How to see which app uses the most energy on a Mac
Open Activity Monitor, click the Energy tab, and click the Energy Impact heading to sort. The app at the top is using the most energy right now. On a Mac laptop the 12 hr Power column shows the average over the last 12 hours or since startup.
Steps
- Open Activity Monitor and click Energy.
- Look at the list of apps above, and the energy information at the bottom.
- Click a column heading to sort, for example Energy Impact.
The columns, as Apple names them
- Energy Impact: the app’s current energy consumption relative to other apps. Lower is better.
- 12 hr Power: the app’s average energy impact over the last 12 hours or since startup. It appears only on Mac laptops. Lower is better.
- App Nap: whether App Nap is active for the app.
- Graphics Card: whether the app needs a high performance graphics card. It appears only on Macs with one or more graphics cards.
- Preventing Sleep: whether the app is keeping your Mac from sleeping.
- User: the user name running the process.
The number is a relative measure, so compare apps against each other rather than reading it as watts or a percentage.
Battery details at the bottom
On a Mac laptop, the bottom area shows Remaining charge, Time until full and Time on AC while plugged in, or Time remaining and Time on battery while unplugged. The Battery (Last 12 hours) graph shows the charge level over 12 hours.
What you can do
Apple’s battery saving advice says to quit apps you are not using, because background apps can still use energy. If an app shows a high number and you do not need it, quit it. The Preventing Sleep column shows which apps are keeping your Mac from sleeping.
Other items on Apple’s list include lowering display brightness, turning off Bluetooth and WiFi when you do not need them, and disconnecting unused accessories. The Low Power Mode tip covers the energy mode setting, and battery health covers wear.
NotchStar’s part
NotchStar’s System tool shows totals only, with no per app or per process breakdown. It cannot tell you which app drains your battery. Use Activity Monitor for that. It samples readings once a second and only while its tab is open.
