How much power does my MacBook use?

Updated 15 November 2026

A MacBook's power use moves all the time: a few watts while reading, many times that during a video call or a build. Here is how to see the charger side on your own Mac, and what the numbers mean.

Typical power use

It depends on the model, the screen brightness and the work. Light work on an Apple silicon MacBook draws only a few watts; video calls, exports and games can draw several times more, and larger, brighter screens cost more. The battery's capacity in watt-hours divided by the draw gives the hours left: a battery of about 50–100 Wh lasts a long day at low draw and a few hours under heavy load.

See your charger's wattage

Hold Option, open the Apple menu and choose System Information. Under Hardware › Power, AC Charger Information shows whether a charger is connected and its Wattage (W). Or in Terminal:

system_profiler SPPowerDataType | grep -A8 "AC Charger Information"

To see the charge level and whether the Mac is drawing from the battery or the charger:

pmset -g batt

Is my charger strong enough?

A charger weaker than the one Apple ships for your model still works, but charges slowly, and under heavy load the battery can keep falling while plugged in.
Phone chargers and many USB ports provide too little power to charge a MacBook in use.
Cables matter too: a cable not rated for the power limits what the charger can deliver.
Apple lists the right adapter for each model: use the right power adapter with your Mac.

Why it says “Not Charging” while plugged in

Often that's on purpose: Optimized Battery Charging, a charge limit or heat can pause charging. A weak charger under load is the other common cause.

What one reading can't tell you

Power use changes from second to second, so one reading says little. What helps is a record: how many watts this Mac draws on a usual day, and which hours or apps pushed it higher.

Quick answers

How many watts does a MacBook use?

It varies with the model and the work: light use on an Apple silicon MacBook draws only a few watts, while video calls, exports and games can draw several times more.

How do I check my charger's wattage on a Mac?

Hold Option, open the Apple menu, choose System Information, then Hardware › Power. AC Charger Information shows the charger's wattage.

Can I charge a MacBook with a lower-watt charger?

Yes, but it charges slowly, and under heavy use the battery can keep falling while plugged in.