How to check MacBook battery health and cycle count
Updated 15 November 2026
macOS shows three numbers that tell you how worn a MacBook battery is: its condition, its maximum capacity and its cycle count. Here is where to find each.
Battery health and maximum capacity
Open System Settings › Battery and click the ⓘ next to Battery Health. You'll see the condition (“Normal” or “Service Recommended”) and, on recent Macs, the Maximum Capacity: how much charge the battery holds now compared with when it was new.
Cycle count
Hold Option, open the Apple menu and choose System Information. Under Hardware › Power, find Cycle Count. One cycle is 100% of charge used, in any number of pieces: using 50% today and 50% tomorrow is one cycle.
Or in Terminal:
system_profiler SPPowerDataType | grep -E "Cycle Count|Condition|Maximum Capacity"What the numbers mean
- Cycle count: Apple lists the maximum cycle count by model; many recent MacBooks are rated for 1,000 cycles, but older models vary. Passing the listed count does not stop the battery from working. Find your model in Apple's cycle-count table.
- Maximum capacity: Apple designs a battery to retain up to 80% of its original capacity at its maximum cycle count. A lower reading means less charge than when new; consider the condition reported by macOS and your actual runtime too.
- Service Recommended: the battery still works but holds much less than new. Apple or an authorised provider can replace it.
How to keep the battery healthy longer
- Leave Optimized Battery Charging on (System Settings › Battery › Battery Health › ⓘ), and on recent macOS versions, use the charge limit there if the Mac lives on the charger.
- Avoid heat: don't charge in direct sun or on a soft surface.
- Don't store it at 0% or 100% for weeks; around half is best for storage.
Is my battery ageing faster than it should?
A single reading can't say. What tells you is the trend: how fast maximum capacity falls per month and per cycle, compared with what's usual for that MacBook model.
Quick answers
How do I check my MacBook battery health?
Open System Settings › Battery and click the info button next to Battery Health. It shows the condition and, on recent Macs, the maximum capacity compared with new.
What is a good maximum capacity for a MacBook battery?
Apple designs MacBook batteries to keep up to 80% of their original capacity at their rated cycle count. Above 80% is in that range; lower means noticeably shorter battery life.
How many cycles does a MacBook battery last?
Many recent MacBooks are rated for 1,000 cycles; older models vary. Apple's cycle-count table lists each model, and the battery keeps working after that number.