How to Fix Bad macOS Monterey Battery Life 1

How to Fix Bad macOS Monterey Battery Life

If you find that the battery is draining abnormally after you upgrade your Mac to the latest macOS Monterey version, there are some steps you should take before contacting Apple customer service.

As we move away from the latest macOS Monterey release, Mac users are reporting issues with the new firmware. Unsurprisingly, poor battery life is on the list of issues.

Some battery issues may be hardware related while some issues may be related to the new operating system. In most cases, it could be an app that is causing the issues.

If you start seeing battery drain after installing the latest version of macOS Monterey on your Mac, your first thought may be to revert to the old macOS software.

Downgrading your Mac is definitely an option, but you’ll want to try and fix the problem before you downgrade. Fixing macOS battery life issues can be difficult, but we have some solutions that have worked for us and other Mac users in the past.

This guide will guide you through bad macOS Monterey battery life fixes, and they’re likely to help you fix your issues in a matter of minutes.

Restart your Mac

If your Mac’s battery begins to drain quickly for no apparent reason, the first thing you’ll want to do is reboot it. A reboot can terminate rogue processes and help you get better battery life and/or overall performance.

Try restarting your Mac before doing anything else. If you notice that your computer is still running out of battery, move down to the solutions below.

Update Your Mac

Apple will periodically release new macOS Monterey software. Point updates (xxx) typically focus on fixing bugs, while landmark upgrades (xx) often offer a mix of features and fixes.

The company may not cite battery life fixes in a macOS update’s changelog, but new software always has the potential to help. If you are running older software, consider updating to the latest version.

For more information on the latest version of macOS Monterey, check out our guide.

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Update Your Apps

Developers are pushing support updates for macOS Monterey, and a new version of an app can help alleviate the battery life issues you’re seeing.

Check for updates in the Mac App Store. If you’re feeling lazy, you’ll want to peruse reviews from Mac users currently running macOS Monterey.

You’ll also want to click the battery icon in the upper-right corner of your Mac. If you see an app that “Uses Significant Energy”, check with the developer to see if an update is available, if there is an update scheduled, or if there is a known issue with macOS Monterey.

Check Your Battery Usage History

You will see a “Battery” section in your Mac’s System Preferences. Here you will see a Usage History feature. Usage History gives you detailed information about your Mac’s battery life in the last 24 hours or the last 10 days.

It’s split into Battery Level and Display In Use so you can see how your Mac’s battery is performing. If the readings are too far off, you may need to contact Apple customer service.

You will also notice the Battery and Power Adapter sections. Here you can choose when to turn off your Mac’s display, when to turn the power on and off, and more.

Reset PRAM and NVRAM

This next step is a bit more involved, but has the potential to fix battery drain issues.

If you have bad battery drain issues, try resetting the PRAM and NVRAM on your MacBook. This resets some settings but does not delete your Mac’s data.

After doing that you will have to adjust the speaker, screen resolution and some other settings but there is a chance to alleviate your problems. Here’s how to do this:

If you have a 2016 MacBook Pro or newer, you should press and hold these keys for 20 seconds as soon as you turn on your MacBook Pro.

Note that the steps may be different on Apple’s newer MacBooks.

reset SMC

You can also try resetting the SMC on your Mac. It only takes a minute and can help you avoid going to the Apple Store.

The process varies with Apple’s MacBook models, but for most you can use these guidelines:

  1. Select the Apple menu and then Turn Off.
  2. After your Mac shuts down, press the Shift-Control-Option keys on the left side of the built-in keyboard, then simultaneously press the power button.
  3. Press and hold these keys and the power button for 10 seconds. If you have a MacBook Pro with Touch ID, the Touch ID button is also the power button.
  4. Release all keys.
  5. Press the power button again to turn on your Mac.
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If you’re using a 2018 model or newer MacBook Pro, follow the instructions on this pageIt will help you complete these missions.

downgrade

If you can’t find a solution to your problem and/or don’t want to wait for Apple’s next macOS Monterey update, you can try reverting to an older macOS Monterey version or an older macOS version like Big Sur. Unlike iOS, your downgrade options don’t change over time.

For more information on downgrading macOS, check out our step-by-step guides.