Optimized charging not working in Sonoma?

Since I've updated to Sonoma I've been having issues with battery management on my M1 MacBook Air. The system says the battery isn't charging because it is rarely used on battery (which is true) but it actually keeps charging the battery anyway. This kinda defeats the point of optimized charging. Is anyone else experiencing the same issue?

MacBook Air (M1, 2020)

Posted on Oct 6, 2023 12:05 AM

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Posted on Dec 23, 2023 12:43 PM

You are over-worrying this. As others have pointed out, even in desktop mode or after being at 80% for some time, it will once in a while charge up to 100% and be there for a while then go back to 80%. Also, sometimes it stops at a different level than 80%. Like 76%. Or something else. Staying all the time at 100%, or 80%, or some other value is not ideal for this type of battery. So the OS tries to vary things some and periodically it "exercises" the battery, research has shown this can extend the life of the battery. Since we don't have access to the "algorithm," we can't tell why it is doing what it is doing and when it might change things. Also, Sonoma MIGHT have updated the algorithm (versus other OS versions), so just because something changed does not mean there is a problem with Sonoma.


What you are doing is like obsessively measuring tread wear every day or every week on automobile tires. Laptop batteries, like automobile tires, wear out over time and have to be replaced. The Mac OS is just trying to "drive the car" in a way that maximizes the life time.

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Dec 23, 2023 12:43 PM in response to DooshPastesh

You are over-worrying this. As others have pointed out, even in desktop mode or after being at 80% for some time, it will once in a while charge up to 100% and be there for a while then go back to 80%. Also, sometimes it stops at a different level than 80%. Like 76%. Or something else. Staying all the time at 100%, or 80%, or some other value is not ideal for this type of battery. So the OS tries to vary things some and periodically it "exercises" the battery, research has shown this can extend the life of the battery. Since we don't have access to the "algorithm," we can't tell why it is doing what it is doing and when it might change things. Also, Sonoma MIGHT have updated the algorithm (versus other OS versions), so just because something changed does not mean there is a problem with Sonoma.


What you are doing is like obsessively measuring tread wear every day or every week on automobile tires. Laptop batteries, like automobile tires, wear out over time and have to be replaced. The Mac OS is just trying to "drive the car" in a way that maximizes the life time.

Dec 21, 2023 11:12 AM in response to ln004

Strange thing happened. After fresh system install everything worked for some time. Now it works, sometimes... Optimized charging sometimes kicks in, showing that it is in desktop mode, then every few days it charges fully. Then, again it goes desktop mode. I'm blown. No clue what is going on. Firstly I thought it might be bad cable or short power outage, but it is happening at least for a month. Maybe battery is old, it's time for new Mac.

Oct 6, 2023 1:09 AM in response to ln004

Batteries are considered Consumable Products. Over time it will degrade to a point where it needs to be replaced. The usage is normal as the capacity will go up and down all the time and never stay always at 100%. Apple Batteries are rated for 1000 Full Battery Cycles and / or 80% Capacity before needing Evaluation or replacement.


For additional reading on Battery and Apple Computers this link may help. About battery health management in Mac notebooks and especially for the M1 / M2 and Big Sur  & Monterey  and Ventura If battery charging is paused or on hold on your Mac


Depending on the Age of the computer, some aspects from the above links, may or may not apply to your computer.


A feature introduced into Big Sur & Monterey, Ventura, Sonoma was to preserve the number of Full Battery Cycles - there was an Algorithm coded into the macOS.


It is perfectly Normal for Big Sur , Monterey, Ventura , Sonoma to Pause / Suspend charging the battery beyond 80% and hold it at that level.


One can nudge / over-ride this by clicking the Battery Icon on Desktop Top Bar and allow charging beyond 80%. From observations, it will Pause / Suspend again once reading 90%. Same procedure to over-ride and will charge to 100%


Image below is from a M2 MBA purchased March 2023 and only now learning to Pause Charging at 80 %


Oct 6, 2023 1:36 AM in response to ln004

Perhaps the nuance was missed >> " Image below is from a M2 MBA purchased March 2023 and only now learning to Pause Charging at 80 % "


That is Purchase March 2023 and now October 2023 = 7 months, the computer is a Slow Learner


If that is not to your liking


Then have a few suggestions ;


1 - Get Support Choose a product and we’ll find you the best solution.Start now and open an Apple Support Ticket as they are Apple Employees to deal will these types of issues . 


