[pulvinar]

I could swear my MacBook Air M3 was limiting at 80% charge before, but now it's at 100%. I suspect that the latest OS update, 15.6, disabled or removed whatever was limiting it, but I don't remember what that was.

It doesn't look like I had installed this "battery" command. It might have been AlDente, but I don't find that anywhere either.

A puzzler.

[catgirlinspace]

Could’ve been the built in optimized battery charging where it stays at 80% until about when it think it’ll be needed (based off of previous usage on battery tmk, but i wouldn’t be surprised if it also looks at the native calendar app or something too) at which point it charges to 100%. Apple has been doing it for years on iPhones and i think it was introduced on Mac when Apple silicon happened.

For me my MacBook stays at 80% through the evening and night before charging to 100% in the morning when I typically unplug it and put it in my bag. If you open the battery thing in the menu bar it shows when it’s doing this, the time it’s scheduled to be finished charging by, and has a little button to charge to 100% immediately.

[Reason077]

macOS has a built in "smart" battery management feature ("Optimize battery charging" in system settings -> battery -> battery health) that limits charging to 80% during times when it expects you to have the MacBook plugged in, but charges automatically to 100% when it thinks you'll be using battery power.

It's unreliable, however, especially if you don't have your MacBook plugged in on a fixed schedule every day.

It's good that there are more third-party tools to work around this long-standing macOS deficiency. I've been using another one, called "Battery Toolkit", which has been working well.

[cnst]

macOS is unreliable period; mine gets charged to 100% immediately after a power outage of any kind, e.g., re-arranging the monitor/laptop, or an actual power outage.

Obviously, it'd be nice if it knew of power outages upfront, but charging to 100% after one, is kinda pointless.

Then it stays at 100% for several days, until discharging to 80% several days later.

It's supposed to be smart, but instead it causes the user to alter their own behaviour, e.g., not disconnect the USB-C when rearranging the desk, even if disconnecting would be far more convenient when doing a cleanup or re-arranging furniture.

I miss the time when Apple used to give you choices…

[v5v3]

As said, latest OS does have a smart 80% limit built in. It's hard to find though (have to click the i for information in battery section).

[wslh]

I have a MacBook M1 Max that I mainly use as a desktop, and it seems to automatically limit the charge from time to time. It is connected to a Caldigit TS4 Thunderbolt Dock, and charging via USB-C. I don't think this make any difference but giving the detail for more information about the setup.

[Someone]

Apple claims Optimized Battery Charging “will delay charging past 80% in certain situations” (https://support.apple.com/en-us/102338)

That page also says “On Mac computers with Apple silicon or the T2 security chip, Optimized Battery Charging is on by default when you set up your Mac or after updating to macOS Big Sur or later.”

Maybe, you or a system update switched off that setting? Alternatively, the logic behind that setting may have ‘decided’ that you need 100% charge now (I think this setting isn’t just a “limit charging to 80%” flag, but tries to predict future power demands)