How To Check Mac Cycle Count

Most of Apple’s modern laptops can handle 1,000 charge cycles before needing a battery replacement. Follow along for how to check MacBook battery cycle count as well as its condition and capacity.Battery charge cycles, condition, and capacity all go hand-in-hand. For some context, here’s how Apple says your MacBook calculates its charge cycle count:

A charge cycle happens when you use all of the battery’s power—but that doesn’t necessarily mean a single charge. For example, you could use half of your notebook’s charge in one day, and then recharge it fully. If you did the same thing the next day, it would count as one charge cycle, not two. In this way, it might take several days to complete a cycle.

How to check MacBook battery cycle count and capacity

Open the System Settings app on your MacBook
Choose General then About
Scroll to the very bottom and click System Report…
On the left sidebar, click Power
You’ll find your battery cycle count under Health Information:

In macOS Sonoma you can also see your battery health (capacity) this way:

Open the System Settings app on your MacBook
Choose Battery
Click the circled “i” next to Battery Health

Here’s how the process looks:

On the left-hand sidebar, select Power. You’ll see your MacBook battery cycle count about halfway down along with the condition status and maximum battery capacity.

While many of Apple’s MacBooks since 2010 have batteries that are rated for 1,000 charge cycles, check this document to see details for each specific model.

Improving MacBook battery health

One feature Apple debuted in recent years to help with battery longevity is optimized battery charging. It should be turned on for your MacBook by default, but you can check by heading to:

System Settings
Battery
Now click the circled “i” to the right of
Check at the bottom if optimized battery charging is toggled on

More tips to extend the life of your MacBook battery per Apple include:

Keep it running the latest software
Avoid very hot or cold temperatures
Optimize your System Settings > Power Saver
If you aren’t going to use your MacBook for a longer period of time, store it at 50% battery

How to Check Battery Cycle Count on a MacBook

Battery cycle count is a vital indicator of your MacBook’s health. An old battery will affect your productivity and enjoyment of your laptop. So how can you check your battery cycle count to determine if you need a new one?

My name is Tyler, and I am a computer repair technician with over 10 years of experience. Throughout my career, I have seen and repaired countless Mac computer issues. One of my favorite aspects of this job is helping Mac users fix their computer problems and maximize their Mac’s potential.

In this post, I’ll explain what battery cycle count is and how to check it on your MacBook. We’ll also discuss some ways to can optimize your battery life.

What is Battery Cycle Count?

Each time you use your MacBook on battery power, it goes through a charge cycle. The battery cycle occurs every time your battery is fully discharged and recharged. However, this doesn’t necessarily happen every time you use the battery.

Batteries can only go through a limited number of cycles before their performance starts to decline. Once you reach your battery’s maximum cycle count, you should consider replacing your battery.

While your battery may still function once it reaches its maximum cycle count, you will get the best performance out of a new battery. You can check your cycle count on your MacBook to know if it is almost time to replace your battery.

So how do you find out how many cycles your battery has?

How to Check Your Battery Cycle Count

The easiest way to check your battery cycle count is through the System Information. To start, click the Apple Icon in the upper left corner of your screen and select About this Mac.

You’ll be greeted with your System Overview. Click on System Report to get to the battery information.

You’ll be greeted with a Window displaying all of the information about your Mac. Locate the Power option along the left side of the window. This will take you to the Battery Information screen. Here you can see your battery cycle count, as well as other details like capacity.

The Cycle Count on my MacBook Pro shows 523 and the Condition is: Normal.

How Many Cycles is a MacBook Battery Good For?

Your MacBook’s maximum cycle count is determined by how old it is. Older MacBooks are limited to 300 to 500 cycles. If you have a newer MacBook, such as one produced in the last 10 years, then your maximum cycle count is closer to 1000.

While it is possible for a MacBook’s battery to keep working once it has reached its maximum cycle count, it will hold much less charge. To top it all off, certain MacBook batteries are known to swell and expand if they are too old, causing potential damage to your computer.

To keep your MacBook healthy and to get the best battery life, you should replace it with a new battery before it reaches its maximum cycle count.

How to Monitor Your MacBook’s Battery

You can monitor your MacBook’s battery to stay on top of any issues. There are a few applications out there, such as CleanMyMac X, that are great for monitoring your battery life. CleanMyMac X has a battery monitor tray icon which gives you several details at a glance.

