How Long Do MacBooks Last? 13 Smart Tips to Extend the Life of your Mac
Apple sold about $47 billion worth of iPads, Macs, and MacBooks last year alone. If you’ve recently bought a new MacBook or you’re thinking about one, you might be wondering, "How long do MacBooks last?"
Apple is known for slowing down its devices, like iPhones. In contrast, its computers tend to have a lengthy lifespan.
Of course, if you want to protect your investment, you can try out some of these great tips. They’ll help you extend the life of your Mac and keep it working longer.
1. Keep Your Mac Clean
Treating your new MacBook the right way will help you prolong its life. One of the first steps for how to take care of MacBook and other Apple products is to keep them clean, physically.
Dust and dirt can build up in your MacBook, which can cause it to overheat. This may cause the fan to run more often, as well as putting your laptop at risk of damage. Internal components could be harmed by overheating.
Your laptop will last longer if you take the time to clean the ports and the fan every now and then.
2. Help Your MacBook Keep Its Cool
Besides cleaning up your MacBook, there are a couple of other steps you should take to help it keep its cool.
First, keep in mind that Macs are designed to operate at certain temperatures. If you’re working outside on a scorching summer day, then your Mac might overheat and shut down.
Even putting your Mac in the sun can cause it to get too warm. Instead, look for a nice, cool place to set up your workstation. Your Mac will last longer and work more efficiently.
3. Perform Regular Maintenance
Another tip for how to extend the life of your Mac is to make sure you’re performing regular maintenance. This includes cleaning it up physically.
Maintenance can also include cleaning up your disk and getting rid of old files. You may want to archive them or delete them altogether.
You can also use Disk Utility to check for damaged files. You may be able to repair some of them.
4. Stay on Top of Updates
Software updates are another part of regular maintenance. You may try to avoid them, because they’ll shut your MacBook down for long periods, but they are important.
Updates help your computer run software more efficiently. It also improves security, which can extend the length of your MacBook’s life.
5. Check Your Battery Cycles
The battery on a MacBook is often a concern for new Mac owners. Batteries do have certain lifespans, but it has to do with how many cycles they’ve run.
You can always check in on how many cycles your MacBook’s battery is at by heading to “System Information.” From there, select “Hardware.” Then choose “Power.”
You should see quite a bit of information about the battery. Under “Health Information,” you’ll see the cycle count.
6. Give MacBook a Break
Another tip for keeping your MacBook in good working order is to make sure you give it a break every now and then.
Plenty of people leave their computers on overnight or never shut them down at all. This can cause your laptop to run slower, since it puts more wear and tear on the components.
Instead, give your MacBook a break by shutting it down every now and then.
7. Make the Battery Do Some Work
It’s also not great to leave your MacBook on the charger. Even if you never go anywhere with your MacBook, it’s a good idea to give the battery some exercise every now and then.
Leaving the MacBook plugged in leads to a reduction in battery capacity. That means you’ll get fewer cycles and need a replacement sooner. Just by unplugging the power cord, you can extend the battery’s life.
8. Keep Your Desktop Tidy
“Keep your desktop tidy” might sound like a tip designed by your mother to trick you into organizing your files a little more. It’s actually a good way to keep your computer in good working order.
How do your desktop organizational skills play into your MacBook’s lifespan? Tidying up a little can lighten the load on your RAM.
If you have files scattered all over the desktop, they’re eating into the computer’s working memory. As a result, you may notice your computer is running slower.
Try organizing some of your files and watch your MacBook get back up to speed.
9. See If You Can Upgrade the Hardware
Of course, tidying up your desktop won’t always give you the magical speed boost you need. Depending on the age of the computer, you may be able to upgrade some parts.
In some pre-2018 MacBooks, you may be able to replace individual components. Unfortunately, this isn't the case with many MacBook models produced since 2018.
Most of these newer Macs use integrated components. That means individual components can't be upgraded. Instead, you'd need to replace the logic board.
This is definitely not a DIY project, so you'll want to get in touch with the experts.
10. Protect Your Peripherals
Take some steps to protect your peripherals, like your keyboard. If you eat or drink near the keyboard, there’s a good chance it will take some damage.
A keyboard cover can help keep crumbs, dust, and other debris away from the keys. Silicon port covers can help you protect the computer from humidity and dust.
You may even want to make sure you’re storing your computer’s charging cable the right way. Doing so can reduce strain and prevent fraying.
11. Free Up Some Space
You should always aim to have a little bit of free space on your hard drive. If your disk is approaching full, consider some steps to free up space:
Delete old files you no longer need
Clean up temporary Internet files, cookies, and more
Empty the trash
Offload and archive old files you want to keep
Remove old programs you don’t use
Freeing up some memory should help your computer run faster.
12. Backup and Restore
Creating a backup is another good step. It can help you offload and archive files, or it can help you if you ever have damaged files.
A backup is also useful if you decide to refresh the computer. Refreshing, or resetting the MacBook, can help you prolong its life by helping you run a fresh copy of the latest operating system.
13. Ask the Experts, "How Long Do MacBooks Last?"
Finally, you can always consult with the experts about how long your MacBook should last. They should be able to give you some great advice about what you can do to keep the device in good working order.
You may even want to bring it in for regular maintenance to keep everything in shipshape.
A MacBook Built to Last
You asked, “How long do MacBooks last?” The answer is that they can last a long time, provided you give them proper care. With these 13 tips in hand, you and your MacBook should have a long, happy relationship ahead.
Is your MacBook not working the way it should? Get in touch with the experts. A simple solution could be right at your fingertips.