On macOS Tahoe 26.4 or later with Apple silicon, open System Settings › Battery, click ⓘ next to Charging and set Charge Limit between 80% and 100%. On earlier versions of macOS there's no fixed limit, only Optimized Battery Charging, which holds at 80% when it predicts you'll stay plugged in. For a lower limit, or on Sonoma and Sequoia, you need an app.
If your MacBook spends most of its life plugged into a monitor or a charger on your desk, its battery sits at 100% for hours every day. Lithium-ion batteries wear fastest when they're kept full and warm, so a battery that's always topped up loses capacity sooner.
Does macOS have a battery charge limit?
From macOS Tahoe 26.4 on Apple silicon Macs, yes: Charge Limit in System Settings › Battery (click ⓘ next to Charging) lets you pick 80% to 100%, and Charge to Full Now fills it once when you need it (Apple's guide). Its lowest setting is 80%.
On earlier versions, macOS only has Optimized Battery Charging. It learns your routine and, when it expects you to stay plugged in for a while, holds the charge at 80% and finishes charging to 100% just before it thinks you'll unplug.
You'll find it in System Settings › Battery: click the ⓘ next to Battery Health.
It helps, but it has limits:
- It decides for itself when to hold back. If your schedule isn't regular, it often charges to 100% anyway.
- You can't choose the limit. It's 80% when it kicks in, and full the rest of the time.
- It can't be told "never go above 80%" for a Mac that's effectively a desktop.
Questions
Is it bad to keep a MacBook plugged in all the time?
It won't overcharge, but a battery held at 100% for long stretches ages faster, which is why Apple added Optimized Battery Charging. If your MacBook is plugged in most of the time, a lower limit keeps it out of that range.
How do I check my MacBook's battery health?
Open System Settings › Battery and click ⓘ next to Battery Health to see its condition, and on Apple silicon Macs its maximum capacity. For the cycle count, hold Option, choose Apple menu › System Information and click Power.
Setting a real limit
Battery Charge Limit in MrFixable lets you choose the highest level your battery charges to, from 50% to 95%, and keeps it there. It works from macOS 14.2 Sonoma, so it also covers Macs that don't have Tahoe's Charge Limit:
- Charging stops at your limit and stays there while you're plugged in. The Mac runs on the charger's power and the battery rests.
- It keeps working while the Mac sleeps, so the battery doesn't creep back up to 100% overnight.
- Need a full battery for a trip? Click Charge to 100% This Once in its settings.
Setting a charge limit needs a small helper that macOS asks you to approve once in Login Items, because changing charging behavior is a system-level action. If your Mac doesn't support it, the app tells you.
See all your batteries in one place
Device Batteries shows the charge of your AirPods, Magic Mouse, keyboard and trackpad in the menu bar, and warns you before one runs out.