macOS 26.4 to bring iPhone-style charge limits to the Mac

Apple MacBook

• macOS Tahoe 26.4 beta adds manual battery charge limit for Macs
• Users can set charge limits from 80% to 100% in System Settings
• Feature aims to reduce battery wear and extend Mac lifespan

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Apple’s newly released macOS Tahoe 26.4 beta introduces a Charge Limit feature for Macs, allowing users to manually cap battery charging anywhere between 80 percent and 100 percent.

The new option appears alongside Apple’s existing Optimized Battery Charging system but works very differently. Instead of relying on usage patterns and predictive charging, Charge Limit acts as a hard ceiling that prevents the battery from ever charging beyond a user-defined level.

Users can now select fixed limits of 80, 85, 90, 95, or 100 percent using a new slider in System Settings. Once enabled, the Mac will stop charging at the selected threshold, regardless of how long it remains plugged in.

Apple’s current Optimized Battery Charging feature delays charging to 100 percent until it predicts the user will need it, based on daily routines. While helpful, that system still allows frequent full charges, which can contribute to long-term battery wear.

The new Charge Limit setting gives users more explicit control. Keeping a lithium-ion battery closer to 80 percent is widely understood to reduce chemical ageing, potentially extending battery lifespan over time. This makes the feature particularly useful for users who keep their Macs plugged in for long stretches at a desk.

Charge Limit can be enabled by opening System Settings, navigating to Battery, and clicking the information button next to Charging. From there, users can adjust the slider to their preferred maximum charge level.

Apple has already offered a similar feature on its phones. iPhones gained manual charge limits starting with the iPhone 15 lineup in 2023, making this Mac update more of a long-overdue catch-up than a brand-new idea.

The feature arrives as part of the macOS Tahoe 26.4 beta and is currently available to developers and public beta testers. Apple has not yet said when the update will roll out to all Mac users, but it is expected later this year following beta testing.