You can see your battery’s cycle count, estimated health, temperature, and time to charge. This is pretty handy to have at your fingertips to maximize your MacBook’s battery life.

How to find out your MacBook battery cycle count

The life expectancy of a notebook battery is mainly based on the battery cycle count. Once that battery cycle count has reached the limit set by the manufacturer, it is considered consumed. Although the laptop might still work, the battery life might deplete rapidly, which is a clear sign it is time to replace that battery. In this post, we will show you how to find out what your MacBook’s battery cycle count is.

How do you calculate a battery cycle?

A battery cycle count is calculated based on the use of all the battery’s power, but not necessarily on a single charge.

For example, if your MacBook is charged at 100% and you use 50% of your battery, then charge it back to 100%, then use another 50% of battery, it will equal to one battery cycle (50+50=100).

Likewise, if you use 20% of your battery, then charge it back to 100% five times, it will equal to one battery cycle (20+20+20+20+20=100).

ways to see MacBook battery cycle count and health

Here are four quick methods to know the cycle count of your portable Mac. It works for all MacBook models, like Pro, Air, etc.

1. See battery cycle in System Report

Click the  icon from the top left and choose About This Mac.
Click System Report.
From the left sidebar, click Power. Under Health Information, you’ll see the Cycle Count for your MacBook’s battery.

2. See battery health in System Preferences

In macOS Catalina and earlier, the battery options were tucked inside the Energy Saver menu in the System Preferences. Starting with macOS Big Sur, Energy Saver was replaced by a new Battery option in MacBook’s System Preferences which shows you the battery health. This doesn’t display the exact cycle count but gives you an idea of the battery condition. Here’s how to see it.

Open System Preferences on Mac running macOS Big Sur or later.
Click Battery.
From the left sidebar, select Battery.
Click Battery Health to know the battery condition. If it says Normal, you’re good to go. It will also display the current maximum capacity of your MacBook’s battery. My new MacBook is just 45 days old, and thus its max capacity is 100%. Over time, this will reduce.

3. Know your battery condition in the menu bar

If your MacBook is on macOS Catalina or earlier, click the battery icon in the menu bar while pressing the option key. It will show the battery condition. If all is well, it should say Normal. If not, it will say Service Recommended.

Once your battery degrades and needs to be replaced, simply clicking the battery icon will show the service message (no need to press the option key). The same message will also appear in System Preferences.

Define Battery Cycle Count for MacBooks

Try to get, how to define the number of cycles your Mac notebook’s battery has.

All story about battery cycles

Actually, when you use your Mac notebook, its battery goes through charge cycles. So, a charge cycle starts when you use all of the battery’s power – but that doesn’t necessarily mean just a single charge.

For instance, maybe you spend half of your notebook’s charge in one day, and then recharge it fully. If you did the same thing the other day, it would count as one charge cycle, not two. As a result, it may take more days to complete a cycle.

Consider that the batteries have a limited number of charge cycles before their performance is expected to finish. Once the cycle count has been reached, a replacement battery is suggested to maintain performance. You can use your battery after it has reached its maximum cycle count, but you might notice a reduction in your battery life.

It’s really important to know how many charge cycles your battery has, and how many are remained, this issue can help you control the exact time for replacing the battery. Your battery is designed to retain up to 80% of its original charge capacity at its maximum cycle count. The best performance, replace your battery when you reach its maximum cycle count.

Let’s check these steps to get all information about your Mac notebook battery, including its cycle count:

Hold the Option key and click the Apple Choose System Information.
Under the Hardware section of the System Information window, select Power. The current cycle count is listed under the Battery Information section.

Identify your computer

Cycle count limits are really different between Mac models. In order to identify your Mac notebook, use the Tech Specs page or these articles:

Identify your MacBook
Identify your MacBook Air
Identify your MacBook Pro

Cycle count limits

You can check the table below to see the cycle count limit for your computer’s battery. The battery is considered consumed once it reaches the limit.

