Apple’s Next MacOS Update May Extend the Life of Your MacBook’s Battery.
In iOS 18, Apple introduced a feature that lets you set a charging limit on your iPhone . The goal was to extend battery life by limiting how often it fully charges. Batteries wear out with each full charge cycle, so by preventing the battery from charging to 100% every time you keep it plugged in, you can slow down this aging process, meaning your device will last longer between charges.
Now this same feature is coming to your Mac. Apple is currently testing this feature in macOS 26.4, meaning you’ll soon be able to ask macOS to stop charging your laptop once the battery reaches a certain level. This feature is perfect for those who constantly keep their MacBook plugged in while working: it allows you to ask your MacBook to stop charging when the battery reaches 80%, or anytime up to 100%.
Power optimization is nothing new to macOS.
To be clear, your MacBook already comes with a Battery Optimization feature, which is enabled by default. This feature automatically slows down your MacBook’s charging speed once its charge reaches 80%. Based on your previous usage habits, macOS delays charging your MacBook until it deems you’ll need to use the laptop again. So, if you plug your MacBook in overnight and typically unplug it at 8 AM, it might maintain its charge at 80% until 7 AM, then charge the remaining 20% over the next hour.
You can check if this feature is enabled by clicking the Apple logo in the upper-left corner of your Mac’s screen and going to System Preferences > Battery . Click the “i” button next to Battery Health , and you’ll see that Optimized Battery Charging is enabled.
But all of this is automated and depends on how you use your MacBook. The difference with this new charging feature is that you set the charge limit manually. So, if you work with your MacBook plugged in all day, it doesn’t have to charge to 100% every time it deems it necessary. Instead, you can maintain any charge limit between 80% and 100%.
How to enable battery limitation on your MacBook
This new feature is available in macOS 26.4, which is currently in the developer beta channel for Mac updates. I strongly advise against installing it on your primary MacBook, as issues with the beta version could result in data loss or bricking your laptop. Unless Apple decides to remove this feature, it should become available to all users with the general release of macOS 26.4.
If you have a spare MacBook running the macOS 26.4 beta, you can go to System Preferences > Battery , where you’ll see the “Charge Limit” feature under “Battery Health.” Here, you can manually limit the maximum charge level between 80% and 100%.
Third-party battery management apps are better.
While Apple’s methods for slowing battery aging are good enough for most users, third-party battery management apps can do much more. These apps allow you to do more than just set charging limits. For example, you can start charging your Mac when the battery reaches 50%, stop charging when it reaches 80%, or stop charging if the battery gets too hot.