Find out which app is draining your MacBook's battery

Why it happens

Most of the time, one or two apps use far more power than the rest. A busy browser tab, a video call, a game or an app stuck in a loop can keep the processor working hard. Once you know which one it is, quitting it usually brings battery life back.

How to fix it

1. Open Activity Monitor. Press Command-Space, type Activity Monitor and press Return. It also lives in Applications, in the Utilities folder.

2. Click the Energy tab at the top of the window.

   Activity Monitor›Energy

3. Click the Energy Impact column heading so the hungriest apps sit at the top. The 12 hr Power column shows which apps have used the most over the last 12 hours, which helps if the drain happened earlier.

4. Quit an app you don't need right now. Use Command-Q in the app itself, or select it in Activity Monitor, click the stop button (an X in a circle) at the top and choose Quit.

5. For a quick check later, click the battery icon in the menu bar. It lists any apps using significant energy right now.

Activity Monitor's Energy tab is the same on macOS 26 and 27. Only the background list in Login Items & Extensions changed its name: App Background Activity on 26, Background App Activity on 27.

Still not fixed?

1. Browser tabs count separately. If your browser is near the top, close tabs with video, live feeds or heavy pages, then check again.

2. Turn on Low Power Mode to stretch the battery while you work.

   Battery›Low Power Mode

3. Turn off apps you don't need running in the background. On macOS 26 the list is App Background Activity; on macOS 27 it's Background App Activity.

   macOS 26 Tahoe General›Login Items & Extensions›App Background Activity

   macOS 27 Golden Gate General›Login Items & Extensions›Background App Activity

4. Just installed a macOS update? Your Mac indexes files and photos for a day or two afterwards, which uses extra power. Leave it plugged in and give it time.

5. If no app stands out and the battery still drops fast, check Battery Health. If it says Service Recommended, the battery is worn, which is hardware, so contact Apple Support or an Apple Authorized Service Provider.

   Battery›Battery Health