From completing big work projects to reading the news and watching movies, chances are you spend much of your day on the computer. On average, your MacBook® battery can stay charged for around 10 hours or more, powering your various activities. If it's underperforming, or you're simply looking to squeeze a couple more hours out of it, try out these power-saving tips.

How to Make Your MacBook Battery Last Longer

1. Dim Screen Brightness

Keeping your screen brightness high is hard on your battery and your eyes. Dial it down to about half of the brightness meter to make your eyes more comfortable and get a nice chunk of extra time.

Go to System Preferences > Energy Saver to set your display to dim as power decreases and shut off after inactivity. Another trick is to go to Preferences > Display to turn off auto-brightness; that way, your screen won't adjust to ambient conditions, which wastes battery life in some environments.

2. Turn Off Bluetooth® & Wi-Fi

If you're not using Bluetooth devices, such as headphones or a keyboard, turn the function off to save power. You can do this by clicking on the Bluetooth symbol on your menu bar. 

Similarly, if you're not actively surfing the internet, turn off your Wi-Fi by clicking the symbol on the menu bar. Even if you're referencing a couple of webpages, you can load them prior to switching it off and continue to view them without an internet connection.

3. Check Power Usage of Apps

Applications can use a significant portion of your battery. In some cases, this is because you're actively using them. However, they might be running in the background because you forgot to close them.

Click the battery icon on the menu bar to find out which ones are using significant energy. Open the Activity Monitor app to find out the energy impact of each application. As you use the MacBook throughout the day, make it a habit to fully close any inactive apps. Do this by clicking on one, saving any changes, and pressing Command+Q.

Even after following these tips, your MacBook battery might not perform like it used to. Go to Experimax Haymarket in Prince William County, VA, for a battery replacement. In addition to completing repairs with minimal waiting, they buy and sell Apple® products at competitive prices. With quality warranties and flexible financing, they put customer satisfaction first. Call (571) 342-3550 to discuss your laptop and learn more about their computer repair services online.