How to get a notification when your MacBook battery reaches 80%
On macOS Tahoe you can build it yourself: in the Shortcuts app, create an automation for Battery Level › Rises Above 80% that shows a notification. If you’d rather have charging stop at 80%, Macs with Apple silicon on macOS Tahoe 26.4 or later have Charge Limit in System Settings › Battery. On older macOS versions and on Intel MacBooks, a menu bar app such as BatteryGuard sends the reminder and also shows your charger’s wattage.
Updated
1. A Shortcuts automation (macOS Tahoe)
Free and built in. Works on MacBooks with macOS Tahoe 26 or later, which added the Battery Level trigger to Shortcuts on Mac.
- Open the Shortcuts app and click Automation in the sidebar.
- Create a new automation and choose Battery Level, then Rises Above, and set it to 80%.
- Add the Show Notification action and type a message such as “Unplug now”. If Shortcuts offers it, let the automation run without asking.
It runs each time the level crosses 80%. If you miss the notification, it doesn’t remind you again.
2. Stop charging at 80% with Charge Limit
Free and built in. Needs a Mac with Apple silicon and macOS Tahoe 26.4 or later. There’s no notification: the Mac simply stops charging.
- Choose Apple menu › System Settings, then click Battery in the sidebar.
- Click the info button next to Charging.
- Choose a Charge Limit of 80%, then click Done.
According to Apple, the battery menu then shows “Charged to 80% Limit”, and the Mac occasionally charges to 100% to keep its battery estimates accurate.
3. BatteryGuard (macOS 14 and later, Intel too)
$4.99 once. For macOS Sonoma and Sequoia, Intel MacBooks, or if you want a reminder that repeats until you unplug and the charger’s wattage in the menu bar.
- Open BatteryGuard and allow notifications when macOS asks.
- Choose Keep it between 20% and 80%.
- That’s it. Change the levels or turn repeats off in Settings › Alerts.
Why people stop at 80%
Lithium-ion batteries wear faster when they spend a long time fully charged, especially when they’re warm. That’s the reasoning behind Apple’s Optimized Battery Charging and Charge Limit. If your MacBook is plugged in most of the day, unplugging at 80% is the same idea done by hand.
Questions
Can a Mac notify me at 80% without an app?
On macOS Tahoe 26, yes: use a Shortcuts automation with the Battery Level trigger. Earlier versions of macOS have no built-in way.
My MacBook stops at 80% by itself. Why?
Optimized Battery Charging or Charge Limit is on. Both are in System Settings › Battery, behind the info button next to Charging. The battery menu offers “Charge to Full Now” when you need 100%.
Is a reminder as good as Charge Limit?
Only if you unplug when it fires. Charge Limit stops charging even when you’re away from the Mac, so use it if your Mac supports it.
Sources
- What’s new in Shortcuts for macOS 26 — Apple Support
- About Optimized Battery Charging and Charge Limit on Mac — Apple Support