Apple is adding a new Battery Health Management feature to the latest version of macOS Catalina. The arrival of 10.15.5 will bring the new feature, which is designed to increase the overall lifespan of MacBook batteries by reducing the maximum charge in certain instances.
Rather than focusing on things like specific app usage, the feature determines battery health based on charging patterns and temperature history. That means if you’re the kind of user who constantly has their laptop plugged in during use (as a majority of us currently do, thanks to stay at home orders), you may be the prime target.
The feature is designed to primarily operate in the background, though users will be able to toggle it on and off in the Energy Saver Preferences under Settings. It’s designed to have a limited impact on device charging time. No word on how it will ultimately impact the battery’s lifespan. System performance, on the other hand, should be unaffected.
The feature is rolling out as part of the developer seed today and will be included in the final version of 10.15.5. It’s compatible with all MacBook models sporting Thunderbolt 3.