No matter what MacBook pro you purchased from the 2015 mid range model to the newer M1 chip MacBook you want to preserve it’s battery as long as possible, if you might be thinking when you should charge your new powerful machine?
I will explain everything you need to know.
Apple recommends you charge their laptop first before using it. That is because they always ship MacBook with low power which may not be enough battery for the MacBook setup. You can charge your new MacBook whenever you want.
It doesn’t really matter when you charge your new MacBook but it’s nice to charge it before you use it, just to get it to 100% charge.
Keep reading to know how long you should charge your MacBook for the first time, and if you should charge your MacBook first before use.
For a complete guide on how to charge your MacBook correctly, you can read my post.
How Long Should I Charge My MacBook For The First Time?
A new Mac Pro should take around two hours to get fully charged from zero to a hundred percent. This charging period is for an uninterrupted battery.
MacBook’s Lithium batteries first reach 80% mark in most cases then slowly fill to 100% within the two-hour mark. This 20% gradual powering is known as trickle charging. The trickle charge is a safe measure for batteries not to overcharge.
I will tell you how to optimize charging in less than two hours, but if your MacBook battery gets damaged it will not hold a charge effectively, to see the signs of your battery becoming damaged and how to fix it check out my article.
Step-By-Step Process Of How To Properly Charge A MacBook
- Open your laptop and navigate to Apple system preferences
- Choose the battery option in the system preferences and open it
- identify the battery setting you see and check the ‘optimized battery charging option.
- then check on the battery health in the screen’s bottom-right. There you should learn your battery health status if a popup appears.
- you may also tick the ‘manage battery longevity.’ This optimizes the battery peak capacity that extends the battery’s self-life.
You can also do the following things to improve your charging rate.
- Reduce the battery display brightness
- Open your task manager and close all the running apps
- Keep your computer in sleep if you are not using it
- Connect your laptop to an extension or socket with a higher power voltage.
If you wish to know how Apple instructs its MacBook users in charging their device, consider clicking here for a handy guide.
Should You Charge Your MacBook Pro Before Its First Use?
It is not a must you charge a MacBook Pro, but Apple recommends you to charge it because use and it will keep the battery healthy. Apple’s Lithium batteries become weak if you allow them to have no battery.
It is is worth charging your MacBook pro before using due to the following reasons:
1.The Battery Has Insufficient Power
If the computer does not have sufficient power for the setting up of programs, consider charging it. You never know, you could forget that the power is draining and all of your work would disappear when the machine goes off.
2. To Test the Battery’s Charging Rate.
You could use a stopwatch and wait for the battery to become fully charged. That will help you access the time the computer takes to become full. If that time is long and does not match the manufacturer’s charging rate, you may return the laptop for a checkup.
3.To See The Quality Of Your Extensions Or Sockets
Before using your computer, you may want to know if your electrical sources are in the proper condition. Therefore, you should charge the computer and assess its charging rate. If the computers seem okay but it’s powering slowly, perhaps there is a problem with your socket.
Curious if your Apple warranty will cover your MacBook? To learn the different Apple repair pricing tiers Apple see my blog post.
4.When You Want To Know If The Battery Is Genuine.
Whether mistakenly or intentionally, the computer could be packed with a faulty battery. Or, you might have bought a fake laptop from a third-party seller like eBay or Amazon. You can find this out when you charge the machine first and access its charging rate. If the battery does not charge like it should be you have a problem.
Moreover, if you notice your computers vibrating while plugged in, the battery could also have a problem. As a result, you might consider returning the laptop for a checkup before the warrant expires.
Apples M1 MacBooks(Amazon)are known to have an insane 17-20 hours of battery life so if you have a new M1 MacBook or Air and it battery is depleting way faster than 17-20 hours you have an issue.
5.To Keep Batteries Healthy
If you let you allow your battery to run out and then recharge it, you may weaken the battery’s life. The worst comes when the battery goes beyond zero and you leave it that way. That would take time to jumpstart the computer, and it weakens the battery.
To see if a dead battery slows damage and damages your computer check out my article.
Although you , don’t need to charge the battery due to these reasons:
1.It Has Sufficient Power
If the MacBook Pro comes with a 50% or a nearly total battery capacity, you might be wasting time trying to charge it or keeping it for 8 hours as conventional batteries require. Since the battery has an intelligent optimizing technology, it will manage the power for your sake.
2. Mac’s Battery Cannot Damage if Discharged.
MacBook batteries are made of Li-ion or Li-Po batteries that have a battery management system. This system will intelligently balance your tasks and power usage. In other words, the MacBook battery has a technology that prevents them from getting damaged if not fully charged.
3. To Test The Discharging Rate.
It’s good to test whether Apple sold you a standard laptop by checking on its discharging rate. Hence, let the battery drain naturally. If the computer discharges faster, then its battery could be faulty.
To see more info about Apples Lithium-ion batteries check out their article.
4. To Enable The Machine To Learn Your Usage Behaviour
If you charge the battery first before using it, the computer will not learn your charging patterns. Hence, you should use the battery without charging and let it drain. With time you will realize that the computer will master the programs that consume your computer and optimize their power- consumption automatically.
Overall, it is good to use your device when charging it for the first time. Please do not wait for it to discharge to zero and leave it that way. That may weaken the lithium battery of your MacBook. Always consider the following practices to keep your battery healthy.