How to Keep Your Laptop’s Battery in Good Health

Maintaining your laptop’s battery health is key to ensuring it remains reliable over the years. Most modern laptops, powered by rechargeable lithium-ion batteries, come with built-in features that help reduce battery wear, but there are additional steps you can take to maximize your battery’s lifespan.

General Battery Health Tips

The lithium-ion batteries in laptops naturally degrade over time. This happens as the ions move back and forth during charging cycles, gradually reducing the battery’s ability to hold a charge. Fortunately, you can take measures to slow down this degradation and keep your battery healthy.

• Avoid Full Charges and Discharges: Both full charges (100%) and complete discharges (0%) stress the battery, shortening its life. It’s recommended to keep your laptop's battery between 20% and 80% charged for optimal performance.

• Keep it Cool: Heat and cold significantly affect your battery's health. Overheating accelerates internal damage to the battery, so avoid using your laptop on soft surfaces like beds or blankets that can block airflow. Similarly, avoid exposing your laptop to freezing conditions. If your device gets too hot or cold, allow it to return to room temperature before charging or using it.

• Storage: If you’re storing your laptop for an extended period, make sure to charge the battery to about 50% and keep the laptop in a cool, dry place. This helps prevent damage that can occur during long periods of disuse.

• Keep the System Updated: Regularly updating your operating system and apps ensures they run more efficiently, using less power and extending battery life.

• Clean Your Laptop’s Fans: Ensure the air circulation inside your laptop is good by keeping its fans clean. This helps reduce internal temperatures and power draw.

Battery Health Advice for MacBooks

Apple MacBooks feature a built-in system called Optimized Battery Charging, which prevents the battery from charging past 80% unless it anticipates that you’ll need a full charge based on your previous usage patterns. This can significantly reduce the wear on your battery.

Here’s how to manage battery settings on macOS:

• Enable Optimized Battery Charging:

  • Open the Apple Menu and select System Settings.

  • In the Battery tab, click the small “i” next to Battery Health.

  • Toggle Optimized Battery Charging on or off as needed.

• Enable Low Power Mode:MacBooks also offer Low Power Mode, which reduces overall energy usage by dimming the display, lowering CPU performance, and managing background tasks.

  • Go to the Battery tab in System Settings.

  • Select Low Power Mode to extend battery life during use.

• Adjust Screen Settings:To minimize unnecessary battery drain, adjust when your display turns off during inactivity:

  • In System Settings, go to the Lock Screen tab.

  • Choose when to turn off the display after inactivity on battery power.

Additionally, reducing the number of apps running in the background will ease the strain on the battery. You can also adjust video playback settings to stream at lower quality when on battery power.

Battery Health Advice for Windows Laptops

Windows laptops offer Smart Charging (similar to Apple’s Optimized Battery Charging), though it varies depending on the manufacturer. You can check whether your laptop supports this feature by visiting the manufacturer’s website or exploring system settings.

To access your battery settings on Windows:

• Access Power Settings:

  • Open Settings from the Start Menu.

  • Select System > Power & Battery.

• Screen and Sleep Settings:

  • Adjust how long the laptop waits before turning off the display or entering sleep mode.

  • In Power Mode, prioritize either performance or battery life, depending on your needs.

• Use Battery Saver Mode:Windows offers Battery Saver Mode, which automatically activates at a set battery percentage to conserve energy:

  • In Power & Battery settings, toggle Battery Saver on or off.

• Review Energy Recommendations:In some versions of Windows, you’ll find Energy Recommendations at the top of the Power & Battery settings page. Review these for tips on optimizing battery health.

Conclusion

Whether you’re using a Mac or Windows laptop, a little care can go a long way in preserving your battery’s health. Avoid full charges and discharges, keep your laptop cool, and make use of the power management tools available on your device. By taking these simple steps, you’ll maximize your laptop’s battery life and avoid the inconvenience of early replacements.

By following these guidelines, you can ensure that your laptop battery remains in good health, providing you with long-lasting performance for years to come.