Computer	Maximum Cycle Count
MacBook
MacBook (Retina, 12-inch, 2017) MacBook (Retina, 12-inch, Early 2016) MacBook (Retina, 12-inch, Early 2015) MacBook (13-inch, Mid 2010) MacBook (13-inch, Late 2009)	1000
MacBook (13-inch Aluminum, Late 2008)	500
MacBook (Mid 2009) MacBook (Early 2009) MacBook (Late 2008) MacBook (Early 2008) MacBook (Late 2007) MacBook (Mid 2007) MacBook (Late 2006) MacBook (13-inch)	300
MacBook Pro
MacBook Pro (13-inch, M1, 2020) MacBook Pro (13-inch, 2020, Two Thunderbolt 3 ports) MacBook Pro (13-inch, 2020, Four Thunderbolt 3 ports) MacBook Pro (16-inch, 2019) MacBook Pro (15-inch, 2019) MacBook Pro (13-inch, 2019, Four Thunderbolt 3 ports) MacBook Pro (13-inch, 2019, Two Thunderbolt 3 ports) MacBook Pro (15-inch, 2018) MacBook Pro (13-inch, 2018, Four Thunderbolt 3 ports) MacBook Pro (15-inch, 2017) MacBook Pro (13-inch, 2017, Four Thunderbolt 3 ports) MacBook Pro (13-inch, 2017, Two Thunderbolt 3 ports) MacBook Pro (15-inch, 2016) MacBook Pro (13-inch, 2016, Four Thunderbolt 3 ports) MacBook Pro (13-inch, 2016, Two Thunderbolt 3 ports) MacBook Pro (Retina, 13-inch, Early 2015) MacBook Pro (Retina, 13-inch, Mid 2014) MacBook Pro (Retina, 13-inch, Late 2013) MacBook Pro (Retina, 13-inch, Early 2013) MacBook Pro (Retina, 13-inch, Late 2012) MacBook Pro (13-inch, Mid 2012) MacBook Pro (13-inch, Late 2011) MacBook Pro (13-inch, Early 2011) MacBook Pro (13-inch, Mid 2010) MacBook Pro (13-inch, Mid 2009) MacBook Pro (Retina, 15-inch, Mid 2015) MacBook Pro (Retina, 15-inch, Mid 2014) MacBook Pro (Retina, 15-inch, Late 2013) MacBook Pro (Retina, 15-inch, Early 2013) MacBook Pro (Retina, Mid 2012) MacBook Pro (15-inch, Mid 2012) MacBook Pro (15-inch, Late 2011) MacBook Pro (15-inch, Early 2011) MacBook Pro (15-inch, Mid 2010) MacBook Pro (15-inch, 2.53 GHz, Mid 2009) MacBook Pro (15-inch Mid 2009) MacBook Pro (17-inch, Late 2011) MacBook Pro (17-inch, Early 2011) MacBook Pro (17-inch, Mid 2010) MacBook Pro (17-inch, Mid 2009) MacBook Pro (17-inch, Early 2009)	1000
MacBook Pro (15-inch Late 2008)	500
MacBook Pro (15-inch, Early 2008) MacBook Pro (15-inch, 2.4/2.2GHz) MacBook Pro (15-inch, Core 2 Duo) MacBook Pro (15-inch Glossy) MacBook Pro (15-inch) MacBook Pro (17-inch, Late 2008) MacBook Pro (17-inch, Early 2008) MacBook Pro (17-inch, 2.4GHz) MacBook Pro (17-inch Core 2 Duo) MacBook Pro (17-inch)	300
MacBook Air
MacBook Air (M1, 2020) MacBook Air (Retina, 13-inch, 2020) MacBook Air (Retina, 13-inch, 2019) MacBook Air (Retina, 13-inch, 2018) MacBook Air (13-inch, 2017) MacBook Air (11-inch, Early 2015) MacBook Air (11-inch, Early 2014) MacBook Air (11-inch, Mid 2013) MacBook Air (11-inch, Mid 2012) MacBook Air (11-inch, Mid 2011) MacBook Air (11-inch, Late 2010) MacBook Air (13-inch, Early 2015) MacBook Air (13-inch, Early 2014) MacBook Air (13-inch, Mid 2013) MacBook Air (13-inch, Mid 2012) MacBook Air (13-inch, Mid 2011) MacBook Air (13-inch, Late 2010)	1000
MacBook Air (Mid 2009)	500