Most laptops now come with non-replaceable batteries, no matter whether they're MacBooks, Windows 11 computers, or Chromebooks. Whatever the price point or platform, non-removable batteries are the norm.

In some respects, this is a good thing. These laptops are slimmer and sleeker than ever before, and with low-power processors and fanless designs, their battery life actually far outstrips that of their bulkier counterparts.

But it also gives the laptop a limited lifespan, with the prospect that the battery might die even when the rest of the hardware is still going strong. So what precautions should you take to ensure your built-in laptop battery lasts for as long as possible?

Don't Let the Laptop Get Too Hot

One of the main factors affecting laptop battery life is temperature. Low temperatures can be an issue if you live in a cold climate, but high temperatures are a much bigger concern.

Not only are ambient conditions at work, but heat is also naturally generated by the computer's processor and other components. Furthermore, leaving your laptop in your car on a hot day is a very bad thing.

cat on hot laptop
Image Credit: Chris Waits/Flickr

It was often recommended that users remove the batteries from their laptops when playing high-end games, editing video, or performing any other resource-intensive tasks. However, while a few gaming laptops still offer removable batteries, this option is simply not available for most users.

In some ways, it doesn't matter too much. Modern chipsets are designed to generate less heat, and MacBook Air laptops don't have fans at all thanks to the efficiency of Apple Silicon.

But you should make sure air can circulate around your laptop, keeping any vents clear and not resting it on a cushion. Try and keep it under 95 degrees Fahrenheit (35 degrees Celsius). If you use the laptop in bed, a stand is a good way to help keep it cool.

Charge and Discharge the Battery

macbook battery
Image Credit: James West/Flickr

A common question is whether you should keep your laptop plugged in all the time.

The short answer is no. Laptop manufacturers generally recommend mixed use—you can keep it plugged in a lot of the time, but it's good to run it off the battery now and again, and allow it to run down to 40% or so.

Batteries cannot be overcharged, so they won't be damaged directly, but keeping them charged to 100% puts them under greater strain and can reduce their lifespan. To help mitigate against this, Windows 11 has a Smart Charging feature and macOS has Optimized Battery Charging that will keep the battery charged to around 80% until it thinks you need the rest of it topped up.

mac optimised battery charging

It's worth keeping this turned on, but do note that the Windows 11 option requires each manufacturer to implement it so you'll need to check that it's available on your machine.

Don't Let the Battery Run Down

If you are running your laptop off battery power, you should ideally avoid fully discharging it—or even getting below around 20%—regularly.

Tests from batteryuniversity.com show that it can take around 600 complete discharges to reduce a laptop battery's capacity to 70%. By comparison, if you only run the battery down to around 50% before charging it, you'll get over 1500 discharges before its lifespan is reduced to the same level.

discharge cycles reduce battery lifespan

That said, some manufacturers recommend that you perform a full discharge every few months to help keep the battery properly calibrated and to ensure the stats it reports are accurate.

You can change the power plan in Windows to explicitly prevent the battery from dropping below a certain level. It's well-hidden, but in Windows 11:

  1. Go to Settings.
  2. Under Find a setting, type Power Plan and select Choose a power plan from the results.
  3. Click Change plan settings, followed by Change Advanced power settings.
  4. Select Battery > Critical battery level and click On battery. Set a new minimum percent level.

Keep the Battery Charged When Not in Use

The charge level of your battery is important, even when you're not using your laptop.

HP recommends that batteries should be stored with 50-70% charge at temperatures between 68–77 degrees Fahrenheit (20–25 degrees Celsius). If you're not going to use your laptop for a while, try and keep it as close to these conditions as possible. You should never store a device for a long time with the battery fully run down. You might never get it working again.

How Long Will Your Laptop Battery Last?

It's an unavoidable fact that a laptop battery's capacity declines a little every single time it is charged.

ASUS states that its batteries have a lifespan of between 300 and 500 charge cycles, after which the capacity will have dropped to 80%. A charge cycle is typically measured as recharging the full capacity of a battery in any combination: a single 100% charge, two 50% top-ups, one 50% and two 25% charges, and so on.

asus battery cycles

Therefore, after a year to 18 months, you may begin to notice that the battery doesn't last for as long as it previously did. At this point, you may want to start focussing on the numerous methods for extending your laptop's battery life.

Check Your Laptop Battery's Cycle Count

It's easy to check your laptop's battery cycle count on Windows and Mac.

In Windows 10 and 11, you can get a full battery report by going to the command prompt and typing powercfg /batteryreport. Using File Explorer, navigate to the folder listed in the command prompt window where you'll find a file called battery-report.html that contains details on your battery use and capacity.

mac battery health

On macOS, go to About This Mac > More info and click System Report for a similarly detailed report. For a much quicker macOS method, simply hold down the Alt or Option key while clicking on the battery icon in the status bar and select Battery Settings.

Care for Your Laptop's Built-In Battery

Whether you view it as planned obsolescence or a necessary way to facilitate sleeker products (or even just phasing out a feature that many people never bothered with anyway), non-removable batteries are the reality for modern laptops.

It isn't necessarily a bad thing. You just need to be a little more aware of how you look after the battery than you may have done in the past. There are no major steps to take. A few common-sense precautions and being aware of the factors that can shorten a laptop battery's lifespan will ensure your battery lives a long and healthy life.

But if you already have concerns, there are many essential tools to help you analyze your laptop battery's health.