If you’re like most people, you probably use your Mac all day long without ever thinking about its power mode. But if you want to conserve energy and extend the life of your battery, it’s important to know how to enable low power mode. Low power mode is a special mode that your Mac can enter when it senses that it isn’t being used much. In low power mode, your Mac will turn off unnecessary features and reduce its overall energy consumption. This can help you save money on your electricity bill and extend the life of your battery. To enable low power mode on a Mac:
- Open System Preferences by clicking on the Apple logo in the upper left corner of the screen, then clicking on System Preferences.
- Click on Energy Saver in the left column of System Preferences.
- In the Energy Saver window, click on the button next to Low Power Mode (the third button from the top).
- If necessary, click on the Options button next to Low Power Mode (the fourth button from the top). In the Options window, you can configure various aspects of low power mode, such as when it should be enabled and how long it should last. ..
Starting with macOS Monterey, Low Power Mode reduces your Mac’s screen brightness and clock speed to make your Mac quieter and its battery last longer. Here’s how to enable it.
What Does Low Power Mode Do on Mac?
As previously mentioned, Low Power Mode reduces energy consumption by turning down screen brightness and reducing processor clock speed on a Mac. The screen appears dimmer, and the performance of apps becomes slower than usual on Mac.
It aims to make Mac operate more quietly and is somewhat similar to Low Power Mode on iPhone. Unfortunately, you don’t get to pick a specific battery percentage threshold for the Low Power Mode to kick in automatically on Mac.
RELATED: How to Use Low Power Mode on an iPhone (and What Exactly It Does)
Which Macs Support Low Power Mode?
Apple includes Low Power Mode in macOS 12 Monterey or later update running on the MacBook (Early 2016 and later) and MacBook Pro (Early 2016 and later). As of December 2021, none of the Apple MacBook Air models support Low Power Mode. That might change in the future.
How to Enable Low Power Mode on Mac
You can use Low Power Mode while using your Mac on battery and plugged into a power adapter. To get started, click the Apple menu in the top-left corner and select “System Preferences.”
In System Preferences, click “Battery.”
In Battery preferences, look in the left sidebar and select “Battery” again. Next, check the box beside “Low Power Mode” in the right-hand pane.
If you want to use Low Power Mode while your Mac is charging, click the “Power Adapter” menu in the sidebar. Next, check the box beside “Low Power Mode.”
At any time, you can click the Battery icon in the corner of the menu bar, and it will show if Low Power Mode is enabled or not. To disable Low Power Mode, you’ll need to visit the Battery menu or Power Adapter menu in System Preferences again to uncheck the box for “Low Power Mode.” Good luck!
RELATED: How to Keep Your MacBook Battery Healthy and Extend Its Life
