Apple Brings iPhone-Style Battery Preservation to MacBooks with New Charge Limit Feature

Apple is bringing a familiar iPhone feature to its MacBook lineup, giving users more control over battery health than ever before. The company has introduced a new Charge Limit option in the latest macOS Tahoe 26.4 beta, allowing MacBook owners to manually cap their device’s charging capacity between 80 and 100 percent. This move mirrors the long-standing battery preservation feature found on iPhones, which prevents devices from charging to full capacity to reduce long-term battery wear.

Why Battery Charge Limiting Matters

Lithium-ion batteries, the power source behind virtually all modern laptops and smartphones, degrade over time—especially when kept at or near 100 percent charge for extended periods. Apple’s new Charge Limit feature directly addresses this issue by letting users set a maximum charge threshold. Once enabled, the MacBook will stop charging once it hits the selected percentage, rather than continuing to “trickle charge” to full capacity.

This is particularly useful for users who keep their MacBooks plugged in for most of the day, such as those using their devices as desktop replacements. Constantly charging to 100 percent can accelerate battery degradation, reducing the overall lifespan of the device. By capping the charge at 80 or 90 percent, users can significantly slow this process.

How It Works

The Charge Limit setting is accessible through the System Settings app under the Battery section. Users can adjust the limit using a simple slider, choosing any value between 80 and 100 percent. This gives a flexible, user-driven approach to battery management, as opposed to the more automated Optimized Battery Charging feature already available on Macs.

Optimized Battery Charging learns your daily charging patterns and delays charging past 80 percent until it predicts you’ll need the device. However, it’s reactive and based on usage habits. The new Charge Limit, on the other hand, acts as a hard cap—once your MacBook hits the set percentage, charging stops entirely, regardless of your routine.

A Long-Awaited Feature for Mac Users

Battery health management has been a part of macOS for several years, but until now, Mac users haven’t had a straightforward way to enforce a strict upper charging limit. This new feature fills that gap, offering a level of control that was previously reserved for iPhone users.

For developers and public beta testers running macOS Tahoe 26.4, the feature is already available to experiment with. Apple is expected to roll it out to all users when the update reaches the stable channel, likely later this year.

The Bigger Picture: Apple’s Battery Health Strategy

Apple’s introduction of Charge Limit to MacBooks is part of a broader strategy to extend the lifespan of its devices. By giving users more tools to manage battery health, Apple not only improves the user experience but also aligns with growing consumer demand for sustainable, long-lasting technology.

This move also reflects a shift in how we think about device maintenance. Rather than relying solely on software optimizations, users now have the power to make proactive decisions about their hardware’s longevity. It’s a small change that could have a big impact, especially for professionals and power users who depend on their MacBooks day in and day out.

What This Means for You

If you’re someone who keeps your MacBook plugged in most of the time, enabling the Charge Limit feature could help preserve your battery’s health over the long term. Setting a cap at 80 or 90 percent might mean slightly less runtime on a full charge, but it could also mean your battery holds more of its original capacity for years to come.

For those who occasionally need maximum battery life—say, before a long flight or a day out of the office—the feature is easy to disable temporarily. This flexibility makes it a practical addition for a wide range of users.

Tags: Apple, MacBook, macOS, battery health, charge limit, Optimized Battery Charging, lithium-ion battery, device longevity, sustainable tech, power management

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