If your Mac shows Service Recommended under battery condition, it does not mean the machine is about to fail. It means the battery no longer holds a charge the way it did when it was new, or that it is not behaving normally.
Apple itself says you can keep using your Mac, and that you only need to have it checked if it gets in the way of your day. The message is information, not an alarm.
Where to find the message
Hold Option and click the Apple menu, choose System Information, and find Power in the list. The condition is listed under battery information. On newer macOS you can also find it under System Settings, Battery, and then the info icon next to Battery Health.
The four conditions you may see:
- Normal: the battery is behaving as it should.
- Service Recommended: capacity has dropped noticeably, or the battery is behaving irregularly.
- Replace Soon and Replace Now: older macOS versions used these two steps instead.
What Apple actually promises about the battery
A MacBook battery is designed to retain up to 80 percent of its original capacity at 1000 complete charge cycles. A cycle is not the same as a charge: it only counts once you have used a total of 100 percent of the battery’s capacity, no matter how many times you plugged in along the way.
Once your Mac has reached its maximum cycle count, the battery is considered consumed. It still holds a charge, just less of it, and that is typically when the message appears.
So when should the battery be replaced?
Apple has no official percentage at which the battery must be replaced. It is a judgement call, and these three things matter most:
- You cannot work without a power outlet nearby. This is the clearest sign. If your laptop has effectively become a desktop, the battery has lost its purpose.
- The machine shuts down suddenly even though it shows charge remaining.
- The battery is swelling. Stop using it. A swollen battery can press on the trackpad and screen, and it needs replacing, not monitoring. Put it somewhere away from anything flammable and have it looked at.
If you see none of these and the machine otherwise runs fine, there is no reason to rush. The message will not go away by itself, but it does not come with a deadline either.
What a battery replacement costs
The price depends on the model, because the battery sits differently and costs differently from machine to machine. You see the price for your model in our price calculator as soon as you pick it. It includes VAT, travel and the part, and it is fixed before you book.
Is it worth it?
The rule of thumb we use ourselves: if the machine is otherwise fast enough for what you do, and it has two to three years left in it, a battery replacement is cheaper than any other option. If it has also become too slow for your work, the battery price gets added on top of a machine you will have to replace soon anyway.
We also tell you if we think the repair is not worth it. It costs us a job, but it is the right thing to say.