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I just bought a new MacBook, which I'm primary gonna use as a "desktop pc" (in office). Not always, but for large period of time (~ a month without moving it from my desk).

I would like to understand what is the best policy to adopt for battery care.

I read the specific, official, page in the Apple site, but it hasn't been written this much throughout: it just points out how to use battery more efficiently, but not how to preserve it.

Before the Mac, I had a Dell. The batteries stopped to work something like 1 year later (yeah, scandalous). That's because I use the laptop keeping it always in charge.

However, I read that Apple prevents this possibility. When a MacBook is in charge, but the battery is fully charged, then it's like you're not charging it at all. Is it right? Can I safely assume that I just have to make a full cycle from time to time?

Hennes
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Gian Segato
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2 Answers2

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Feel free to leave it on charger and just periodically discharge it, say once a month or so. These days computers will use charger and fall back to battery power when you unplug it.

Also removing it to prevent (over)heating may be a valid point, but in your case it's not possible.

Enis P. Aginić
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Before the Mac, I had a Dell. The batteries stopped to work something like 1 year later (yeah, scandalous). That's because I use the laptop keeping it always in charge.

However, I read that Apple prevents this possibility. When a MacBook is in charge, but the battery is fully charged, then it's like you're not charging it at all. Is it right? Can I safely assume that I just have to make a full cycle from time to time?

This is incorrect. Apple batteries work in exactly the same way as Dell batteries and every other laptop battery in this respect. All laptops stop charging when they are full. Your Dell battery did not stop working because the laptop kept charging it. Your Dell battery stopped working because it was old. Some batteries just don't last as long as others.

Battery ageing is accelerated by two major factors: batteries age much faster when they are full, and batteries age much faster when they are hot. Keeping a battery in a laptop combines both factors, nomatter who made the battery. Some batteries just last longer than others, but all laptop batteries are affected by the same factors.

The best way to maintain a battery's life is to leave it empty, in a cold place, and not use it. The information provided in the original question is still completely accurate today:

Should laptops remain plugged in when their battery is 100% charged?

You should not expect this to change, since laptops are using the same battery technology today that was commercialised in the 1990's and has barely changed since.

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