Intro to Fast Charging Your MacBook Battery
Fast charging is not a new concept in MacBook, despite some claims with the introduction of MagSafe 3. For instance, if you use an older MacBook Pro 13-inch from 2010, it standardly utilizes a MagSafe 1 60W charger that can charge the battery to 100% in around 2 hours. However, if you use the 85W charger meant for MacBook Pro 15-inch from 2010, it can fully charge the battery in just 1 hour and 30 minutes, saving you 30 minutes. This also qualifies as fast charging.
Now, let’s learn more about the batteries in MacBooks.
Pro Tip 1
MagSafe 3 is a connector cable that offers fast charging capabilities, transitioning from USB-C to MagSafe 3. Its magnetic connection is robust enough to prevent unintended disconnections. Even if someone trips or pulls on the cable, your MacBook will remain secure and won’t fall to the floor.
The LED indicator displays an amber light while charging and turns green when the battery is full, similar to the previous MagSafe 1 and 2. Clearly, it’s a superior charger compared to the USB-C to USB-C type.
Currently, MagSafe 3 is compatible with the MacBook Air M2 13-inch and 15-inch from the year 2022, and also with the MacBook Pro 14-inch and 16-inch from the years 2021 and 2023.
To find the appropriate charger for your MacBook, refer to our earlier post available here.
Exploring the MacBook Battery
Apple has been utilizing lithium-ion batteries for MacBooks due to their high energy density, longer lifespan, and efficient charge-holding capability, making them ideal for portable devices.
For years, Apple has been employing the same battery technology, employing a special procedure that involves fast charging the initial 80% of the battery and then trickle charging the remaining 20%.
Trickle charging means the computer remains at 80% power until needed, adapting to the user’s work schedule to optimize battery charging and performance. This approach ensures the battery stays healthier by keeping it below 80% charge since Lithium-ion batteries don’t prefer being fully charged all the time or being completely depleted.
Pro Tip 2
Ensure that you have selected the Optimized Battery Charging option under Battery in your macOS System Preferences to prolong your MacBook’s battery life. Apple introduced this feature back in 2019 with macOS 10.15 Catalina.
Once activated, this tool analyzes your daily charging patterns and intelligently slows down battery ageing. It achieves this by potentially delaying charging to 100% until you need to use the device unplugged. The ultimate goal of this feature is to reduce battery wear and tear caused by constant charging to full capacity.
Fast Charging Your MacBook Battery
Let us use the MacBook Air 13 inch with M2 processor as a test subject, Apple offers three charger options when you buy it from the Apple official online store.
The base model comes with a 30W power adapter and a 35W Dual USB-C Port adapter, allowing you to charge your iPhone or Apple Watch simultaneously with your MacBook Air. Additionally, there’s the latest 70W USB-C Power Adapter designed for fast charging.
Below, you can observe the results of a test conducted by xda-developers, showing that the 67W power adapter achieved a full 100% charge for the MacBook Air (M2, 2022) in just 85 minutes. It’s worth noting that the current power adapter is 70W, which is slightly more powerful than the tested 67W version.
How to Fast Charging Your MacBook
You can get this powerful 140W USB-C Power Adapter to fast charge your Mac if your MacBook model is listed below!
MacBook
Retina, 12-inch, Early 2015 to 2017
MacBook Air
Retina 13-inch 2018 to 2019
Retina 13‑inch 2020
M1 2020
M2 2022
15-inch M2 2023
MacBook Pro
13-inch 2016 to 2020, M1 2020 and M2 2022
14‑inch 2021 and 2023
15-inch 2016–2019
16-inch 2019 and 2021
Do note all three models of the MacBook Pro 16-inch year 2023 M2 models come with this 140W USB-C power adapter.
Pro Tip 3
For all the 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models, Apple includes a USB-C to MagSafe 3 cable that has the same colour as your MacBook.
Image source from MacRumors.com
Pro Tip 4
MagSafe 3 charges faster than the USB-C port / Thunderbolt 4 port on the MacBook. MagSafe 3 can fully utilize the 140W power from the 140W power adapter. In contrast, the USB-C port / Thunderbolt 4 port has a maximum power rating of only 100W, which is 40W lower than MagSafe 3.
Conclusion to Fast Charging Your MacBook Battery
Occasionally using fast charging is generally safe. However, frequent use of fast chargers or charging your MacBook at high temperatures may accelerate battery wear over time. To optimize battery health, it’s advisable to avoid subjecting your MacBook to extreme temperatures during charging.
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