This article explains how to check the status of your MacBook’s battery health. A battery that’s not in an optimum state means your laptop needs recharging more often, and you’ll be reliant on a wired power source.

What to Know

  • Quickest way: Hold Option key and click the battery icon on the status bar. You’ll see Normal, Replace Soon, Replace Now, or Service Battery.
  • More detailed info: Go to Apple menu and select About This Mac > System Report > Power. The battery status is under Condition.
  • Before checking the battery’s health, calibrate the battery to ensure you get the most accurate results and the best performance.

How to Check MacBook Battery Health at a Glance

It’s possible to either check whether your MacBook’s battery is healthy or to check more detailed information like its capacity levels. Here’s how to check Mac battery health at a glance. It only takes a couple of clicks providing you know-how.

  • While holding down the Option key on the keyboard, click the battery icon on your MacBook’s status bar.
  • Your battery health is displayed at the top of the information bar.
  • It will either say Normal, Replace Soon, Replace Now, or Service Battery. The latter means you definitely need a new battery.

How to Check More Detailed MacBook Battery Information

If you want to check more about your MacBook’s battery health, you can also find out more details via the System Report dialog. Here’s how to find the key information.

While holding down the Option key on the keyboard, click the battery icon on your MacBook’s status bar. 

Your battery health is displayed at the top of the information bar.

It will either say Normal, Replace Soon, Replace Now, or Service Battery. The latter means you definitely need a new battery. 

  • Click the Apple icon on the top left corner of the screen.
  • Click About This Mac.
  • Click System Report.
  • Click Power to see detailed information about your battery.
  • The information tells you the health under Condition. It also shows the cycle count which shows you how many times you’ve fully recharged the battery, along with the full charge capacity.

What Should I Know About Mac Battery Information? 

It can be confusing to know what cycle counts mean and what charging capacity entails. Here’s a look at what you need to know.

If you want to learn even more about your MacBook’s battery and don’t mind installing extra apps, you can use an app called Coconut Battery to find out this information in a clearer way.

Click the Apple icon on the top left corner of the screen.

Click About This Mac.

Click System Report.

Click Power to see detailed information about your battery.

The information tells you the health under Condition. It also shows the cycle count which shows you how many times you’ve fully recharged the battery, along with the full charge capacity. 

  • Cycle count explains how many times you’ve fully recharged. All modern Macs are rated for 1,000 cycles with much older models rated for 500 or 300 cycles. The battery doesn’t suddenly fail when it reaches that limit but it does mean that it won’t work as effectively so it’s wise to replace it at this stage.Charging capacity is king. Basically, the charging capacity shows how much room there is on the battery for storing power. It tends to gradually go down a little the older the battery gets so it’s useful to keep an eye on how it’s performing. Battery health condition is a simple guide to what to do next. If it says Normal, you’re good to go. If it says Replace Soon, then consider a visit to the Genius Bar to discuss a replacement soon. Replace Now or Service Battery means you definitely need to get your battery fixed if you want it to last as long as it used to.

Before checking anything to do with the Mac’s battery health, it’s recommended that you calibrate your battery beforehand to ensure you get the most accurate results and the best performance. 

Get the Latest Tech News Delivered Every Day