[TheMiddleMan]

Related: for MacOS, AlDente allows you to set a battery charge limit.

https://apphousekitchen.com/

I've been using it successfully for around a year. It works pretty well sans a couple quirks due to hardware limitations e.g. if you plug in with the screen closed (sleep mode) it will charge fully to 100%.

[ewoodrich]

AlDente is fantastic, does it exactly what it claims to with no fuss. Happy to pay the 20 bucks or so for a lifetime license.

For my main computer (M1 Macbook Pro) that spends roughly 80% of the time on its charger, I have it set to 65% which gives me plenty of margin at home, plus it allows you to top-up to 100% on the pro version with one click.

For my 2015 Macbook Pro with heavily degraded battery that spends 100% of the time on its charger and on, I set it to 50% to (hopefully) lengthen the life of the battery before it swells since removing the battery safely is a bit sketchy on even that era of Macbook.

[aldebran]

This makes sense. There are 3 “ways” a battery charges.

1. OS’s battery driver does the charging. This is possible when the computer is on and the driver has control. 2. Firmware driven charging. Typically used in sleep mode 3. Analog Trickle charge - no intelligence, no code is executing. Charge slowly from a dead battery so as to not damage any components.

#1 is the only case where an app. Can control any aspect of charging.

[timrichard]

That's true. I evaluated it, but it wasn't of use to me as I keep my Macbook plugged in with the lid closed.

I eventually tried this instead (for Intel Macs) :

https://github.com/DevNulPavel/osx_battery_charge_limit

I use it to keep my battery level indicator pegged at 70%. Often doesn't persist after a system update, but it's just a quick terminal command to reapply the setting.

I use my Macbook in clamshell mode, and I use sleep mode when I'm not using it - receiving power from a Thunderbolt dock. It's handy to pick up exactly where I left off on resume. Plus, I use two LG screens where one of the two doesn't switch on after a cold boot, and it's annoying to unplug and replug to activate it. Sleep mode gets around that.

[artdigital]

Wondering if third-party software like this, when not baked into the OS, will have other longterm side effects. Since it can't really put a hard-stop on charging, can it?

[1123581321]

Al Dente just sets the charge target via SMC and lower level software handles power draw negotiation. It’s the same thing the OS uses to set the target to 100% or 80%.

[pnpnp]

Same. I have mine set to sit at ~50% while plugged in & still have 100% of my battery health.

It’s an M1 Pro MacBook that I’ve had since launch.

[TheMiddleMan]

I've also been using it on a 14" M1 MacBook since launch (Oct 2021). I'm currently at 86% battery health.

I keep it at ~80% limit normally with occasional charges to 100% for long trips, etc. I do spend a lot of time on battery though so it's charging and draining a lot, but rarely goes above 80% charge.

Thanks for posting your results, I'm curious just how much the charge limit helps battery longevity.

[ewoodrich]

I wish I had discovered it earlier... I'm at 90% battery health on the same model which I use plugged in the vast majority of the time.

[mistyvales]

This happens under Asahi Fedora KDE too.. I think it's the battery controller that works outside of the OS?

[joeman1000]

AlDente has a new competitor with less paywalling: BatFi. I find it nicer to use.

https://micropixels.software/batfi