45+ Tips to Save Battery on Your MacBook Air or MacBook Pro

Whether you’re using a MacBook Air or MacBook Pro, maximizing battery life is crucial, especially when you're on the go. Here are over 45 practical tips to help you conserve power and extend your battery life.

Key Features

  • Easy and practical steps for saving battery life.
  • Suitable for MacBook Air and MacBook Pro users.
  • Includes both software and hardware tips.

Optimizing System Settings

  1. Adjust Screen Brightness: Lowering the screen brightness is one of the most effective ways to save battery. The screen is a major power consumer, and keeping it at a lower setting can help extend battery life.
  2. Enable 'Automatically adjust brightness': This feature uses your MacBook's ambient light sensor to adjust the brightness based on your surroundings. It ensures you’re not using more brightness than necessary, especially in low-light conditions.
  3. Activate Dark Mode: Dark Mode changes the system interface to darker colors, which can reduce the power required to display bright screens, especially on OLED displays.
  4. Lower Keyboard Backlight: The keyboard backlight can be a hidden battery drain. Reduce or turn it off in well-lit environments to save power.
  5. Turn Off Bluetooth When Not Needed: When not using Bluetooth devices, turning off Bluetooth can prevent unnecessary power consumption by stopping your MacBook from scanning for devices.
  6. Disable Wi-Fi When Not in Use: If you’re working offline, turning off Wi-Fi stops your MacBook from constantly searching for networks, which can help save power.
  7. Enable Battery Saver: Battery Saver mode reduces background activity, such as automatic downloads and app updates, which helps to extend battery life.
  8. Reduce Motion: This setting minimizes animations, such as the zooming effect when opening or closing apps, which in turn saves some power.
  9. Turn Off Siri Suggestions: Siri's suggestions require processing power to analyze your behavior and suggest apps or files. Disabling it can reduce CPU usage and save battery.
  10. Optimize Location Services: Many apps use location data, which can drain the battery. Disable this feature for apps that don’t need to track your location.


Managing Apps and Software

  1. Close Unnecessary Apps: Keeping multiple apps open can consume RAM and processing power, which increases battery drain. Close apps you’re not actively using to free up resources.
  2. Monitor Background Activity: Use the Activity Monitor to find apps that use a lot of CPU or power. Close those apps to reduce energy consumption.
  3. Reduce Browser Tabs: Each browser tab consumes memory and processing power, so close tabs that aren’t in use to reduce resource usage.
  4. Use Safari for Browsing: Safari is optimized for macOS and tends to consume less power compared to other browsers like Chrome or Firefox.
  5. Disable Auto-Playing Videos: Many websites have videos that start playing automatically, using more power. Adjusting your browser settings to block or disable these videos helps save battery.
  6. Update macOS: Apple often releases updates that include optimizations for battery usage. Keeping your MacBook updated ensures that it has the latest power-saving improvements.
  7. Limit Apps That Run at Startup: Some apps automatically start when you turn on your MacBook, consuming power even if you don’t need them right away. Disable these to save energy.
  8. Turn Off Background App Refresh: This feature keeps apps up to date even when they’re not active, using network and processing power. Disabling it can help reduce battery usage.
  9. Minimize Use of Resource-Intensive Apps: Apps like Adobe Photoshop, Final Cut Pro, and other editing software can quickly drain your battery. Use them only when your MacBook is plugged in or minimize their use when on battery.
  10. Turn Off Automatic Downloads: Auto-updates for apps can run in the background and use both power and data. Turning off this feature allows you to control when updates happen, ideally when your MacBook is charging.


Optimizing Hardware Usage

  1. Unplug Unused Peripherals: Devices connected to your MacBook through USB, like external hard drives or mice, can draw power. Disconnect them when not in use to save battery.
  2. Use Built-in Speakers Instead of Bluetooth Speakers: Playing audio through Bluetooth uses more power than using the built-in speakers. Switch to wired audio or use the MacBook’s speakers when possible.
  3. Charge Your iPhone Separately: Charging other devices through your MacBook’s USB ports draws power directly from your laptop’s battery, reducing its life.
  4. Use the Right Charger: Using an off-brand or lower-watt charger might cause your MacBook to draw more power during charging, which can reduce battery efficiency over time.
  5. Enable Lid Sleep: When you close your MacBook’s lid, it goes to sleep, conserving power. Make sure this feature is enabled so that the screen and background tasks turn off automatically.
  6. Turn Off Touch Bar (MacBook Pro): If you don’t need the Touch Bar, turning it off can save a little bit of power, especially during intensive work.
  7. Avoid Extreme Temperatures: Operating your MacBook in very hot or cold conditions can negatively impact battery performance. Keep it within Apple’s recommended range for best results.
  8. Use a Stand or Cooling Pad: By using a stand, you can keep your MacBook cooler, reducing the need for the internal fans to kick in, which uses additional power.


