Apple’s MacBook series laptops are known for their longevity. You can expect superior build quality, a massive and responsive trackpad, class-leading speakers, and an excellent display from the MacBook. While the MacBook Air/Pro is known for its excellent hardware, battery life and heat management are sensitive points for a MacBook. This issue is even more pronounced on the latest MacBook Air lineup, which has a fanless design.
MacBook overheating can cause multiple problems with your laptop. This behavior shortens battery life, slows down your Mac, and makes it uncomfortable to use the MacBook for a spin. As a result, it affects your workflow and reduces your productivity.
Various factors can be behind Mac overheating issues. Troubleshooting solutions depend on your MacBook age, model, and usage pattern.
In this post, we’re going to talk about what causes Mac overheating issues and the first eight steps you should take to fix it. Lets start.
1. Force Quit Unnecessary Apps
All Windows users who have recently started using a MacBook should try this solution first. In Windows you can press the Close button in any application and the system will exit memory from the application. The behavior is slightly different on macOS. Tapping the ‘x’ in macOS will only close the app window. Applications continue to run in the background. Notice the dot under the app icon in the Dock? This indicates that the application is still running.
Running dozens of apps on a MacBook (those with 4GB of RAM) can slow down your system and cause overheating issues. You should force quit unnecessary applications that you are not using. Using two-finger click on the trackpad, tap the app icon and select Quit from the floating menu. This exits the application and frees up system memory.
2. Use Activity Monitor
macOS lets you install apps from the App Store and other sources. There may be times when an incompatible app is using an unusual amount of resources and battery. In such a case, you should identify and force such apps from the built-in Activity Monitor in macOS.
Use Command + Space to launch Spotlight and search for Activity Monitor and hit Enter. The menu will show the applications that are open and their energy impact on the system. If you witness an unusual increase in usage, select the app and hit the ‘x’ in the upper left corner to force quit the app.
3. Browse Charge Cycles
All MacBook batteries are of the lithium-ion type. These batteries have a limited life and degrade over time. Most MacBook Pro and Air models come with 1000 charge cycles (Check your model’s battery charge cycles on the official Apple website). After 4-5 years of use, you should check the charge cycle count of your MacBook.
Use Command + Space to open Spotlight Search and type System Information to open the menu. Go to Hardware > Power and there you will see the cycle count in the Health info menu.
If the number is unusually different compared to your usage, it could lead to overheating issues. Time to replace the MacBook battery with a new one.
4. Use Battery Health Management
Battery Health Management is designed to intelligently improve battery life, which ultimately leads to preventing overheating problems on Mac. The Battery Health Management option limits the charge cycles on your MacBook. MacBook learns your usage and limits the device to 100% charge when needed.
The company recently introduced the function with the macOS 10.15. This function can only be enabled on MacBook models with USB Type-C Thunderbolt 3 ports.
Enable System Preferences > Energy Saver > Battery Health > ‘Battery health management’.
5. Track Battery Temperature and Status
Unnecessary rise in battery temperature is the main cause of MacBook overheating problem. Apple does not provide an official way to view battery temperature and status. Enter a third-party app called CoconutBattery 3.
You can use the app to view detailed information such as battery temperature, status, available capacity, full capacity, date of manufacture, and more.
6. Use Safari Instead of Google Chrome
Google Chrome is the most popular browser in the world. At the same time, the browser is notorious for its aggressive use of RAM and battery. You should abandon Chrome and use the built-in Safari browser as it is battery friendly and gets the job done. If you can’t live without Chrome extensions, choose the Chromium-based Microsoft Edge browser that supports all Chrome extensions.
In my testing, I saw battery improvements when using the Microsoft Edge browser compared to Google Chrome.
7. Disable CPU Turbo Boost
All MacBooks feature Intel’s Turbo Boost technology, which automatically increases the CPU’s clock speed above the base clock for better performance. While this helps get tasks done in a short time, it takes a toll on your MacBook’s battery life. This behavior can cause overheating problems on your Mac.
Unfortunately, there is no direct way to turn off the Turbo Boost function on your MacBook. Enter a third-party app called Turbo Boost that you can use to disable Turbo Boost.
The app claims to reduce CPU usage by 60% and provide 30-50% longer battery life on older models. The app offers real-time CPU load, fan speed and battery temperature from the menu bar.
8. Update MacBook to Latest Software
MacBook battery issue could be caused by a faulty macOS build on your device. Apple usually releases OS updates quickly to keep macOS up and running smoothly. In addition, Apple adds some battery-related features to increase MacBook battery life (see macOS 10.15.5).
It is recommended that you always keep your macOS up to date. System Preferences > Software Update > download and install the latest operating system and make sure your MacBook is running the latest version of macOS.
Fix Mac Overheating Issue
MacBook overheating problems can be irritating. The high temperature on your MacBook reduces your laptop’s screen time and battery life. Go through the list above and fix Mac overheating issues as soon as possible.
Next: Want to optimize your Mac? Read the post below to find the seven best macOS apps to optimize your Mac.
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