How to Check Your MacBook’s Battery Health and Cycle Count

According to Apple, MacBook batteries are designed to keep up to 80% of their original capacity at their maximum cycle count, which is 1,000 cycles for recent models.

Two numbers tell you how your MacBook’s battery is doing: its maximum capacity, how much charge it can hold compared with when it was new, and its cycle count, how much use it has had. Both are built into macOS, a few clicks apart.

Find the battery health

1. From the Apple menu, choose System Settings.
2. Click Battery in the sidebar.
3. Click the info button (i) next to Battery Health.

You see the battery’s condition, such as Normal, and its Maximum Capacity as a percentage of what it held when new. The same window has the switch for Optimized Battery Charging.

Find the cycle count

Apple’s page on determining battery cycle count gives the steps:

1. Hold the Option key and choose System Information from the Apple menu.
2. Click Power in the sidebar.
3. Under Battery Information, read the Cycle Count. The same section shows the condition and the full charge capacity in mAh.

What counts as a cycle

A charge cycle is using all of the battery’s power, but not necessarily in one go. Apple’s example: use half the battery one day and recharge it, then do the same the next day, and that is one cycle, not two. A day of light use might be a fifth of a cycle.

What the numbers mean

Apple designs MacBook batteries to keep up to 80% of their original capacity at their maximum cycle count, and lists that count per model. For recent MacBook Air and MacBook Pro models it is 1,000 cycles.

For example, the MacBook Air (M1, 2020) that Chargeberry is tested on read 83% maximum capacity after 353 of its 1,000 cycles on 6 November 2026.

How to slow battery aging

Apple’s page on Optimized Battery Charging explains that a battery’s chemical age depends on its temperature history and charging pattern, not only on time. In practice that means two habits help most:

• Don’t sit at 100% for hours. A MacBook that lives on its charger spends most of its life full. Optimized Battery Charging, or a charge limit, keeps it lower.
• Keep it cool. Heat ages lithium-ion batteries faster, especially while charging. Don’t charge under a pillow or in direct sun.

The easier way: Chargeberry

Chargeberry shows your health and cycles right in the menu bar, and works on the habits that decide them:

• A daily health history. It records your battery’s health every day and shows the trend, plus a monthly Battery Wrapped card.
• A charge limit. It stops charging at 80% by default, or anywhere from 50 to 100%, so the charger runs the Mac and the battery rests.
• Heat protection. It pauses charging when the battery reaches the temperature you choose.

If you’d like to estimate how many cycles your battery has left, Chargeberry’s site has a free battery health calculator. Chargeberry runs on MacBooks with Apple silicon and macOS 14 or later, for $5.99 once.

FAQ

What is a good battery health percentage for a MacBook?

Anything above 80% maximum capacity is within what Apple designs for. Apple’s batteries are built to keep up to 80% of their original capacity at their maximum cycle count.

How many charge cycles does a MacBook battery last?

Recent MacBook Air and MacBook Pro models are rated for 1,000 cycles. Apple lists the maximum for every model on its cycle count support page.

Is 300 cycles a lot for a MacBook?

No. On a battery rated for 1,000 cycles, 300 cycles is less than a third of its rated life.

Can I see my MacBook battery health in Terminal?

Yes: system_profiler SPPowerDataType prints the cycle count, condition and full charge capacity, the same values System Information shows under Power.

Does keeping my MacBook plugged in ruin the battery?

Not quickly, but sitting at 100% while warm ages it faster. Optimized Battery Charging or a charge limit such as Chargeberry’s 80% keeps it lower while plugged in.

Sources

• Determine battery cycle count for Mac laptops (Apple Support)
• About Optimized Battery Charging and Charge Limit on Mac (Apple Support)