macOS Big Sur Adds Battery Usage History and Brings Back Remaining Battery Estimates - MacRumors
Skip to Content

macOS Big Sur Adds Battery Usage History and Brings Back Remaining Battery Estimates

macOS Big Sur does away with the "Energy Saver" section of System Preferences, replacing it with a new "Battery" section that expands the battery reporting capabilities of the Mac.

macosbigsurbatteryusage
A new Usage History feature provides details on the Mac's battery life over the course of the last 24 hours or the last 10 days, broken down into Battery Level and Screen On Usage so you can see how your battery is performing.

There does not appear to be a detailed rundown on which apps used the battery the most as there is on iOS, but it does provide a better look at how the battery is being consumed over time.

Along with the Usage History section, there are Battery and Power Adapter sections that replace the functionality that was previously available through Energy Saver. You can choose when to turn the display off, enable or disable power nap, and more, with the settings split for battery usage and usage when connected to power. The schedule feature is also present.

macosbigsurbatterysettings
In the menu bar, clicking the battery icon now provides an estimate of remaining battery life, a feature that was removed from macOS Sierra back in 2016. At the time, Apple said that the battery life indicator in macOS Sierra was inaccurate and led to confusion about battery performance.

macosbigsurtimeremaining
The menu bar battery icon also displays apps that are using significant energy, as in macOS Catalina, and it provides an option for opening up Battery Preferences. There does not appear to be an option to display current battery life percentage right in the menu bar, however.

macOS Big Sur is limited to developers at the current time, but Apple plans to make a public beta available this July ahead of when the software sees a full release in the fall.

Related Forum: macOS Big Sur

Popular Stories

MacBook Pro Low Angle Wide Lens

Apple to Launch 'MacBook Ultra' With These Six New Features

Friday April 24, 2026 10:32 am PDT by
While the 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro were just updated with M5 Pro and M5 Max chips last month, bigger changes are reportedly around the corner. According to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, the higher-end MacBook Pro models will be receiving a major redesign by early 2027, and he said that Apple might use "MacBook Ultra" branding for them. If so, the MacBook Ultra would likely be a...
Apple TV Thumb 3

Here's What's Coming in the 2026 Apple TV

Thursday April 23, 2026 12:08 pm PDT by
There are a lot of folks waiting for a new version of the Apple TV because the set-top box hasn't been updated since 2022. There is an update coming this year, but people will need to wait a bit longer because Apple is holding the next Apple TV until the new version of Siri comes out this fall. Design Apple TV design updates don't happen often, and that's not changing in 2026. The next...
Dynamic Island iPhone 18 Pro Feature

This Is What the iPhone 18 Pro Looks Like

Saturday April 25, 2026 10:00 am PDT by
A recent leak provides our best look yet at the design of Apple's upcoming iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max models. Leaker Sonny Dickson recently shared images of the first iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 18 Pro Max, and foldable iPhone dummy models. The images largely conform with rumors about the designs of the three devices and provide the first real visual confirmation of how they will look. ...

Top Rated Comments

76 months ago
Who came up with that battery icon. Ugliest thing I’ve seen in years!
Score: 95 Votes (Like | Disagree)
76 months ago
That battery icon is awful.
Score: 63 Votes (Like | Disagree)
sunapple Avatar
76 months ago
Looks like a free add-supported app from some sketchy website.
Score: 54 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Squuiid Avatar
76 months ago
Ugliest screen in the whole OS. What the hell happened to Apple design? Ive? ...Ive? Oh, that’s right, he’s gone.
Score: 52 Votes (Like | Disagree)
gemoritzt Avatar
76 months ago
Yup the battery icon is just awful. They can’t be serious with this one.
Score: 45 Votes (Like | Disagree)
76 months ago
Gawd that Icon, amongst many other bad ones in this iOSification of MacOS
Score: 28 Votes (Like | Disagree)