First introduced in 2008, MacBook Air is one of the earliest devices from Apple. The device has been upgraded with each generation, making it more advanced with each update. The modern MacBook Air has unique features that make it one of the best to use.
So, how long do MacBook Air batteries last? The battery life of a MacBook Air depends on several factors such as usage, age of the battery, and environmental conditions. On average, a MacBook Air battery can last up to 10-12 hours on a single charge, depending on the model and usage.
Newer MacBook Air models have longer battery life compared to older models due to advancements in battery technology. For instance, the 2020 MacBook Air can last up to 12 hours of web browsing or up to 11 hours of video playback on a single charge.
However, it is important to note that battery life can vary based on the applications and tasks being run on the MacBook Air. Resource-intensive tasks like video editing, gaming, and other demanding applications can drain the battery more quickly than simpler tasks like web browsing or word processing.
Over time, the battery life of a MacBook Air can also degrade due to normal wear and tear. If you notice that your MacBook Air’s battery is not holding a charge for as long as it used to, it may be a sign that the battery needs to be replaced.
Intensive applications, heavy background processes and poorly maintained batteries will reduce the time the batteries last. As well as how the batteries are charged, especially if they are charged when they are nearly out of charge.
MacBook Air batteries can last up to five years on average with moderate use. After that, you will have to replace them for the better functioning of your MacBook Air. If you calibrate the device’s battery monthly, it can last a few years longer.
You should also store the battery charge at 50% and keep it lasting for longer than 72 hours after every charge. On average, a single charge of the MacBook Air battery lasts for about 5-8 hours on average.
If you own a MacBook Air, you know how convenient and reliable it is. The device is one of the oldest and yet so reliable series from Apple. Given its prominence, users wonder how long its batteries can last.
The MacBook Air battery will last for five years on average use. After this period, you will have to replace it for the device to function efficiently. However, the battery can last a little bit longer than that if you calibrate it monthly and store it at a 50% charge.
A fully charged MacBook Air battery will keep the device running for several hours depending on how you use it. It is crucial to know the crucial details about the MacBook Air battery to avoid misusing it. Besides, you should know some of the factors that affect its functioning and the signs that you need to replace it.
As mentioned earlier, a typical MacBook Air battery will last for about five years and then start having problems holding charge. After three to four years, you are likely to have the device connected to a charger most of the time.
At this age, the battery will be in its sunset years and will not be able to hold a charge for long. However, this might not be the case for those who calibrate their battery consistently. But how does calibrating a MacBook Air battery help prolong its lifespan?
Calibrating the battery helps prevent a swollen battery from being plugged in all the time. This will help it last for more years. Therefore, as a MacBook Air user, you need to be cautious about its battery and how to calibrate it.
On average, a MacBook Air battery lasts seven hours per single charge. This is the case if you don’t use your device for an extended period daily. If you use the MacBook Air for 3½ hours a day, its battery could drop to 4-6 hours per charge.
The type of tasks you subject your device to will also influence how long the battery lasts. For instance, tasks that need high processing speeds like live streaming could cause quick battery drainage. If you feel that your MacBook Air battery has done its job and can no longer perform efficiently, you should replace it.
The tricky part is that Apple has made the batteries on both MacBook Air and MacBook Pro hard and expensive to replace. This is aimed to prevent third party parts and repairs. Therefore, if you want to replace your worn-out MacBook Air battery, you will have to go back to Apple.
Avoid going to the nearest repair shop because you might get an unauthorized accessory that won’t work on your MacBook Air. If there is no Apple shop near you, you can try contacting them online and seek their guidance. By doing so, you avoid getting into trouble with your MacBook Air.
Newer MacBook Airs are designed and built in a way that prevents you from examining them. If you want to examine them, you will need special glue and specific tools to crack them open. This design has made it almost impossible for users to replace MacBook Air batteries by themselves.
