How to Fix Bad macOS Big Sur Battery Life

If your start experiencing bad battery drain after moving your Mac to the latest version macOS Big Sur, there are some steps you should take before getting in contact with Apple customer service.

Mac users are reporting a number of macOS Big Sur-related issues. The list includes some of the usual suspects including abnormal battery drain.

While some battery issues might be hardware-related, others are related to Apple’s macOS Big Sur software. In a lot of cases, an app is causing the issues.

If you start seeing terrible battery drain after installing the latest macOS Big Sur software, your first thought might be to downgrade back to older macOS software or to upgrade to newer macOS software.

Downgrading your Mac’s software is an option, but before you do that, you’ll want to try and fix your issues. Fixing battery life problems can be tricky, but we’ve got some solutions that have worked for us, and other Mac users, in the past.

This guide will take you through fixes for bad macOS Big Sur battery life and there’s a chance they’ll help you get your issues resolved in minutes.

Reboot Your Mac

If your Mac’s battery starts draining rapidly for no apparent reason, the first thing you’ll want to do is reboot your computer. Rebooting can end rogue processes and it can help you get better battery life and/or overall performance.

Update Your Mac

Apple will periodically release new macOS software. Point updates (x.x.x) are typically focused on fixing bugs while milestone upgrades (x.x) usually deliver a mix of features and fixes.

The company might not call out battery life fixes in a macOS Big Sur update’s change log, but new software always has the potential to help. For more information about the newest version of macOS Big Sur, take a look at our guide.

You might also consider upgrading to macOS Monterey, Apple’s latest operating system. It brings new features and it could have a positive impact on your Mac’s battery life. For more on macOS Monterey, take a look at our walkthrough.

Update Your Apps

A new version of an app could help alleviate the battery life issues you’re currently seeing.

Check for updates in the Mac App Store. If you’re feeling leery, you’ll want to dig into reviews from Mac users that are currently running macOS Big Sur.

You’ll also want to click on the battery icon in the upper right corner of your Mac. If you see an app “Using Significant Energy” you’ll want to check with that developer to see if there’s update, an update planned, or a known issue with macOS Big Sur.

Use Battery Usage History

The macOS Big Sur update gets rid of the “Energy Saver” section of your computer’s System Preferences. In its place is a new “Battery” section with better reporting capabilities.

Here you’ll notice a new Usage History feature. Usage History gives you details about your Mac’s battery life over the last 24 hours or the last 10 days.

It’s broken into Battery Level and Screen On Usage so you’re able to see how your battery is performing. If the readouts are way off, you might need to get into contact with Apple customer service.

You’ll also notice new Battery and Power Adapter sections. Here you can select when to turn your Mac’s display off, turn power nap on or off, and more.

You’ll also notice a battery icon in the menu. If you click it, you’ll get an estimate on your Mac’s remaining battery life.

Reset PRAM and NVRAM

This next step is a little more involved, but it can fix annoying battery life issues.

Try resetting the PRAM and NVRAM on your MacBook. This resets some settings, but does not delete your Mac’s data. You will need to set up speaker, screen resolution and some other settings after you do this, but there’s a chance it fixes your battery life issues.

Here’s how to do this:

1. Shut down your Mac.
2. Turn on your MacBook.
3. Press and hold the Command, Option, P, R keys at the same time right after the startup sound.
4. Hold until the computer reboots and you hear the startup sound again.

If you have the 2016 MacBook Pro or newer you need to hold these keys as soon as you turn your MacBook Pro on and hold them for 20 seconds.

Note that the steps might be different on Apple’s new 2020 MacBooks.

Reset SMC

You can also try resetting the SMC on your Mac. It only takes a minute and you might help you avoid a trip to the Apple Store.

The process varies across Apple’s MacBook models, but for most you can use these directions:

1. Choose Apple menu > Shut Down.
2. After your Mac shuts down, press Shift-Control-Option on the left side of the built-in keyboard, then press the power button at the same time.
3. Hold these keys and the power button for 10 seconds. If you have a MacBook Pro with Touch ID, the Touch ID button is also the power button.
4. Release all keys.
5. Press the power button again to turn on your Mac.

If you’re using a 2018 model or a newer MacBook Pro, you should follow the directions on this page, which can help complete these tasks.

Install macOS Monterey 12.7.4 for Better Security

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If security is important to you, think about installing the macOS Monterey 12.7.4 update right away. macOS Monterey 12.7.4's purpose is to help protect your Mac and its data from harm. This makes it an essential download for most Mac users. The software has 20+ security patches on board.  As for older updates, macOS Monterey 12.7.3 delivered a total of nine security patches to Macs macOS Monterey 12.7.2 featured several security patches and macOS Monterey 12.7.1 addressed 11 security issues.  macOS Monterey 12.6.7 through macOS Monterey 12.7 all had security fixes on board and you can learn more about all of them if you head here. macOS Monterey 12.6.6 had 20+ security patches on board making it an extremely important release from Apple. If you want to learn more about the changes, head on over to Apple's website. macOS Monterey 12.6.5 brought a fix for an actively exploited vulnerability. If you want to learn more, head over here.   macOS Monterey 12.6.4 brought important security patches to Macs as well. For more about these fixes, check out Apple's guide. macOS Monterey 12.6.3 delivered 14 new security updates. If you want to dig into these patches, head right here. The macOS Monterey 12.6.2 update brought several security patches to Macs and  you can read more about them right here on Apple's security site. macOS Monterey 12.6.1 update had three very important security patches on board while macOS Monterey 12.6 brought eight security patches to Macs.  For more information about these changes, check out Apple's rundown. macOS Monterey 12.5.1 had a pair of important security patches on board and you can read about them in detail right here. The macOS Monterey 12.5 update brought 50 important security patches with it and they will help protect you and your device from harm. If you want to learn more, head over to Apple's website.  macOS Monterey 12.4 delivered 50+ security patches. If you're interested in the details, you'll want to head on over to the company's security site. macOS Monterey 12.3.1 brought two security patches to Mac users. You can read more about them over on Apple's website.  Apple's macOS Monterey 12.3 update had 40+ security patches on board. If you want to learn more about these upgrades, you can check the particulars over on Apple's security site. The macOS Monterey 12.2.1 update brought an important patch to Mac users. You can learn more about the patch over at Apple's security site.  Apple's macOS Monterey 12.2 update had 13 security patches on board. If you're interested in the details, head on over to Apple's website to learn more. macOS Monterey 12.1 included 40+ new security patches to Macs. You can read all about them over on the company's security site.  Microsoft says it discovered a new 'Powerdir' vulnerability lurking in macOS. Powerdir allows "an attacker to bypass the operating system’s Transparency, Consent, and Control (TCC) technology, thereby gaining unauthorized access to a user’s protected data." Fortunately, Apple patched up the issue in macOS Monterey 12.1.  macOS Monterey 12.1 also included some important upgrades to privacy. The software delivered Apple's communication safety features for kids. You'll find these features in the Messages app, in Siri, in Spotlight, and in Search.  If you're moving up from macOS Big Sur, you'll also get macOS Monterey 12.0.1's 30+ security patches when you update. If you're interested in the exact nature of these improvements, you can read about them over on Apple's website. In addition to those patches, the macOS Monterey update comes with additional security and privacy upgrades. If you're an Apple Card user, you'll now get a security code that changes regularly to use when you make online transactions.  Apple's also included a built-in authenticator that's similar to Google Authenticator. This will let you generate verification codes for enhanced sign-in security under your Passwords. New Mail Privacy Protection helps prevent senders from tracking your Mail activity and there's a new recording indicator in Control Center for apps that are accessing your mic.

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