Best practice using macbook air m1 with external monitors

vnc_lacerda wrote:

Hey guys, so I'm planning to buy an external display (dell USB-C P2723QE - 27'' 4K) to use with my Mac air m1, that USB-C port on the monitor also is capable of charging with up to 90W.

So, I have 2 questions, is keeping the mac plugged onto the monitor going to hurt the battery?

Also, do somehow I mitigate the risk of damaging the battery if, when I'm not using the mac, I leave it unplugged?

Thanks!

Keeping the Mac plugged in will not damage the battery or the computer. You can leave the computer plugged in whenever convenient to do so. Unplugging the computer is of no value. The MacOS manages the computer's charging/power system very well. There is no need for you to micromanage the system.

You should enable Optimized Charging, so that the Mac will remain at 80% charged which is a good place for the battery to be.

What I do. I have a DELL U1932Q 32" monitor with USB-C cable (as well as HDMI and DisplayPort). And I know it is not necessary, but old habits die hard.

At night, I dismount my external disks, the sleep my Mac, and pull the USB-C cable providing power. So overnight it is off power, but sleeping. It will sip power and use the battery a little.

In the morning I plug in the USB-C cable providing power, and wake my Mac. The external drives re-mount, and I'm back to normal.

Again, I know this is not necessary, but I started this habit before Apple implemented Optimized charging, and had more than 1 Mac with a battery swelling problem.