how to | extend your macbook’s running time

Choose mobile settings

The Energy Saver pane in System Preferences should be your first port of call. Click Battery to change settings for mobile use. You can adjust how quickly the screen and hard drive switch off when the Mac is idle, and whether Power Nap is active – see http://apple.co/1HjNZuH for details.

Limit streaming and video

Streaming a lot of online video from sites like iPlayer and YouTube can put a dent in battery life because your Wi-Fi connection will be very active. Remember, some video services, such as iPlayer (bbc.co.uk/iplayer/install), permit you to download content to watch offline.

Get system updates

System updates sometimes include tweaks to power management. In the App Store pane in System Preferences, turn on automatic checking for updates, and the options to download and install them. Note that Power Nap only allows updates to download while on mains power.

Monitor the temperature

A hot environment isn’t healthy for your Mac, and a busy hard drive (rather than flash storage) will further contribute to heat inside your Mac. A hot processor is bad news, and will cause your Mac’s fans to spin up. Monitor heat levels using Temperature Gauge (£3.99, Mac App Store).

Keep an eye on the time

An estimate of how long your Mac’s battery will last under current activity is shown when you click the battery icon in the menu bar. You can turn on a percentage indicator too. The menu identifies any open apps that are contributing to power drain, in case you want to close them.

Check for energy hogs

CoconutBattery (free, coconut-flavour.com) provides a health check for your battery by showing its current maximum capacity and its original capacity when new. Finally, in Mission Control’s preferences, set a Hot Corner so that you can put the display to sleep in an instant.