ChargeGuard: the all-in-one charge limiter for your MacBook.
Charging to 100 % every day is what wears a battery out. ChargeGuard holds the charge where you want it, keeps the battery cool, and shows you what is really going on.
100 % free and open source. No account, no ads.
Extend battery life and protect your MacBook
A battery parked at 100 % ages faster than one kept around 80 %. ChargeGuard sets a charge limit, pauses charging when the battery runs hot, and discharges to a safer level when you ask it to. It runs as a small menu bar app with a helper that keeps the limit even when the app is closed.
23 features, all included.
- Charge control
Set a limit and forget it
Pick a percentage from 20 to 100. ChargeGuard stops charging there and only resumes a couple of percent lower, so the battery is never held at full.
- Charge control
Discharge while plugged in
Run on battery with the adapter connected to bring a full battery down to your limit, by hand or automatically when you lower the limit.
- Protection
Heat Protection
Charging a hot battery wears it out fastest. Above the temperature you choose, charging pauses and resumes once the battery has cooled down.
- Maintenance
Calibration Mode
Once a month, let ChargeGuard charge to 100 %, hold, discharge to 15 % and charge back up, so the percentage you see stays accurate.
- Charge control
Sailing Mode
Instead of trickle-charging at the limit, let the battery drift a few percent below it before charging again. Fewer micro-cycles, longer life.
- Insights
Stats and Power Flow
Cycle count, capacity, health, temperature and a live diagram of where the power goes: adapter, system or battery.
ChargeGuard supports MacBooks with Apple silicon. Intel MacBooks use different charging controls and are not supported. Find your model below.
Not sure which model you have? Open the Apple menu and choose About This Mac.
Open source
MIT licensed
23 features
100 % included
ChargeGuard is free and open source. If it keeps your battery healthier, a star on GitHub or a review helps others find it.
Star on GitHubChargeGuard is free and open source, and it stays that way. Download it, install the helper once, and keep every feature. No account, no trial, no ads.
Support the project
ChargeGuard has no price tag and no ads. If it's looking after your battery, these are the ways to give something back.
Sponsorships go through GitHub. Any amount helps.
Every change is one command away from the macOS default: Restore normal charging in the menu,
chargectl restorein Terminal, or simply a reboot.ChargeGuard probes the charging keys at launch and falls back to adapter control when Apple locks them, so it keeps working, with a notice, instead of silently charging to 100 %.
MacBooks with Apple silicon on macOS 14 or later. See the list above.