How to know if it's time to replace your MacBook battery.

No matter who you are or how well you take care of your laptop battery, it will eventually give out. That's normal. What's not normal is that most people don't know how to replace a battery themselves, or when to do so.

Not all batteries are created equal -- each can handle a certain number of charge cycles before performance starts to degrade. This makes it difficult to know exactly when to replace a battery (unless it's completely dead, in which case you'll know for sure). While there are no absolute rules to tell you when to replace your battery, there are some clear warning signs you can look out for.

Signal 1: Battery cycle limit reached

MacBook battery life is usually measured by "charge cycle count". For most MacBook Pro and MacBook Air released after 2010, the battery is designed to last 1,000 full charge cycles.

How to view MacBook battery cycle life:

Click Apple menu → About this device → System Report → Power → Cycle Count

Judgment criteria:

Cycle count ≥ 1,000, indicating that the battery has reached its designed life

Battery performance may begin to decline when the cycle count approaches the upper limit

When your MacBook charge cycle reaches or exceeds 1,000 times, even if the system does not prompt a problem, the battery performance may have seriously declined. At this time, you should pay attention to whether to replace the battery.

Signal 2: The system prompts "Battery repair required" or "Recommended battery replacement"

When the macOS system detects abnormal battery health, it will display prompts such as "Recommended repair", "Replace battery" or "Replace now". This information usually appears in the drop-down menu of the battery icon.

If your MacBook displays "Recommend battery repair" or "Replace battery", it means that the battery is in poor condition and it is recommended to deal with it as soon as possible.

Signal 3: Battery health is less than 80%

Battery health refers to the ratio of the current maximum capacity of the battery to the designed capacity at the factory. If your battery health drops below 80%, it will usually affect daily use.

How to check MacBook battery health: System Settings → Battery → Battery Health

Signal 4: Battery life has dropped significantly

If your MacBook can only maintain 1-2 hours of use after being fully charged, or the power suddenly drops from 50% to 0% during normal use, this is likely a sign of battery aging.

Common symptoms include:

The laptop is completely dead after being closed overnight

The MacBook battery consumes abnormally after using it for a period of time

The battery drops in leaps, such as 80% → 20% → automatic shutdown

Signal 5: Unable to charge or the battery is stuck at a certain percentage

When you encounter a situation where the MacBook cannot be charged when plugged in, or the battery is stuck at 80%, it is likely that there is a problem with the battery control chip or the battery itself.

Common symptoms:

When plugging in, it prompts "The power adapter is connected but not charging"

The battery power remains at a certain percentage (such as 80%)

The system displays "Not Charging" status

Signal 6: The battery bulges and causes the body to deform

If you find that the MacBook body is slightly bulging, the trackpad is no longer sensitive, or even the keyboard is deformed, it is likely that the battery has physically expanded, that is, "MacBook battery bulge". This situation will directly affect the safety of the device.

Typical symptoms:

Touchpad deformation or freezing

Bulges on the bottom of the device

Partial deformation or warping of the keyboard

Bulging of the battery is a safety hazard and should be stopped immediately and replaced as soon as possible.

If you find any of the above problems, it is recommended to check and consider replacing the battery as soon as possible. Whether it is to improve battery life, improve performance, or ensure safety, a healthy battery is essential to your MacBook.

For those who want to be more proactive about monitoring battery life, there's good news! You can do it by just doing a little math. Look in the "Battery Information" section of System Information. Multiply the "Full Charge Capacity" by the "Voltage," then divide that number by one million. Now you have the battery's current capacity in watt-hours, and you can compare it to the original capacity (i.e., the "Full Charge Capacity") to see if the battery is still good enough to use.

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