As your Macbook gets older the battery will start to diminish and the capacity to hold charge will become less. The number of battery cycles your Macbook has will also determine how quickly this happens.
If you are buying a second-hand Macbook then you will want to know How to Check Battery Cycles on Macbook. Along with How to Find MacBook Model Year so you know you won’t be buying something with an old and diminishing battery.
- In the top left-hand corner click the Apple Menu ()
- With the menu open hold down the Option (⌥) key
- Click “System Information“
- From system information select “Power” from the ‘Hardware” section on the left-hand side
- Within the Battery Information section, the “Cycle Count” will display the cycles
It is not always easy following along with a how-to with a simple list. So I have the how-to with pictures and, if you look below, even video instructions.
How to Determine Battery Cycle Count for MacBook
While the battery will diminish with extra charges and age that doesn’t mean your MacBook will be for the scrap heap. But more on that below but first let’s see how to check the cycle count:
Step 1. In the top left-hand corner click the Apple Menu ()
Step 2. With the menu open hold down the Option (⌥) key
Step 3. Click “System Information“
Step 4. From system information select “Power” from the ‘Hardware” section on the left-hand side
Step 5. Within the Battery Information section, the “Cycle Count” will display the cycles
If you look at the picture below you can see my MacBook has had 88 cycles
How Many Cycles Is a Mac Battery Good For?
MacBooks are good for 1000 cycles this doesn’t mean they will stop working from this point on. However, the battery will deteriorate from this point and will start to lose its charge quicker.
With this said all Macbooks are all different in cycle counts so you will want to head over to the Apple website to see how many cycles your Mac is good for.
How to Check Your Mac’s Battery Cycles Video
If you are someone who prefers video then I have you covered with this simple-to-follow video on How to Check Your Mac’s Battery Cycles
