Mac Battery Draining Too Fast on macOS Mojave? Here’s How to Fix It

Noticing your MacBook’s battery draining unusually fast after updating to macOS Mojave? You’re not alone. Battery drain issues can often show up after an update — usually because of rogue apps, background processes, or settings that aren’t optimized. Before assuming it’s a hardware problem, try these tips to save your Mac’s battery and keep it running longer.

1. Force Restart Your Mac

A simple reboot can clear out temporary bugs that may be eating your battery.

Press and hold Command + Control + Power button until your Mac turns off and restarts.
Or click the Apple Menu > Restart > confirm by clicking Restart.

Once restarted, monitor your battery performance over the next few hours.

2. Update macOS and Your Apps

Software updates often include critical bug fixes — including ones that improve battery life.

To update macOS:

Go to Apple menu > System Preferences > Software Update
Click Update Now (or More Info for details)

To update apps:

Open the App Store
Click Updates and install anything listed

After updating, restart your Mac to apply the changes.

3. Check for Battery-Hungry Apps

Some apps may be hogging power in the background.

Open Finder > Applications > Utilities > Activity Monitor
Click the Energy tab
Look for apps with high “Energy Impact”

If you find one using way more power than it should, delete it or reinstall it with the latest version.

4. Reset SMC (System Management Controller)

Resetting the SMC can fix power, charging, and battery issues:

Shut down your Mac.
Press and hold the Power button for 10 seconds.
Release and wait a few more seconds.
Press the Power button again to turn it back on.

For Intel Macs with T2 chips, the reset may differ slightly — let me know if you want those instructions too.

Battery-Saving Settings to Change

Here are a few settings you can tweak to help your battery go the extra mile:

5. Turn Off Auto-Updates

Background update checks use energy.

Go to System Preferences > App Store
Uncheck options for auto-installing updates and system data

6. Disable Location Services

Only enable this when you need it.

Go to System Preferences > Security & Privacy > Privacy > Location Services
Click the lock to make changes
Uncheck Location Services, or disable it for specific apps

7. Turn Off iCloud Photo Features

Photo syncing can eat through power.

Go to System Preferences > iCloud > Photos > Options
Uncheck iCloud Photo Library, My Photo Stream, and iCloud Photo Sharing

8. Reduce Transparency & Motion Effects

These visual effects look cool — but cost battery life.

Go to System Preferences > Accessibility > Display
Enable Reduce Motion and Reduce Transparency

9. Use Energy Saver Settings

Your Mac has a built-in energy-saving mode.

Go to System Preferences > Energy Saver
Set display and hard drive sleep timers to shorter intervals

Also, close any unused browser tabs — every extra tab uses more CPU and battery.

Still Draining Too Fast? Try These Advanced Fixes

Reset All Settings via a clean user account
Create a test user to rule out profile-specific issues
Boot into Safe Mode to check third-party extension impact
Run Apple Diagnostics to test hardware: Restart your Mac and hold D during boot

Consider a Genius Bar Appointment

If the battery drain continues after all these steps, the problem might be hardware-related. Book an appointment with Apple Support or visit an authorized service provider to get your battery tested — especially if your Mac is still under warranty.