Most of them decide to replace their devices rather than replace the battery. Thankfully, this doesn’t have to be the case because getting a new MacBook Air can be costly. If you want to replace the battery, you can take it to any Apple store.
They know how to replace the battery and will get the job done in the shortest time possible. Remember that your MacBook Air battery lasts depends on how you use it. If you use the device only for Netflix and YouTube, the battery won’t run out quickly.
The MacBook Air battery has a high storage capacity that makes it able to keep the charge for a long time. A typical MacBook Air battery has a 70-watt-hour battery that enables it to keep the charge for long.
This design helps it take the power up to the FAA limit of 100Wh. Keep in mind that the MacBook Air has a 58.2 Whr battery. This is quite a large storage capacity that keeps the device running for a long time. Besides, the Intel-based MacBook Air also has a 100Wh battery that gives long hours of usage.
Even though Apple has quoted that the MacBook Air has an 11-hour battery life, it only provides about seven hours of it. Depending on the kind of task you subject the device to, its battery life can be less or more than seven hours.
Those that use the MacBook Air for gaming will agree that the device is not a great fit for such tasks. This is because gaming will drain the MacBook Air battery at a fast rate.
Why Is My MacBook Air Battery Draining So Quickly?
The MacBook Air has one of the most sophisticated features. It has a high processing speed that makes it efficiently execute tasks. However, sometimes, its battery can drain quickly, especially after extended use.
There are several reasons why a MacBook Air battery may be draining quickly:
- Resource-intensive applications: Running applications that require a lot of processing power can cause your MacBook Air’s battery to drain more quickly. Applications like video editing software, gaming, and other demanding apps can be particularly taxing on your battery.
- Brightness settings: Keeping the display brightness at a high level can also cause the battery to drain more quickly. Lowering the brightness setting can help conserve battery life.
- Background processes: Some applications may continue to run in the background even when you’re not actively using them, which can drain the battery. Check your Activity Monitor to see if there are any processes or applications running in the background that you can close.
- Wi-Fi and Bluetooth: Leaving Wi-Fi and Bluetooth turned on when you’re not using them can drain the battery. Turning them off when not in use can help conserve battery life.
- Battery health: Over time, your MacBook Air’s battery may degrade, which can cause it to drain more quickly than before. Check your battery health in the System Information app to see if it may be time to replace the battery.
By identifying and addressing these issues, you can help extend the battery life of your MacBook Air and prevent it from draining quickly.
The MacBook Air battery can drain quickly due to some of the unused apps running in the background. When there are plenty of unused apps running in the background, your MacBook Air battery is likely to drain quickly. For better durability, you should disable some functionalities like Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, external USB, and camera.
Apart from apps running in the background, many other factors can make the MacBook Air battery drain quickly. As a MacBook user, it is vital to know some of these causes to prevent them from happening. You should also know the signs that show your device is consuming power at a high rate.
As you complete your MacBook Air’s initial setup, it might consume more power than usual. MacBook apps are highly sophisticated and tend to consume more power. If several apps are running concurrently on your MacBook Air, it will consume battery charge at a high rate.
It will drain fast and leave your device needing another round of charging. What some users don’t know is that the MacBook Air battery can also drain quickly after a software upgrade.
If the device starts draining power at a quicker rate after a software update to the macOS 10.14, it is likely a result of default settings. Thankfully, there is a way you can fix this problem. For starters, identify what is causing the battery to drain.
To fix this problem, click on the battery icon located at the top right corner of your screen and proceed to run the MacBook Air’s activity monitor app. This will identify the cause of quick battery drainage and give you a chance to fix it. You will also find out the apps that consume a lot of charges and regulate them.
It is helpful to know the average battery life of your MacBook Air. To do so, you should run your Mac Air for a considerable amount of time without settings and functions like keyboard light, active Bluetooth, and glistening screen brightness.
It is also possible to configure some functionalities such as the automated backdrop to only run when you have connected the device to a power source. This setting will help you know the average lifespan of your battery and what settings work best for it.
