Here’s how you can find out the battery cycle count of your MacBook Pro or MacBook Air laptop.
Find Out Your MacBook Pro and MacBook Air Cycle Count for a Better Glimpse of Battery Health
If you’re planning to buy a used MacBook Air or MacBook Pro, knowing the battery cycle count is an important thing.
Using the number, you can find out how much life the laptop has left in it if you plan to take it on the road. Too many cycle counts simply mean it needs replacement, or it may not give you the advertised battery life when unplugged.
However, a low cycle count doesn’t mean the battery isn’t in great condition either.
If you keep your MacBook Pro or MacBook Air plugged in all the time, it’s actually not great for the battery. That’s why apps like AlDente exist to help manage wear and tear of the battery over a long period of time.
A battery that is plugged in all the time and kept at 100% is slowly being damaged. In short, batteries love to be used all the time.
The best practice is to keep the battery level between 20% and 80%. Or, if you care way too much, drain it to 70% and charge it to 80% from time to time.
Anyway, if you want to know the cycle count on your MacBook Pro or MacBook Air, here’s what you need to do.
Step 1. Click on the ‘Apple’ logo in the menu bar at the top left corner of the display.
Step 2. Now click on ‘About This Mac.’
Step 3. Click on ‘More Info’ at the bottom.
Step 4. Scroll down and click on ‘System Report.’
Step 5. You’ll see a bunch of information here. On the left hand side, click on ‘Power.’
Step 6. On the right find the ‘Health Information’ section. It’s at the very top, and you’ll find the battery health and cycle count underneath it.
Batteries are constantly improving over time. We are at a point where a battery will hold up to 80% of its health at 1,000 cycles. That is a huge improvement.
A battery that has close to 500 cycles is usually ready to be replaced. But again, it also depends on how the battery has been used.
A battery that’s three years old with just 50 cycles counts is a red flag too.
It’s best to search online and see what type of battery your MacBook Pro or MacBook Air model is using, and how much battery cycle count is considered good or bad.
