a one-way fluctuation. This is completely normal.



If your Mac shuts down without a low battery warning, read this:



Open System Preferences. Click Energy Saver. Enable the "Show battery status in menu bar" check box to display the battery status menu item. Note: Portables using OS X Mavericks v10.9 or later display the low battery warning when the battery has approximately 10 minutes of power remaining. Earlier versions or OS X instead report it at 15% or less. If you do not receive a warning when your battery has a low charge, generally reported at or under 15%, it may be because the battery menu bar icon is disabled. Please follow these steps to enable the battery status menu item:Note: Portables using OS X Mavericks v10.9 or later display the low battery warning when the battery has approximately 10 minutes of power remaining. Earlier versions or OS X instead report it at 15% or less. Click to expand... "Replace Soon" "Replace Now" "Service Battery" "Normal" "Good"



Leopard users may see their battery reported as "Good", while Snow Leopard and later users will see the same condition reported as "Normal". They mean the same thing. For the other conditions introduced in Snow Leopard:



Mac OS X v10.6: About the Battery menu bar extra for portable Macs​ To check, use iStat Pro (free) or iStat Menus ($16) or coconutBattery (has some inaccuracy issues) orOption key +  > System Profiler > Hardware > Power > Charge Information: (Snow Leopard and earlier)Option key +  > System Information > Hardware > Power (Lion and later)Your battery health is referred to either as a percentage or in mAh and represents your current full charge capacity (mAh) as compared with the ideal full charge capacity (100%). Be aware that, so if your brand new battery health is somewhat more or less than 100% or if it fluctuatesandover time (100%, 91%, 95%, etc.), don't worry. It will not only decline. For example, if your battery health is 92% one day, it could be back up to 97% a few days or weeks later., read this:Leopard users may see their battery reported as "Good", while Snow Leopard and later users will see the same condition reported as "Normal". They mean the same thing. For the other conditions introduced in Snow Leopard:

normal that your battery may not charge to 100%. The battery may appear to stop charging between 93 percent and 99 percent, because the batteries are designed to avoid short discharge/charge cycles in order to prolong the overall life of the battery. When it reaches a full charge, the light on your MagSafe adapter will turn green. This indicates that it has stopped charging your battery and you are now running on A/C power with a fully charged battery. It will not overcharge your battery. It's also perfectly safe to let your Mac notebook sleep with A/C plugged in.

Apple Portables: Battery may not show a full charge in Mac OS X​

Intel-Based Apple Portables: Identifying the right power adapter and power cord--US

Power adapters for Intel-based Apple portables are available in 45W, 60W, and 85W varieties. Although you should always use the proper wattage adapter for your Apple portable, you can use an adapter of a higher wattage without issue.



For instance If you have a MacBook (13-inch Late 2009) that normally uses a 60W adapter, you can also use an 85W adapter with that computer. You would not use a 45W adapter with that computer; it would not provide enough power for that MacBook. Using an adapter of higher wattage than the adapter that came with the computer will not cause the computer to charge more quickly or otherwise operate any differently than using the adapter that came with the computer. Click to expand...

Apple Portables: Troubleshooting MagSafe adapters

Intel-based Macs: Resetting the System Management Controller (SMC)​ It is alsothat your. The battery may appear to stop charging between 93 percent and 99 percent, because the batteries are designed to avoid short discharge/charge cycles in order to prolong the overall life of the battery. When it reaches a full charge, the light on your MagSafe adapter will turn green. This indicates that it has stopped charging your battery and you are now running on A/C power with a fully charged battery.. It's also perfectly safe to let your Mac notebook sleep with A/C plugged in.It's best to use the MagSafe adapter that came with your Mac. You can use a stronger one, but it's not recommended to use a weaker one:If you have problems with charging, this might help:

Mac notebooks: Determining battery cycle count

A charge cycle means using all of the batterys power, but that doesnt necessarily mean a single charge. For instance, you could use your notebook for an hour or more one day, using half its charge, and then recharge it fully. If you did the same thing the next day, it would count as one charge cycle, not two, so it may take several days to complete a cycle. Click to expand... So a cycle could be draining the battery all the way and recharging, or draining/recharging it 25% four times, or draining/recharging 10% ten times, etc.​ So a cycle could be draining the battery all the way and recharging, or draining/recharging it 25% four times, or draining/recharging 10% ten times, etc.​





Calibrating is done to keep your battery status reporting as accurate as possible, and should be done the first week you get your Mac or a new battery. Calibration does not affect your battery health, improve battery performance, or extend battery life. It does make battery condition reporting more accurate, so when your battery reports 97% health, it's more accurate. Without calibration, your battery health could be 60% but still being reported as 95%, for example.



