Better battery management tool
Q
I thought that macOS 10.15.5’s new battery management would give me controls like those on my iPhone, but was disappointed. What’s the best app to do that for a MacBook Pro?
A
Apple introduced this new battery health management system in the macOS 10.15.5 update, but it doesn’t give the user any more information about or control over their battery. It also doesn’t apply to older models of MacBook Pro, but is available on all those with T1 or T2 chips and some recent models without.
Its purpose is to prolong the lifespan of your Mac’s battery before it needs to be replaced, which it does by reducing the maximum charge given to the battery as it ages. That also means that your Mac may not be able to run as long on battery alone, which is a trade-off you control by enabling or disabling this in its Energy Saver pane, when you click on the Battery Health… button at its foot. Check out the tutorial on p32 for more information on MacBook battery management.
The most detailed information in macOS about the battery is available in the Battery item in the Hardware section of System Information, accessed through the System Report button in About This Mac.
If you really want to get to grips with your battery, then you should purchase a Pro licence for coconutBattery from bit.ly/ mac353cbty. That not only displays the same basic information, but gives much more, both for the laptop it’s running on and any connected iOS devices. Sadly, Apple hasn’t yet seen any need to provide the sort of detailed information provided on modern iOS devices.