How to turn on Low Power Mode on a Mac
Open System Settings, click Battery (or Energy on a desktop Mac), and under Energy Mode choose Low Power from the On battery or On power adapter pop up menu. Apple says Low Power Mode reduces energy use to extend battery life. You can pick a different mode for battery and for power adapter.
Steps (macOS Ventura or later)
- Choose Apple menu > System Settings.
- Click Battery in the sidebar. On a desktop Mac, click Energy.
- Under Energy Mode, open the On battery or On power adapter pop up menu.
- Choose Low Power, Automatic or High Power.
Apple says that on macOS Sequoia 15.1 or later you can also use Control Center. On macOS Monterey or earlier, open System Preferences, click Battery, select Battery or Power Adapter in the sidebar and choose from the Energy Mode pop up menu. To check the active mode, click the battery or lightning bolt icon in the menu bar.
What each mode does
- Low Power: reduces energy use to extend battery life. On supported models running macOS Sequoia 15.1 or later, Apple says it can also reduce fan noise and power use when the Mac is always on.
- Automatic: the default, which balances energy use and performance.
- High Power: lets the fans run faster for more performance in demanding work, with more fan noise. It is for certain Macs only, such as Pro and Max models.
Which Macs
Apple’s list for Low Power Mode includes MacBook Air (2024 or later), MacBook Pro (2024 or later) and MacBook Pro (2021 to 2023) with a Max chip, among others. For other models the options may differ, and Apple’s page says some options depend on your Mac model. Check the page for your exact Mac.
An older option
An older Apple page shows Low Power Mode as its own pop up menu in the Battery options with the choices Always, Only on Battery and Only on Power Adapter. If you see that menu, it is the same idea on that macOS version.
Other ways to save energy
Apple also suggests turning on Optimized Battery Charging, lowering the display brightness, turning off the display after inactivity, and quitting apps you do not use. To find a hungry app, see which app uses the most energy. For wear, see battery health.
In the notch
NotchStar’s System tool shows the battery level, red when low and green while charging. It does not change the energy mode, so use System Settings or Control Center for that.
