MacBook Pro M1 using power while sleeping

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Level 1

38 points

MacBook Pro M1 using power while sleeping

Macbook Pro 16 M1, fully updated.

I use it normally on clamshell mode with external monitor.

Now I am travelling and the Macbook using overnight while sleeping around 20-30% of battery and will leech it dry sometimes.

Why is it like this, it should be not using any power while sleeping?

I had other Macbooks, not remembering I ever had this problem.

Also sometimes the Macbook doesn't charge when the power adapter is connected, I reported this to Apple already, no feedback yet and they asked me to bring in the Macbook for checking.

[Re-Titled by Moderator]

MacBook Pro 16″, macOS 12.4

Posted on Jul 11, 2022 7:54 AM

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Answer 1

Top-ranking reply

leroydouglas

Community+ 2024

Level 10

188,478 points

Jul 11, 2022 8:57 AM in response to Dirk Bunge

Dirk Bunge wrote:

The issue is on the battery, while on sleep overnight the battery gets drained significantly.

I just checked, there is no power nap mode anymore on M1 Macs:

Power Nap Mac m1

Why Is There No Power Nap on M1? Prior to Apple releasing its own chip, most Macs had the option to use Power Nap. However, because Macs with M1 or later Apple silicon chips use “always-on” processor technology, Power Nap is no longer necessary and is now integrated into the system.

Also there is no charge to full now option on the battery symbol in the menu bar, if plugged in.

Thanks for the insight....

You can try clearing system cache files to sort anomalies.

SafeBoot How to use safe mode on your Mac - Apple Support

Reboot as normal and test. Caches get rebuilt automatically.

If no resolve or insight Call Customer Support (800) MY–APPLE (800–692–7753)

or on line Apple Support

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Answer 2

Jul 11, 2022 8:20 AM in response to Dirk Bunge

Dirk Bunge wrote:

Now I am travelling and the Macbook using overnight while sleeping around 20-30% of battery and will leech it dry sometimes.

Also sometimes the Macbook doesn't charge when the power adapter is connected, I reported this to Apple already, no feedback yet and they asked me to bring in the Macbook for checking.

Macbook Pro 16 M1, macOS 12.4

Have you made changes to >System Preferences>Battery>Battery (?)

Change Battery preferences on a Mac notebook - Apple Support

If you click open the BATT icon in the upper right menubar, do you see: Charge to Full Now

About battery health management in Mac notebooks w/ silicon

About battery health management in Mac notebooks - Apple Support

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Answer 3

Jul 11, 2022 8:36 AM in response to Dirk Bunge

Dirk Bunge wrote:

Here my settings:

https://discussions.apple.com/content/attachment/79afd552-a908-4ef5-b207-df6317336ffd

That is power adapter (?)

I thought the question was on battery?

I see now the battery selection.

Try a safeboot to clear system caches

How to use safe mode on your Mac - Apple Support will sort many anomalies

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Answer 4

Dirk Bunge Author

Level 1

38 points

Jul 11, 2022 8:44 AM in response to leroydouglas

The issue is on the battery, while on sleep overnight the battery gets drained significantly.

I just checked, there is no power nap mode anymore on M1 Macs:

Power Nap Mac m1

Why Is There No Power Nap on M1? Prior to Apple releasing its own chip, most Macs had the option to use Power Nap. However, because Macs with M1 or later Apple silicon chips use “always-on” processor technology, Power Nap is no longer necessary and is now integrated into the system.

Also there is no charge to full now option on the battery symbol in the menu bar, if plugged in.

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Answer 5

Dirk Bunge Author

Level 1

38 points

Jul 11, 2022 3:05 PM in response to Grant Bennet-Alder

Extremely unhelpful answer.

I am using Macbooks and iMacs for 10+ years and always been using sleep mode, rarely shut them down and I never experienced any battery drain while in sleep mode.

So I dislike the idea to have to always shut down my Macbooks now, and also I don't want to accept that while in sleep modus, my Macbook is using a lot of power, and I can't even see what app used that power.

It should just stay in sleep modus, and do nothing and of course use as little power as possible.

So either there is something wrong with my Macbook, that is uses so much power in sleep mode (20-30% of the battery load of my MBP 16 M1 a night), or Apple screwed up the sleep mode on the new M1 machines.

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Answer 6

Jul 11, 2022 3:22 PM in response to Dirk Bunge

on older Intel Macs, a separate System Management Controller is used for clock management, battery management, cooling, and sleep functions, and the main processor is put first into low power sleep mode, then if hibernation is appropriate, the contents of memory are written to the Boot Drive and the main processor is powered off. This reduces the amount of power consumed during an overnight snooze.

The Apple-Silicon M1 does not include an auxiliary System Management Controller, so it has to do all the housekeeping on the main processor, using the low-power efficiency cores, but still powered up. That takes more power.

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Answer 7

Dirk Bunge Author

Level 1

38 points

Jul 11, 2022 4:34 PM in response to Grant Bennet-Alder

Ok thanks for explaining this, but what I am still not understanding:

Is the power drain I am experiencing on my Macbook by design and just normal for a M1 machine, or is there anything wrong with my Macbook?

If this is normal, sleep mode is of course completely useless while on battery power and not advisable also while plugged in.

Approx 2 days on sleep mode will leech a full battery empty.

The Macbook should be always shut down then to avoid empty batteries and power waste.

This would mean a definite step backward from old Macbooks.

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Answer 8

Jul 12, 2022 6:10 AM in response to Dirk Bunge

Since you're using it in clamshell mode that means that the computer is not sleeping with the lid down. Are you putting it to sleep overnight? If the computer doesn't know it should be sleeping it is continuing to work as normal. Try manually putting it to sleep and see if that helps.

If you're now using it as a laptop, change the lid operation to put it to sleep with the lid closed rather than continue to run.

I have a 16-Inch 2021 MBP and if anything it will lose maybe 1% while sleeping overnight.

If you have Optimized Charging turned on (the default) when the laptop is plugged in it will stay at 80% until it thinks it's time to go to work. If it's plugged in most of the time, it may not go past 80% charge. Google optimized charging and read up on how it works.

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Answer 9

Dirk Bunge Author

Level 1

38 points

Jul 12, 2022 6:48 AM in response to LyleFromVegas

Many thanks for your reply, that helps a lot, so my power use while lid down/sleeping on battery is definetely not as it it should be.

Question now is, how to solve this problem.

I read clamshell mode on M1 is automatic, it needs the power cable to be plugged in, means that while on battery, no clamshell mode and the Macbook should be sleeping then when lid is closed down.

I tried also to manually select sleep from the system menu, still there was similar battery drain during the night.

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Answer 10

Jul 12, 2022 8:42 AM in response to Dirk Bunge

I've never tried running a MacOS laptop with the lid closed. I just assumed that it would go to sleep with the lid down. On Windows you have to specifically tell the computer not to sleep with the lid closed and I just assumed it was the same on a Mac. Looking at the power options I don't see any reference to the lid making the laptop go to sleep.

Under Battery | Power Adapter is the check box for preventing sleep if the display is off checked? I'm guessing that might keep the laptop from going to sleep.

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