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Hi, I have ordered a 13" MacBook Pro and wanted to know if I should let the battery run flat every so often in order to recondition it. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

I'm SOOOO excited! Got the iPhone 4s and iPad 2, now waiting for my MacBook Pro to be delivered to complete the set!

Anyway, enough about that, was wondering about the battery. Haven't read up on the spec yet, but wanted to know if I should let it fully discharge occasionally?

Cheers folks.

MacBook Pro (13-inch, Mid 2012)

Posted on Jul 31, 2012 8:26 PM

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Posted on Jul 31, 2012 8:30 PM

It is good to let you battery to run down. Personly I let mine get down to about 3% then I plug it in. What this does is keeps it from dying on you in the long run. I had a macbook I kept on the charger and in about 3 months the battery was done for. I now have a macbook pro that I treat better and it keeps a charge for almost 7 hours when with my macbook I got about 3 hours. I hope this helps!

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Jul 31, 2012 8:30 PM in response to ChrissyP69

It is good to let you battery to run down. Personly I let mine get down to about 3% then I plug it in. What this does is keeps it from dying on you in the long run. I had a macbook I kept on the charger and in about 3 months the battery was done for. I now have a macbook pro that I treat better and it keeps a charge for almost 7 hours when with my macbook I got about 3 hours. I hope this helps!

Jul 31, 2012 8:44 PM in response to ChrissyP69

NO NO NO NO


Again, NO


MBP batteries are Lithium-Ion. If you run them near-dead or dead, you will shorten their life considerably.


I run mine mostly on AC. It will slowly lose battery charge down to about 95%, then recharge itself to 100%.


Every two weeks or once a month at least I let it on battery down to about 40%, then recharge it.


Also, for long term storage (2 months), let the battery run down to 50%, remove the battery an store the battery not in the unit. Else the battery will trickle-discharge down to nothing and set a "very low maximum" memory in the battery components.

Jul 31, 2012 8:58 PM in response to ChrissyP69

Sorry for all of the "NO"s ... just want you to keep your system running well as long as it can.


Also, about that magical "7 hours". That number comes from tests with minimal (no Flash component) internet, no external screen. Real-life performance will likely be closer to 5 1/2 hours or 6 hours max. Less when streaming any video or using external display.

Jul 31, 2012 9:01 PM in response to MacMania_Lunsford

MacMania_Lunsford wrote:


It is good to let you battery to run down. Personly I let mine get down to about 3% then I plug it in. What this does is keeps it from dying on you in the long run. I had a macbook I kept on the charger and in about 3 months the battery was done for. I now have a macbook pro that I treat better and it keeps a charge for almost 7 hours when with my macbook I got about 3 hours. I hope this helps!

This answer is 300% wrong .... it is very bad for a Lithium Ion battery to be completely exhausted, your suggestion is harmful to it. Please do a little research before you post!!!!!!!

Jul 31, 2012 9:04 PM in response to ChrissyP69

ChrissyP69 wrote:


That's a great help, thankyou. I'm fairly new to Apple products, so I will probably be asking quite a few questions on here.

Do not take the advice given to you by MacMania_Lunsford, it is incorrect. You may keep your Mac plugged in for most of the time, occasionally (once or twice a month) discharge it to 30-50% and then recharge it. DO NOT allow it go flat if you can avoid it.


Then don't worry about it, battery tech has evolved a lot since the NiCad days.

Hi, I have ordered a 13" MacBook Pro and wanted to know if I should let the battery run flat every so often in order to recondition it. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

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