macOS Tahoe 26.4 Beta Adds Adjustable 'Charge Limit' for MacBook Batteries

Apple is adding more granular battery controls to the Mac with the first beta of macOS Tahoe 26.4. A new "Charge Limit" feature lets users set a hard ceiling on battery capacity, preventing the system from charging to 100 percent even when it stays plugged in for extended periods.



The option appears in the Battery section of System Settings. Click the "i" button next to Charging to reveal a slider that lets you choose a limit between 80 and 100 percent in 5 percent increments. Unlike Optimized Battery Charging, which learns your routine and delays charging past 80 percent until just before you typically unplug, this setting enforces a strict cap.


Optimized Battery Charging uses on-device machine learning to understand daily usage patterns. Charge Limit, by contrast, is entirely manual. Once enabled, the battery will not exceed the selected percentage regardless of your schedule. That can help reduce chemical aging for Macs that spend most of their time connected to power.

Apple introduced a similar feature with the iPhone 15, allowing users to cap charging at 80 percent to extend battery lifespan. macOS Tahoe 26.4 expands on that concept with added flexibility thanks to the adjustable slider. The change appears in the first developer beta of macOS Tahoe 26.4, released yesterday alongside updates for iOS and iPadOS.

You can check out what's new in iOS 26.4 beta 1 here.

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