Managing Display Settings

  1. Reduce Screen Timeout: Set a shorter time for your screen to turn off when inactive. Go to System Settings > Displays and adjust the timer to ensure the display turns off quickly when idle.
  2. Disable Dynamic Wallpapers: Dynamic wallpapers change based on the time of day, requiring more processing power. Switching to a static wallpaper can reduce the load on your MacBook’s GPU.
  3. Use Built-in Display Only: External monitors draw additional power. If you don’t need the extra screen space, use the MacBook’s built-in display.
  4. Turn Off Screen When Playing Music: If you’re just listening to music, minimize the music app or use a playlist with the screen off to save power.


Battery Health and Maintenance

  1. Calibrate the Battery: Allow the battery to discharge completely and then charge it back to 100% once a month. This can help the system provide accurate battery readings and optimize battery performance.
  2. Check Battery Health: Go to System Settings > Battery > Battery Health. If the battery health has significantly degraded, it may be time for a replacement, which can greatly improve battery life.
  3. Avoid Keeping It Plugged In for Long: Keeping your MacBook plugged in constantly can wear out the battery faster. Use it on battery power occasionally to maintain a healthy battery cycle.
  4. Use Battery Health Management: This feature in macOS adjusts charging patterns to improve battery longevity. It learns your charging habits and prevents the battery from charging fully when it’s not necessary.
  5. Keep Your MacBook Clean: Dust and debris can accumulate in your MacBook’s vents, causing it to overheat and drain battery life faster. Clean it regularly to keep it running efficiently.


Network and Sync Settings

  1. Disable AirDrop When Not in Use: AirDrop is a handy feature but keeps your MacBook actively searching for nearby devices, which consumes battery. Turn it off when you’re not using it.
  2. Turn Off iCloud Sync for Unnecessary Apps: Manage which apps sync with iCloud to reduce background data transfer. This can be done in System Settings > Apple ID > iCloud.
  3. Disable Push Notifications: Some apps constantly push notifications, waking up your screen and using CPU power. Disable notifications for non-essential apps to conserve battery.


Energy-Saving Tips for macOS Settings

  1. Use Power Nap Sparingly: Power Nap allows your MacBook to perform tasks like checking for emails or backing up while in sleep mode. Disabling it can help extend your battery life when the MacBook is asleep.
  2. Turn Off FileVault Encryption: FileVault encrypts your hard drive, providing extra security but also consuming power. If you don’t need this level of security, turning it off can save energy.
  3. Disable Automatic Graphics Switching (MacBook Pro): This feature automatically switches between integrated and discrete graphics to save power. However, you can disable it to keep your MacBook on low-power integrated graphics all the time, which can save battery.
  4. Use Time Machine Backups Wisely: Time Machine can back up your files frequently, which can drain the battery if you’re not connected to power. Adjust backup settings to run only when necessary.


Bonus Tips

  1. Restart Your MacBook Regularly: Restarting your MacBook clears out background processes and temporary files, which can help it run more efficiently and save battery.
  2. Use Activity Monitor to Identify Energy Drains: Activity Monitor lets you see which apps are using the most energy, so you can close or manage those apps to save power.
  3. Consider Using an External Battery Pack: This is especially useful during travel when you don’t have access to a power outlet. An external battery pack can give your MacBook a little extra juice when you need it.
  4. Use Low Power Mode (macOS Sonoma and newer): Low Power Mode limits background tasks and lowers performance slightly to extend battery life, making it ideal when you’re working on simple tasks.

By following these tips, you can significantly extend your MacBook's battery life, whether using a MacBook Air or a MacBook Pro. Small adjustments can make a big difference, so start applying these tricks today to keep your device running smoothly for longer.