Simply draining the battery and recharging is NOT the same as calibrating. The specific steps for calibrating a notebook battery can be found here:





The battery calibration for the PowerBook G4 (15-inch Double-Layer SD) and any model of MacBook or MacBook Pro has been updated because of a new battery released with this computer. With these computers, follow these steps to calibrate your battery:



Plug in the power adapter and fully charge your PowerBook's battery until the light ring or LED on the power adapter plug changes to green and the onscreen meter in the menu bar indicates that the battery is fully charged.

Allow the battery to rest in the fully charged state for at least two hours. You may use your computer during this time as long as the adapter is plugged in.



Disconnect the power adapter while the computer still on and start running the computer off battery power. You may use your computer during this time. When your battery gets low, the low battery warning dialog appears on the screen.



At this point, save your work. Continue to use your computer; when the battery gets very low, the computer will automatically go to sleep.



Turn off the computer or allow it to sleep for five hours or more.



Connect the power adapter and leave it connected until the battery is fully charged again. Tip: When the battery reaches "empty", the computer is forced into sleep mode. The battery actually keeps back a reserve beyond "empty", to maintain the computer in sleep for a period of time. Once the battery is truly exhausted, the computer is forced to shut down. At this point, with the safe sleep function introduced in the PowerBook G4 (15-inch Double-Layer SD) computers, the computer's memory contents have been saved to the hard drive. When power is restored, the computer returns itself to its pre-sleep state using the safe sleep image on the hard drive. PowerBook G4 (15-inch Double-Layer SD), MacBook (all models), and MacBook Pro (all models)The battery calibration for the PowerBook G4 (15-inch Double-Layer SD) and any model of MacBook or MacBook Pro has been updated because of a new battery released with this computer. With these computers, follow these steps to calibrate your battery:Tip: When the battery reaches "empty", the computer is forced into sleep mode. The battery actually keeps back a reserve beyond "empty", to maintain the computer in sleep for a period of time. Once the battery is truly exhausted, the computer is forced to shut down. At this point, with the safe sleep function introduced in the PowerBook G4 (15-inch Double-Layer SD) computers, the computer's memory contents have been saved to the hard drive. When power is restored, the computer returns itself to its pre-sleep state using the safe sleep image on the hard drive. Click to expand... Yes, you can use your computer while you are charging and discharging your battery.





If you interrupt the calibration process or feel that you didn't do it properly, it's fine to start over and re-calibrate. You won't hurt anything.





Caffeine is a helpful app you can use to prevent your computer from going into sleep mode before it drains the battery. Make sure you have saved any work before the battery gets low. The built-in batteries in the newer Mac unibody notebooks come pre-calibrated and do not require regular calibration like the removable batteries. See the CALIBRATION - NEWER UNIBODY MODELS section above. However, if you suspect your battery readings are inaccurate, calibration won't harm your battery and will make your readings more accurate.Calibrating is done to keep your battery status reporting as accurate as possible, and should be done the first week you get your Mac or a new battery.It does make battery condition reporting more accurate, so when your battery reports 97% health, it's more accurate. Without calibration, your battery health could be 60% but still being reported as 95%, for example.The specific steps for calibrating a notebook battery can be found here: Apple Portables: Calibrating your computer's battery for best performance





Apple Limited Warranty:

This warranty does not apply:

(f) to consumable parts, such as batteries, unless damage has occurred due to a defect in materials or workmanship; Click to expand... AppleCare Protection Plan:

b. Limitations. The Plan does not cover:

(ix) Consumable parts, such as batteries, except in respect of battery coverage under APP for iPod or unless failure has occurred due to a defect in materials and workmanship; Click to expand... AppleCare WILL, however, extend the defective battery replacement period from 1 to 3 years:



Battery Replacement

Your one-year warranty includes replacement coverage for a defective battery. You can extend your replacement coverage for a defective battery to three years from the date of your notebook purchase with the AppleCare Protection Plan. However, the AppleCare Protection Plan for notebook computers does not cover batteries that have failed or are exhibiting diminished capacity except when the failure or diminished capacity is the result of a manufacturing defect. Click to expand... Although Apple's official policy is not to replace batteries except in case of defect, there have been cases where an exception was made by an individual Apple representative. If you have a concern about your battery, the best approach is to contact Apple to find what they will do in your particular situation.​ Batteries are not covered by warranty or AppleCare, except in the case of manufacturing defects.AppleCare WILL, however, extend thebattery replacement period from 1 to 3 years:Although Apple's official policy is not to replace batteries except in case of defect, there have been cases where an exception was made by an individual Apple representative. If you have a concern about your battery, the best approach is to contact Apple to find what they will do in your particular situation.​





MacRumors threads about bulging or swelling batteries.​ If you find your battery bulging or swelling, it is highly recommended that you replace it before it causes damage to your Mac. The bulging or swelling may or may not be due to a defect in the battery. Contact Apple to see if they will offer a replacement.

Link to this post: Apple Notebook Battery FAQ As long as you're running it on battery at least every few days, you'll be fine. Relax and just enjoy using your Apple notebook!