2 - Product Feedback - Apple and make it known to Apple regarding this ongoing issue 

Nov 5, 2023 4:04 AM in response to DooshPastesh

Just be patient, your Mac will learn how you use it and go into the desktop mode with charging on hold, that is, if you keep your MacBook always plugged in.

  1. Have Optimised Battery Charging mode and Manage battery longevity enabled,
  2. After a day's work, put it to sleep. You don't even have to close the lid. The next morning, just touch any key, and then the Touch ID button to get to your user space,
  3. Before putting your MacBook to sleep, quit all apps, if they are not supposed to run unnecessarily.
  4. After few days, your MacBook/MacOS will learn how you use it, and act accordingly to safeguard your battery.

Oct 6, 2023 12:59 AM in response to ln004

Do you have this in System Settings > Battery?


Mine is a 2018 15" MBP. The battery charge is at 80%. It is my work/leisure notebook, usually on from 9 to 23, and then goes to sleep until the next morning. Of course, it goes to sleep, when I go out in the day too. So, optimized charging appears to be working.

Oct 6, 2023 11:16 AM in response to ln004

This is what I mean. It shows the icon indicating that it's not charging, but in the background it actually is.

It went to 100% short after.

It says: Charging on Hold On.

If I open the settings it says that it is actually charging:

Here it says that it will be fully charged in 34 minutes.

Oct 6, 2023 11:57 AM in response to ln004

The Macbook has to stay connected to power continuously for quite sometime for Macbook/MacOS to learn to stay in the "Desktop Mode" as shown in my first screenshot. You don't pull the plug out, or log out, or restart, or shutdown the Macbook for quite a while with optimised charging enabled. When the optimised charging takes over, the drop down menu of the battery icon will look like this,

with that additional "Charge to Full Now," that is, if you want to take the Macbook out to use as a portable notebook. And, once you come back, and plug it in to electrical power, Macbook would go on the learning cycle again, that is, it'd go back 100% and after about 1 and 1/2 days go back to 80%. If that happens, check your System Settings > Battery, to check if it would shows this,

that your Macbook had gone into the Desktop Mode. Then, the Macbook/MacOS had learned how you use the Macbook, and acts accordingly. It took me sometime to learn this.


Opladen in de wacht: Desktopmodus (I think your language is Dutch. Google translation)

Oct 6, 2023 1:41 PM in response to ln004

The Charger is a 35 Watt Apple Original with the Apple Original MagSafe Cable


The image below indicates the Charger is only giving a charge of 11.63 watts of a possible 35 watts or sometimes references as a Trickle Charge


I personally pay attention to Designed Capacity versus Full Charge Capacity


All else would be micro managing the battery and no time to actually enjoy using the M2 MBA for useful things like replying to this inquiry


Oct 23, 2023 2:50 AM in response to DooshPastesh

Musisz być cierpliwy. MacBook/MacOS z biegiem czasu nauczy się, jak korzystasz z MacBooka, a jeśli używasz MacBooka na zasilaniu przez dłuższy czas, po pewnym czasie poziom naładowania powoli spadnie do 80%. Gdy już tam jest i nadal używasz MacBooka na zasilaniu, to jeśli/kiedy używasz Maca na baterii, a następnie wrócisz do korzystania z zasilania, powrót do trybu pulpitu zajmie dzień lub dwa. Następnie powoli powróci do 80% i pozostanie na tym poziomie przy włączonym zasilaniu.


Następnie może powoli wzrosnąć z powrotem do 100% na dzień lub dwa, a następnie wrócić do 80%. Musiałbyś być cierpliwy.


Nov 5, 2023 6:07 AM in response to chdsl

I appreqcieate all your efforts. I do always like you wrote. It always worked until Sonoma update. From this time it's not working any more. I didn't changed anything in my habits.


What is more, I don't have such thing like "Manage battery longevity". And I don't remember if I ever had. But I know for sure that at least for last year this function worked properly. My battery was always charged to 80%.




Dec 21, 2023 1:42 PM in response to DooshPastesh

In time, it'd hold. You have to be patient. Since this image on 14th Dec,

it stays at 80% even after 2 upgrades, 14.2 and 14.2.1. As you all know, there are several reboots while updating, but it didn't go back 100%, but stayed at 80% all the time, sometimes 79%.

Of course, according to Coconutbattery app, it is 75.2%.

Optimized charging not working in Sonoma?

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