Mac notebooks: Determining battery cycle count
Summary
For computers with Mac OS X v10.4.x or later, use the steps in this article to determine the cycles on your Mac notebook's battery.
Products Affected
Use of your Mac notebooks computer battery accrues in the form of "charge cycles." You may use your battery after it reaches its maximum cycle count, but you may notice a reduction in your battery life. Knowing how many charge cycles are on your battery and how many are left can help you determine when a battery replacement is required. For optimal performance, replace your battery when the maximum cycle count is reached.
Follow these steps to access information on your Apple computer's battery, including the cycle count:
- Your first step will vary depending on which version of Mac OS X you are using:
- Mac OS X 10.6.8 Snow Leopard or earlier: Open Apple System Profiler by choosing About this Mac from the Apple () menu. Then, click More Info.
- OS X 10.7 Lion or later: Open System Information by choosing About this Mac from the Apple () menu. Then, in the About This Mac window click System Report.
- Click Power in the Contents list (under the Hardware section as shown below).
- Cycle Count is listed under the Battery Information section.
The example above shows Battery Information as listed under System Profiler on Mac OS X v10.6 Snow Leopard on a MacBook Pro. The battery here has six cycles on it.
About Battery Cycles
A charge cycle means using all of the battery’s power, but that doesn’t necessarily mean a single charge. For instance, you could use your notebook for an hour or more one day, using half its power, and then recharge it fully. If you did the same thing the next day, it would count as one charge cycle, not two, so it may take several days to complete a cycle.
Batteries have a limited amount of cycles before they are considered to be consumed. Once consumed, a replacement battery is recommended. This is because battery life and overall system performance can be greatly affected after a battery is consumed.
The cycle count limit will vary based on your Apple computer. For assistance identifying your Mac notebook, use the Tech Specs page or the linked articles below for assistance:
Consult the table below to see the maximum cycle count for your computer's battery before it is considered consumed:
| Computer | Maximum Cycle Count |
| MacBook | |
| MacBook (13-inch, Mid 2010) MacBook (13-inch, Late 2009) |
1000 |
| MacBook (13-inch Aluminum, Late 2008) | 500 |
| MacBook (Mid 2009) MacBook (Early 2009) MacBook (Late 2008) MacBook (Early 2008) MacBook (Late 2007) MacBook (Mid 2007) MacBook (Late 2006) MacBook (13-inch) |
300 |
| MacBook Pro | |
|
MacBook Pro (Retina, 13-inch, Early, 2013) MacBook Pro (Retina, 15-inch, Early, 2013) MacBook Pro (17-inch, Late 2011) |
1000 |
| MacBook Pro (15-inch Late 2008) | 500 |
| MacBook Pro (15-inch, Early 2008) MacBook Pro (15-inch, 2.4/2.2GHz) MacBook Pro (15-inch, Core 2 Duo) MacBook Pro (15-inch Glossy) MacBook Pro (15-inch) MacBook Pro (17-inch, Late 2008) MacBook Pro (17-inch, Early 2008) MacBook Pro (17-inch, 2.4GHz) MacBook Pro (17-inch Core 2 Duo) MacBook Pro (17-inch) |
300 |
| MacBook Air | |
|
MacBook Air (11-inch, Mid 2012) MacBook Air (13-inch, Mid 2012) |
1000 |
| MacBook Air (Mid 2009) | 500 |
| MacBook Air (Late 2008) MacBook Air |
300 |
| PowerBook | |
| All PowerBook G4 12" 15" and 17" computers | 300 |
| iBook | |
| All iBook G4 12" and 14" computers | 300 |
Additional Information
- For more information on batteries consult http://www.apple.com/batteries.
- For information on battery terminology refer to Mac notebooks: Battery terminology and key concepts.
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