Can I Keep My MacBook Pro/Air Plugged in All The Time?

Many MacBook Pro and MacBook Air users will encounter dual usage scenarios when using laptops, either as laptops when going out or as desktop computers when using desktops. This makes some people wonder whether the computer is charged or plugged in with the power supply, even if it is not used, it is harmful to the MacBook battery.

If your MacBook Pro or MacBook Air is mostly on the desktop, is it harmful to plug it in the power supply all the time? Should you keep your MacBook Air or Pro charged all the time? Is this safe or will it be harmful to the battery and laptop's lifespan? Let's dive into these important issues!

Is it safe to plug in the MacBook Air or MacBook Pro all the time?

Generally speaking, yes, it is safe to connect your MacBook Pro or MacBook Air all the way to the charger.

A large number of MacBook usage scenarios are like this: the MacBook Air or Pro is placed on the desktop, connected to a charger, and usually also to an external monitor, keyboard, and mouse. These “using laptops as desktops” situations are very common in the workplace and in schools when using Apple laptops, as are many home users.

When a MacBook Pro or MacBook Air is connected to a charger and charged, it usually performs best because there is no need to save energy or extend battery life. In fact, some MacBook users find that when the battery is low, their laptops feel slower than usual when using the battery, usually because low power modes directly reduce performance to extend battery life.

While there is no problem with having your MacBook Pro or MacBook Air plugged in all the time, and doing so usually gives you the best CPU performance, there are some factors that can affect the overall battery health and battery life of your MacBook Pro or MacBook Air, so these factors need to be paid attention to.

Important considerations for keeping your MacBook Air/Pro plugged in

The batteries of most modern laptops and devices are based on lithium-ion, including those in the MacBook Air and MacBook Pro, which means they degrade over time and use. The battery in MacBook is designed to be used, which is why it's a laptop, right?

Keeping a lithium-ion battery at 100% charge may shorten the overall life of the battery, but modern Macs include battery maintenance to prevent this. Despite this, it is still a good habit to regularly use a Mac laptop as a laptop, discharge the battery to about 20%-30%, and then charge it again. You don't need to think too much about this, just use your MacBook like you normally would.

Apple explains the various factors that affect the health and battery life of Macs as follows:

"All rechargeable batteries are consuming components that become less effective over time - their age is not only determined by time. The lifespan of a battery depends on its chemical age, which is affected by factors such as its temperature history and charging mode. As the laptop battery chemically ages, its charging capacity becomes smaller."

Let's focus on the mention of 'temperature history' and 'charging mode', as these are usually directly controlled by MacBook users.

1: Use battery optimization features in MacOS

Modern versions of MacOS have built-in battery optimization features designed to extend device battery life.

The main way to achieve this is by learning your laptop usage and charging habits, and then delaying the full charge of your MacBook Pro/Air. For example, suppose you arrive at your desk at 8 a.m. every day, plug in your MacBook Pro, then leave your desk at 4 p.m. every night and disconnect the MacBook Pro - MacOS Battery Optimization will observe and learn this schedule, then keep your laptop battery at 80% charging level until the end of the day, and then charge the battery to 100%.

Apple Silicon Mac laptop batteries will reach 80% capacity using fast charging technology, and then they will automatically switch to a slower charging method called 'trickle charging', and the remaining 20% ​​will be charged at a slower speed, sometimes not even charged for a defined time.

Battery Optimization is enabled by default on all modern Macs, but you can confirm that it is enabled on your specific Mac laptop by going to  Apple Menu > System Settings > Battery > Battery Health > Click the tiny (i) button next to Battery Health > Make sure "Optimize Battery Charging" is enabled.

2: Avoid extreme high temperatures

Long-term exposure to high temperatures or extreme high temperatures will have a negative impact on battery health and battery life, and will not be beneficial to any technical equipment. High temperatures can directly damage lithium-ion batteries.

Keep your MacBook Air or MacBook Pro away from direct sunlight and away from heat sources. Do not cover your laptop, which will prevent it from dissipating heat as designed.

Also, if you run your MacBook Pro/Air in closed mode (i.e., turn off but still power on and connect to an external monitor), you need to make sure it is well ventilated around it, especially for modern Air, as it does not include a cooling fan. The fanless design of the Apple Silicon MacBook Air series makes it a very energy-efficient and quiet computer, but it is well known to reduce performance when overheating or heavy use in closed mode.

In addition to possible battery problems, high temperatures often lead to degraded CPU performance and throttling. If you've ever brought your MacBook outdoors on warm days, and feel like your computer is getting very hot, almost unusable when touched, and suddenly it gets very slow and has a beach ball phenomenon, it's most likely that the Mac is overheating, the system is degrading performance and other activities to try to cool down.

If you want more specific information, there are a variety of useful ways to help keep your MacBook cool in hot weather, but a little common sense can go a long way.

3: Keep MacOS updated

It is very important to keep MacOS software updated and install them when there are updates. MacOS system software updates not only frequently fix errors and security issues, but may also solve known energy use, battery optimization and use, or other power management-related issues.

You can update MacOS by going to  Apple Menu > System Settings > General > Software Updates.

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As you can see, there are a range of technologies in MacOS to extend and extend the battery life and battery health of MacBook Pro and MacBook Air computers, including keeping the charge at 80% through optimization features before 100% charging is required. As a user, you can also take some reasonable measures to protect the health of your Mac's battery, such as avoiding extreme high temperatures and updating the system software. However, keeping the battery at 100% charge can have a negative impact on battery health, so it is best to use the MacBook Pro or MacBook Air as expected, as you wish, or use it out when you are not plugged in, and let it be powered from the battery. Ultimately, you don't need to think too much about this, MacOS does the hard work for you in the background, so whether you're plugging your MacBook Pro or Air almost always and keeping the optimized battery health feature charging at 80% when needed, or as a laptop charging and discharging frequently while out, the computer will do well. If you do a lot of battery cycles on your laptop, battery health may decrease over time, but that's the expected behavior of any lithium-ion battery, certainly not just for MacBook Air or MacBook Pro.

How do you use your MacBook Pro or MacBook Air? Do you connect it all the way to the charger, most of the time, or do you rarely connect? As far as my personal use is concerned, I plug it in and charge it anytime when my laptop is not around me, whether it is overnight or staying on my desk for weeks. But I also often use my MacBook as a laptop in cafes and parks, and relying on a battery is essential, and using this way has never adversely affected the health of my laptop battery.

Please tell us your own experience or thoughts in the comments.

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