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How to Check Laptop Battery Health on Windows, Mac and Linux
A laptop battery wears a little with every charge cycle, so after a few years it holds less charge than it did when new. Checking battery health tells you how much capacity is left, whether a short runtime is the battery or your settings, and whether a replacement makes sense. It is also one of the first things to check when you buy a refurbished laptop. The good news: Windows, macOS and Linux all have built-in tools, and none of them need extra software.
powercfg /batteryreport and compare Full Charge Capacity with Design Capacity. On a Mac, go to System Settings, then Battery, and click the info button next to Battery Health to see Maximum Capacity.Key takeaways
- Battery health is the battery’s current full charge capacity as a percentage of its original design capacity.
- Windows has a hidden battery report that shows both numbers and the cycle count on many laptops.
- macOS shows Maximum Capacity and a service recommendation when the battery is worn.
- Manufacturer tools from Lenovo, HP and Dell show health and can run battery diagnostics.
- Many manufacturers consider a battery worn once it falls to around 80% of its design capacity, but a laptop is still usable below that.
How to check battery health on Windows 10 and 11
Windows can generate a detailed battery report. It works on most Windows laptops, including HP EliteBook, Lenovo ThinkPad and Dell Latitude models.
- Right-click the Start button and choose Terminal, Windows PowerShell or Command Prompt.
- Type
powercfg /batteryreportand press Enter. - Windows saves a file called battery-report.html and shows where it saved it, usually your user folder, for example C:\Users\YourName.
- Open the file in your browser.
To save the report somewhere easier to find, use powercfg /batteryreport /output "C:\battery-report.html".
How to read the Windows battery report
| Section | What it tells you |
|---|---|
| Design Capacity | How much energy the battery held when it was new, in mWh |
| Full Charge Capacity | How much it holds now when fully charged |
| Cycle Count | How many full charge cycles it has done. Some laptops leave this blank |
| Battery capacity history | How the full charge capacity has changed over time |
| Battery life estimates | Estimated runtime at full charge now compared with at design capacity |
Work out the health percentage: divide Full Charge Capacity by Design Capacity and multiply by 100. For example, a battery with a design capacity of 50 000 mWh and a full charge capacity of 42 000 mWh is at 84% health.
How to check battery health on a MacBook
- Open the Apple menu and choose System Settings.
- Click Battery in the sidebar.
- Next to Battery Health, click the info button to see the condition and Maximum Capacity.
A condition of Normal means the battery is working as expected. Service Recommended means its capacity has dropped noticeably. To see the cycle count, hold the Option key, open the Apple menu, choose System Information, then select Power under Hardware. Older versions of macOS show similar information under System Preferences.
How to check battery health on Linux
Open a terminal and run upower -e to list power devices, then upower -i followed by the battery path, usually ending in BAT0. Compare energy-full with energy-full-design. Many distributions also show a capacity percentage directly.
Manufacturer battery tools
| Brand | Where to look |
|---|---|
| Lenovo ThinkPad | Lenovo Vantage shows battery health and lets you set charge thresholds to reduce wear |
| HP EliteBook and ProBook | HP Support Assistant and HP PC Hardware Diagnostics include a battery check |
| Dell Latitude | Dell SupportAssist and the battery information in the BIOS setup show battery health |
What is a good battery health percentage?
| Health | What it means in practice |
|---|---|
| 90% and above | Very close to new |
| 80% to 90% | Normal for a laptop that has been used for a while. Most users will not notice a big difference |
| 60% to 80% | Noticeably shorter runtime. Fine if you mostly work plugged in |
| Below 60% | Consider a replacement battery if you need to work unplugged |
These bands are a practical guide, not a manufacturer standard. Runtime also depends on the screen brightness, the processor and what you are doing. Our guide to improving battery life on a refurbished laptop covers the settings that make the biggest difference.
Signs your laptop battery needs replacing
- The laptop shuts down suddenly at 10% to 30% charge.
- Windows shows a “Consider replacing your battery” warning, or macOS shows “Service Recommended”.
- The charge percentage jumps or drops suddenly.
- The battery or the case around it is swollen. Stop using the laptop and have the battery replaced, as a swollen battery is a safety risk.
Checking the battery when you buy a refurbished laptop
When buying a refurbished or second-hand laptop, ask about battery condition and check it yourself with the steps above when the laptop arrives. A healthy business laptop battery is especially useful during load shedding, as our guide to the best refurbished laptops for load shedding explains. Read what warranties come with refurbished laptops and our return policy so you know what is covered, and see our tips for buying a second-hand laptop for the other checks worth doing.
Frequently asked questions
How do I check my laptop battery health in Windows 11?
Open Terminal or Command Prompt, run powercfg /batteryreport, open the battery-report.html file it creates, and compare Full Charge Capacity with Design Capacity.
Does Windows have a battery health percentage?
Windows does not show a single health percentage in Settings, but the battery report gives you the two numbers you need to work it out.
How many charge cycles does a laptop battery last?
It varies by battery and manufacturer. Apple rates many recent MacBook batteries to retain up to 80% of their original capacity at 1 000 cycles. Check your laptop’s specifications for its rating.
Can I replace the battery in a business laptop?
Yes. Most business laptops, including ThinkPad, EliteBook and Latitude models, have batteries that a technician can replace.
Looking for a laptop with plenty of life left? Browse our refurbished laptops or contact our team for help choosing.