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Comment by js2 | Hacker News Reader

The FAQ answers why this exists when macOS has a similar built-in feature:

> Optimized Charging, a feature that is built into MacOS, aims to ensure the longevity and health of your battery. It does so by "delaying charging the battery past 80% when it predicts that you’ll be plugged in for an extended period of time, and aims to charge the battery before you unplug," as explained in Apple's user guide.

> Additionally, Optimized Charging uses machine learning to decide when the battery should be held at 80%, and when it should become fully charged. If your Mac is not plugged in on a regular schedule, optimized charging will not work as intended.

> This app is a similar alternative to Optimized Charging, giving the user control over when it is activated, what percentage the battery should be held at, and more.

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We've literally had configurable charge levels on ThinkPads since the time they were still owned by IBM over 20 years ago, yet Apple still can't figure out to provide such an option 20 years later?

Their whole ML thing is super annoying. Basically, it means you can never disconnect your Mac from your USB-C monitor, lest it immediately charge to 100% upon a reconnect, and discharge back to 80% only a few days after keeping it at 100%.

yet Apple still can't figure out to provide such an option 20 years later?

I have a few Dells several years old which have the same feature. The difference is that Apple prefers to control you, rather than the other way around.

Another way to phrase that is that they prefer to serve you by not requiring you to tinker with low-level stuff, so that you have more time to spend on things you want to do.

Of course, questions are whether Apple’s solution can theoretically work good enough, and if so, whether their implementation is good enough.

The actual best-practice for batteries is 50% when unused, and the 20% to 80% range when used.

They already don't provide 50% at all, even though my laptop has been kept connected to mains for 1 year straight. All I get is a range of 76% to 80% or so, with a battery life that keeps diminishing for no reason.

But, in reality, they don't even provide the 20% to 80% range, either, because it still charges to 100% on each disconnect, however brief it may be.

I've had multiple batteries completely fail within just a few years after being topped up to 100% all the time.

I also have a ThinkPad with a 15-year-old battery that's still working just fine (1 hour runtime is not that bad for such an old battery), because it's been kept at the 50% most of the time when I don't need to use it on the go. If it was kept at 100%, I'm pretty sure it wouldn't last 2 minutes now.

I unplug a couple times a week and does not charge to 100% each time I reconnect.

I know the non-deterministic nature of this can be frustrating, but it actually has to charge to 100% every now and then in order to calibrate.

Yeah I have found my MBP at 100% far too often, every now and again I peak and it says "holding charge".

I don't leave my laptop plugged in 100% of the time, however it is plugged in ~70% of the time and I never discharge it that much when it is unplugged. So this little app is perfect for me.

Seems Apple still has work to do on their algorithm, it could easily keep it at 80% and I would never get below 20%.

I have the same frustration. The built in Apple algorithm is far too conservative. The `batt` tool has solved this for me now.

iPad OS on recent iPads has a dead simple "limit charge to 80%" option in system settings. MacOS should just have the same feature.

I also limit my iPhone's charge by using shortcut automations and a smart power plug. It just turns the plug off when charge exceeds 80% and on when it drops below 75%. Not ideal but I think still better for battery life than having it sit at 100%. (lmk if I'm wrong!)

> iPad OS on recent iPads has a dead simple "limit charge to 80%" option in system settings. MacOS should just have the same feature.

is the optimized battery charging option in settings that tells you that it will charge to 80% and learn when it needs to charge to 100% not that? it seems to be exactly what you're looking for? it's pretty consistent across all 4 platforms: macOS, iOS, iPadOS, and watchOS, they all offer the same feature

Nope that's not what I mean. iPad OS has a "Limit charge to 80%" in Battery Health in system settings. This is different because it always limits the charge to 80% no matter what. Screenshot: https://discussions.apple.com/content/attachment/1ea88a2f-29...

> I also limit my iPhone's charge by using shortcut automations and a smart power plug. It just turns the plug off when charge exceeds 80% and on when it drops below 75%. Not ideal but I think still better for battery life than having it sit at 100%. (lmk if I'm wrong!)

For battery longevity, I’ve seen recommendations that the lithium ion battery should be allowed to discharge, and that between 40% and 80% is a good range to keep it in. I’m unable to find the link, but I’ve also seen a more recent (like in the last few years) recommendation that 35% to 75% is better.

Your choice to start charging it at 75% doesn’t seem ideal with any of the recommendations over the last several years.

I switched to a framework laptop, where this is easily configured.

But then I didn’t configure it anyway because my battery is user-replaceable and costs $70 so I happily charge and discharge it however much I want.

Just wish it had Apple-level battery life.

Sounds annoying, I would much rather just have it be configurable.

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