MacBook Pro and MacBook Air are getting big macOS update to extend your battery's life

macbook pro
(Image credit: Future)

From the MacBook Air 2020 to the 16-inch MacBook Pro, Apple’s laptops offer among the best battery life of any laptop brand, but their sealed designs don’t exactly lend themselves to easy battery replacements.

In an effort to help your MacBook battery last longer, Apple is rolling out a new update for macOS Catalina 10.15.5 that includes a new battery health management feature. 

The software uses a combination of data, including your battery temperature and charging history, to estimate how long your battery will last. And it will use that information to determine the total amount of charge delivered to your MacBook, which could extend its life.

This battery health management feature will be available on all MacBooks with two Thunderbolt 3 ports. So that includes the new MacBook Air, the 13-inch MacBook Pro and 16-inch MacBook Pro. However, the older 12-inch MacBook and 13-inch MacBook Air won’t support this feature.

If you want to try this feature out sooner than later, it will be available as part of the macOS Catalina 10.15.5 public beta. Check out Apple's beta software page for more information.

Overall, this is a welcome feature for MacBook owners who want to protect and potentially extend their battery life span. We’ll try it out and report back with our impressions. 

Mark Spoonauer

Mark Spoonauer is the global editor in chief of Tom's Guide and has covered technology for over 20 years. In addition to overseeing the direction of Tom's Guide, Mark specializes in covering all things mobile, having reviewed dozens of smartphones and other gadgets. He has spoken at key industry events and appears regularly on TV to discuss the latest trends, including Cheddar, Fox Business and other outlets. Mark was previously editor in chief of Laptop Mag, and his work has appeared in Wired, Popular Science and Inc. Follow him on Twitter at @mspoonauer.