This Is the Best Free App to Manage Your MacBook’s Battery
Your MacBook has several built-in features to help keep your battery healthy . It will automatically shut down your laptop if it gets too hot, as higher temperatures reduce battery life and performance. It will also slow down charging when the battery level is 80% if it determines that you don’t need a full charge. While these features are good enough for most people, there are some battery management apps that will allow you to have much better control over your MacBook’s battery health.
Battery Toolkit is the best free app I’ve found for managing your MacBook’s battery. It lets you keep your MacBook’s battery percentage between two predefined values, lets you stop charging your MacBook even when it’s connected to a power source, and even lets you force charge your MacBook to 100%. Some of these features require payment for other battery management apps, such as AlDente .
Battery management apps are best used by people who prefer to keep their MacBook plugged in at all times. Many people use their MacBooks with the lid closed , with the laptop connected to a monitor and an external keyboard and mouse. In such situations, repeatedly connecting and disconnecting your Mac to avoid overcharging becomes a little difficult. Why go through all this effort when an app can manage your battery for you?
Installing Battery Toolkit on MacBook
To get started, download the Battery Toolkit from its GitHub page . Your Mac may prevent you from installing the application because it is not from a reputable developer, but it is safe to use. Go to System Preferences > Privacy & Security and click Open Anyway to set it.
Customize the app for optimal battery management
After launching the application, configure it as you wish. Click the Battery Toolkit icon in the menu bar at the top and select Settings . Go to the Power tab and set the minimum and maximum percentage values. This way, your MacBook will start charging when it reaches the minimum value and stop charging when it reaches the maximum. I set it to keep my MacBook between 30 and 80%, but you can choose the values that work best for your use. Click OK when finished.
Please note that the app does not allow you to lower the minimum percentage below 20%, and the lower limit of the maximum charge is 50%. This is necessary to prevent damage to the battery.
Explore additional features
Once the initial setup is complete, Battery Toolkit will run in the background and do what you asked. You can keep your MacBook plugged in at all times, and the app will make sure its battery stays within a predetermined threshold. But there are times when you need to change something and the app allows you to do so. Click the icon in the Battery Toolkit menu bar to see these features.
You can enable Turn Off Power Adapter to temporarily stop your MacBook from charging while it’s plugged in. There are two more options here that you should be aware of:
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Request a full charge
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Request maximum charge
These options can be confusing due to the way they are worded, but they are fairly easy to understand. A full charge will charge your MacBook to 100%, which should be used if you know you’ll be away from the power adapter for a long time. Charging to the maximum will charge the laptop to the upper limit you specify in the app.
You can also temporarily disable all Battery Toolkit settings by clicking the icon in the menu bar and selecting Quit Battery Toolkit .