As mentioned earlier, running a higher version of the macOS can drain its battery faster than usual. This is the reason why upgrading the macOS version of your MacBook Air will cause the battery to drain quickly.
Every MacBook Air update released by Apple is designed to make your device a better machine. The updates are meant and designed to optimize your MacBook Air to use power efficiently and fix bugs that might disrupt its functioning.
Besides, newer versions of the macOS are better optimized for newer MacBook models. New MacBook Airs have longer battery life and can adapt to new macOS versions without suffering quicker battery drainage.
If you believe that your MacBook Air is draining its battery charge quicker than it should, you should update the macOS to the latest version. This will optimize its battery usage and help it remain active for longer hours.
Background programs on your MacBook Air could also be draining power. Programs running in the MacBook Air’s background are often a major reason why your computer drains its battery so quickly. As much as most of these programs are just running idle in the background, they tend to use a lot of battery charge.
Therefore, it is vital to cut down on these background processes and keep the device running efficiently. When you turn down all the apps you are not using on your device, you are likely to double its battery life. Avoid using too many apps at the same time, especially those that demand a high processing speed.
Not updating the MacBook Air applications could also make it drain the battery at a quicker rate. Just like running older versions of macOS, running older versions of different apps will increase battery drainage.
Generally, older versions of apps are not efficient or optimized at using the available power. Therefore, you should update all your apps whenever there is a new update. You will get a notification when apps need an update. Updating them on time will go a long way in increasing the battery times on your device. You should also ensure all apps are running optimally.
Can You Overcharge the MacBook Air?
The MacBook Air has a reliable battery life that makes it efficient in its operations. Along with its high processing speed and durable battery, the MacBook Air is one of the most popular devices from Apple. MacBook Air users wonder if you can overcharge it.
You cannot overcharge a MacBook Air. Apple laptops, including the MacBook Air, are designed with advanced battery management technology that prevents overcharging. When the battery reaches its full capacity, the charging process stops automatically.
In fact, it is a good practice to keep your MacBook Air plugged in whenever possible to ensure that it has a full charge when you need it. Lithium-ion batteries, which are used in MacBook Air, work best when they are kept charged between 20% and 80%. Keeping your MacBook Air charged within this range can help extend the battery life and prevent premature battery degradation.
However, it is important to note that leaving your MacBook Air plugged in all the time may cause the battery to degrade over time. If you’re going to store your MacBook Air for an extended period, it is recommended to store it with the battery at around 50% charge. This can help prevent the battery from losing capacity while it’s not in use.
It is not possible to overcharge your MacBook Air battery by leaving it plugged in. In fact, the MacBook Air battery won’t overheat or get damaged if you leave it plugged in all the time. Therefore, you don’t have to worry about overcharging your device or experiencing such defects. However, this doesn’t mean that you should leave the device plugged in all the time.
For instance, if you notice that the battery is bulging, it is time to have a critical look at it. Bulging is a sign of a serious problem that could result in harm. If possible, you should tell Apple immediately after you notice such signs.
Thanks to the optimized charging feature on MacBook Air, it won’t overcharge even if you leave it connected. Instead, it will only take in the required amount of battery charge and once it has fully charged, it will automatically disconnect. This prevents the risk of overcharging or damaging other parts of the device.
Nonetheless, you shouldn’t leave your machine on the charger all the time. Ideally, you would want to run the cell down to 40% before charging it back up to 80%. This move ensures that the battery won’t go up to levels that can cause overheating.
Summary
MacBook Air batteries are one of the most reliable in the MacBook series. On average, these batteries can last up to five years. They could last longer or shorter than that depending on how you use them. Keep in mind that calibrated batteries tend to last longer than the standard five years.
After the batteries are worn-out, you will have to replace them. The MacBook Air battery can drain so quickly due to many apps running in the background. Therefore, you are encouraged to stop them from running to guarantee a longer battery life.
