Two numbers tell you almost everything about your MacBook's battery: maximum capacity (as a percentage of factory capacity) and cycle count. Here is where to find both, what healthy looks like, and what to do if yours is wearing fast.
System Settings → Battery → Battery Health (info button). You'll see “Maximum Capacity” — e.g. 89% means the battery now holds 89% of its original charge — and a condition of “Normal” or “Service Recommended”.
Hold Option and click the Apple menu → System Information → Power. Under “Health Information” you'll find Cycle Count and Condition. One cycle = using 100% of capacity cumulatively (two 50% discharges = one cycle). Modern MacBooks are rated for about 1,000 cycles before capacity is expected to drop to 80%.
Tools like coconutBattery show design capacity vs current capacity, manufacture date, and temperature. Useful for tracking decline over months. Battery Autopilot shows health, cycles, temperature and wattage live in the menu bar.
Rough expectations: 95–100% capacity in year one, ~85–92% after two years of typical use. Capacity below ~80% or a “Service Recommended” flag means replacement territory — see what a replacement costs. Heavy heat exposure or months parked at 100% can push you there much faster.
Wear you already have is permanent, but the rate going forward is yours to control: keep the everyday charge near 80% (how to limit charging to 80%), avoid heat, and reduce unnecessary drain. Battery Autopilot automates all three — an 80% guard, measured power savings, and a temperature readout — and shows the daily benefit as “+minutes extended”.
7-day free trial. Charge guarded at 80%, measured power savings, results in “+minutes extended”.
Download free (macOS)The Mac keeps working, but capacity is low or the battery is degraded; expect short runtimes and possible shutdowns under load. Plan a replacement, and limit charge/heat stress meanwhile.
Capacity is the outcome that affects you; cycle count is one of its causes. A low-cycle battery kept at 100% and hot can be more worn than a high-cycle one treated well.
Modern MacBooks calibrate automatically; the old full-discharge ritual is unnecessary. If readings look absurd, an SMC reset (Intel) or a restart (Apple Silicon) may clear sensor glitches.