A MacBook battery that drains in a couple of hours is frustrating. Before you buy a new charger or a new laptop, it’s worth finding out whether the problem is a worn-out battery or something simply using too much power.

Introduction

Checking your battery lets you:

✅ See how much capacity the battery has lost

✅ Find out how many charge cycles it has used

✅ Identify apps that are draining power

✅ Decide whether a repair or replacement is needed

✅ Check whether you may be covered by warranty or AppleCare+

These methods work on:

• MacBook Air
• MacBook Pro
• Apple silicon (M-series) and Intel Macs

Battery Checking Methods at a Glance

Method	Difficulty	What It Shows	Best For
System Settings > Battery	Very Easy	Condition and maximum capacity	Everyone
System Information	Easy	Cycle count, condition, capacity	Detailed checks
Battery usage history	Easy	Which apps drain the battery	Finding the cause
Activity Monitor	Easy	Live energy impact per app	Real-time troubleshooting
Terminal commands	Moderate	Raw battery data	IT professionals
Apple Diagnostics	Easy	Hardware fault detection	Confirming a failing battery
Third-party tools	Easy	Capacity, wear, temperature	Ongoing monitoring

1. System Settings (Battery Health)

Why It’s Recommended

This is the quickest check and needs no extra software.

Steps:

1. Click the Apple menu > System Settings
2. Select Battery in the sidebar
3. Next to Battery Health, click the ⓘ icon (on older macOS versions, click Battery Health…)

What to look for:

• Condition: Normal or Service Recommended
• Maximum Capacity: The battery’s current capacity compared with when it was new

How to Read the Result

✅ 90–100%: Healthy

⚠️ 80–89%: Normal ageing

❌ Below 80%: Noticeably worn; consider a replacement

❌ Service Recommended: Book a repair

Best For

• Home users
• A quick first check

2. System Information (Cycle Count)

A charge cycle is counted each time you use the equivalent of 100% of the battery’s capacity (not necessarily in one go). Batteries wear out as cycles build up.

Steps:

1. Hold the Option key and click the Apple menu
2. Select System Information
3. Under Hardware, click Power
4. Look at Battery Information

Key values:

• Cycle Count
• Condition
• Maximum Capacity (on supported models)

Most modern MacBooks are designed to retain up to 80% of original capacity at 1,000 cycles. Older models were rated for fewer, so check Apple’s support page for your model’s figure.

Best For

• IT professionals
• Checking a second-hand MacBook before buying

3. Battery Usage History

If the battery is healthy but drains fast, something is probably using too much power.

Steps:

1. Open System Settings > Battery
2. Review the Battery Level chart (last 24 hours or 10 days)
3. Check the Screen On Usage and Screen Off Usage graphs
4. Review the Usage by app list

Best For

• Finding apps that quietly drain the battery
• Home users

4. Activity Monitor

Steps:

1. Open Activity Monitor (Applications > Utilities, or search with Spotlight)
2. Click the Energy tab
3. Sort by Energy Impact

Look for apps with consistently high impact, especially browsers with many tabs, video conferencing apps, cloud sync clients, and anything using the GPU.

Best For

• Real-time troubleshooting
• Spotting runaway processes

5. Terminal Commands

For IT professionals who want the raw data.

Quick summary:

system_profiler SPPowerDataType

Current charge and power source:

pmset -g batt

Cycle count and raw capacity values:

ioreg -rn AppleSmartBattery | grep -E "CycleCount|DesignCapacity|MaxCapacity"

Compare the raw maximum capacity against the design capacity to calculate wear. Note that on some newer Macs, MaxCapacity reports a percentage rather than mAh, so use the raw capacity value where one is shown.

Best For

• IT professionals
• Scripting checks across multiple machines

6. Apple Diagnostics

Apple Diagnostics tests the hardware, including the battery.

Apple silicon Macs:

1. Shut down the Mac
2. Press and hold the power button until startup options appear
3. Press Command + D

Intel Macs:

1. Shut down the Mac
2. Turn it on and immediately hold D

Make a note of any reference codes shown. Apple Support can use them to identify the fault.

Best For

• Confirming a hardware problem before booking a repair

7. Third-Party Tools

Tools such as coconutBattery show capacity, wear level, charge cycles, and temperature in one window, and can track changes over time.

Benefits:

✅ Easy to read

✅ Shows wear over time

✅ Useful for comparing several Macs

Drawbacks:

❌ Relies on the same data macOS already holds

❌ Only install from the developer’s official site

Common Reasons a MacBook Battery Doesn’t Stay Charged

✅ Battery has reached the end of its useful life

✅ Heavy background apps or too many browser tabs

✅ High screen brightness

✅ Spotlight indexing or photo analysis after a macOS update

✅ Hot environments (heat accelerates wear)

✅ Faulty or non-genuine charger or cable

✅ Peripherals drawing power over USB-C

Quick Fixes to Try

✅ Update macOS and your apps

✅ Reduce screen brightness

✅ Turn on Low Power Mode (System Settings > Battery)

✅ Make sure Optimised Battery Charging is on

✅ Quit or uninstall apps with high energy impact

✅ Disconnect unused external devices

✅ Restart the Mac (and reset the SMC on older Intel models)

✅ Try a different Apple charger and cable

When to Replace the Battery

Consider a replacement if:

• Maximum Capacity is below 80%
• Condition shows Service Recommended
• The Mac shuts down unexpectedly at a charge above 0%
• The battery is visibly swollen, or the trackpad is lifting or the case is bulging

⚠️ A swollen battery is a safety risk. Stop using and charging the Mac and get it serviced immediately.

Check your warranty first. AppleCare+ covers a battery that holds less than 80% of its original capacity, and the statutory consumer rights in the UK may also apply to newer devices.

Security and Safety Tips

✅ Use genuine Apple chargers or reputable certified alternatives

✅ Avoid leaving the Mac in hot cars or on soft surfaces while charging

✅ Back up your data before any repair

✅ Use Apple or an Apple Authorised Service Provider for battery replacements

✅ Be wary of cheap replacement batteries

Key Takeaway

Start with System Settings > Battery to see your Maximum Capacity and Condition, then check the cycle count in System Information. If the capacity is below 80% or the condition says Service Recommended, the battery is worn and needs replacing. If the battery looks healthy but still drains quickly, the battery usage history and Activity Monitor will usually point to the app or setting responsible.