“Battery life” is the amount of time your device runs before it needs to be recharged (short-term power retention). “Battery lifespan” is the amount of time your battery lasts until it needs to be replaced (battery longevity).
In this post, we'll cover 4 simple rules to ensuring you get the most battery life and battery lifespan out of your Mac.
Update To The Latest Software
Apple software updates often include advanced energy-saving technologies, so always make sure your device is using the latest version of OS X.
Avoid Extreme Ambient Temperatures
Your device is designed to perform well in a wide range of ambient temperatures, with 62° to 72° F (16° to 22° C) as the ideal comfort zone. It’s especially important to avoid exposing your device to ambient temperatures higher than 95° F (35° C), which can permanently damage battery capacity. That is, your battery won’t power your device as long on a given charge. Charging the device in high ambient temperatures can damage it further. Even storing a battery in a hot environment can damage it irreversibly. When using your device in a very cold environment, you may notice a decrease in battery life, but this condition is temporary. Once the battery’s temperature returns to its normal operating range, its performance will return to normal as well.
Remove Certain Cases During Charging
Charging your device when it’s inside certain styles of cases may generate excess heat, which can affect battery capacity. If you notice that your device gets hot when you charge it, take it out of its case first. For Apple Watch Edition models, make sure the cover of the magnetic charging case is off.
Store It Half-charged When You Store It Long-term
If you want to store your device long term, two key factors will affect the overall health of your battery: the environmental temperature and the percentage of charge on the battery when it’s powered down for storage. Therefore, we recommend the following:
- Do not fully charge or fully discharge your device’s battery — charge it to around 50%. If you store a device when its battery is fully discharged, the battery could fall into a deep discharge state, which renders it incapable of holding a charge. Conversely, if you store it fully charged for an extended period of time, the battery may lose some capacity, leading to shorter battery life.
- Power down the device to avoid additional battery use.
- Place your device in a cool, moisture-free environment that’s less than 90° F (32° C).
- If you plan to store your device for longer than six months, charge it to 50% every six months.
Depending on how long you store your device, it may be in a low-battery state when you remove it from long-term storage. After it’s removed from storage, it may require 20 minutes of charging with the original adapter before you can use it.
Source: Apple
