macOS Sonoma Optimizes Latest 13-Inch MacBook Air's Battery Health

macOS Sonoma better optimizes the long-term battery health of the 13-inch MacBook Air with the M2 chip, according to Apple's release notes for the software update.

macbook air spacegray purple battery
"Battery health management updated on 13-inch MacBook Air with M2 chip to better optimize long term battery health," the release notes state.

Apple does not provide any additional details about the exact optimizations that it made, nor have there been any widespread battery health complaints from customers who own this 13-inch MacBook Air model, released in July 2022. Battery health information can be found by opening the System Settings app and clicking on Battery.

In a support document, Apple explains how the battery health management feature works:

Battery health management is designed to improve your battery's lifespan by reducing the rate at which it chemically ages. The feature does this by monitoring your battery's temperature history and its charging patterns.

Based on the measurements that it collects, battery health management may temporarily reduce your battery's maximum charge. This happens as needed to ensure that your battery charges to a level that's optimized for your usage—reducing wear on the battery, and slowing its chemical aging.

macOS Sonoma is set to be released today following over three months of beta testing, with key new features including interactive desktop widgets, a Game Mode, the ability to add websites to the Dock as web apps, several Safari improvements, and more. We previously shared a list of Macs compatible with the update.

Related Roundup: MacBook Air
Related Forums: MacBook Air, macOS Sonoma

Popular Stories

airtag purple

AirTag 2 Rumored to Launch Next Year With These New Features

Sunday November 17, 2024 5:18 am PST by
Apple released the AirTag in April 2021, so it is now three over and a half years old. While the AirTag has not received any hardware updates since then, a new version of the item tracking accessory is rumored to be in development. Below, we recap rumors about a second-generation AirTag. Timing Apple is aiming to release a new AirTag in mid-2025, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman....
Magic Mouse Next to Keyboard

No, Apple CEO Tim Cook Didn't Say He Prefers Logitech's MX Master 3 Over the Magic Mouse

Sunday November 17, 2024 3:03 pm PST by
While the Logitech MX Master 3 is a terrific mouse for the Mac, reports claiming that Apple CEO Tim Cook prefers that mouse over the Magic Mouse are false. The Wall Street Journal last month published an interview with Cook, in which he said he uses every Apple product every day. Soon after, The Verge's Wes Davis attempted to replicate using every Apple product in a single day. During that...
New Things Your iPhone Can Do in iOS 18

18 New Things Your iPhone Can Do in iOS 18.2

Wednesday November 13, 2024 2:09 am PST by
Apple is set to release iOS 18.2 next month, bringing the second round of Apple Intelligence features to iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 models. This update brings several major advancements to Apple's AI integration, including completely new image generation tools and a range of Visual Intelligence-based enhancements. There are a handful of new non-AI related feature controls incoming as well....
iPhone 17 Slim Feature Single Camera 1 Redux

'iPhone 17 Air' Rumored to Surpass iPhone 6 as Thinnest iPhone Ever

Monday November 18, 2024 1:07 pm PST by
In a research note with Hong Kong-based investment bank Haitong today, obtained by MacRumors, Apple analyst Jeff Pu said he agrees with a recent rumor claiming that the so-called "iPhone 17 Air" will be around 6mm thick. "We agreed with the recent chatter of an 6mm thickness ultra-slim design of the iPhone 17 Slim model," he wrote. If that measurement proves to be accurate, there would be ...
iPhone 7 Lightning to Headphone Jack Adapter

Apple Seemingly Discontinuing Lightning to Headphone Jack Adapter Introduced Alongside iPhone 7

Sunday November 17, 2024 12:33 pm PST by
It appears that Apple is discontinuing the Lightning to 3.5mm headphone jack adapter that it released alongside the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus in 2016. The adapter was recently listed as "sold out" on Apple's online store in the U.S. and most other countries, according to MacRumors contributor Aaron Perris. The adapter remains available from Apple in only a handful of countries, such as...
Apple TV 4K hero 221018 feature

It's 2009 Again: Apple is Apparently Reconsidering Making a TV

Sunday November 17, 2024 5:27 am PST by
Between around 2009 and 2011, it was repeatedly rumored that Apple would be releasing a TV, but that obviously never happened. Now, a decade-and-a-half later, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman says the idea is back on the table. In his Power On newsletter today, Gurman briefly mentioned that Apple has been "evaluating" the "idea of making an Apple-branded TV set." He did not provide any further...

Top Rated Comments

now i see it Avatar
15 months ago
All they needed to do (like 20 years ago) is just have a 80% charge limit option like on the new iPhones
But noooooo
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
kiranmk2 Avatar
15 months ago
Apple, just buy Al Dente and embed it into MacOS.
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
alexandr Avatar
15 months ago
Can't wait for Sonoma!
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
contacos Avatar
15 months ago
*optimized so you don’t get to ever claim AppleCare+ at 80% kind of optimization like on my Apple Watch?
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
azentropy Avatar
15 months ago

After installing Sonoma betas, my M2 battery health dropped to 96% after 10 month and 80 cycles
Bragging or complaining? ;)
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Love-hate ? relationship Avatar
15 months ago

After installing Sonoma betas, my M2 battery health dropped to 96% after 10 month and 80 cycles
yeah it really sounds like installing beta is horrible for the battey
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)