This week’s post is less of a “tip” and more of a “tip-off,” explaining a recent macOS change that has caused some confusion about battery health and charging.
After a recent update, many Macs have not been fully charging — before you tie up the hotline or storm the genius bar, give me a second to explain.
With the Big Sur operating system, Apple introduced a new battery optimization system that algorithmically limits Macbook charging to extend the life of your battery. Since lithium-ion units run hot near 100% capacity, the optimized plan pauses charging at around 80% when it anticipates you’ll be plugged in for a while (based on personal usage habits).
The approach is a good one but has flown under the radar, leaving users worried that something’s wrong with their battery. There isn’t!