By default, the top menu bar on a new Mac displays a tiny, graphical battery icon. While this small picture gives you a rough, vague idea of whether your computer is fully charged or nearing empty, it is incredibly difficult to tell the difference between 30% and 15% at a glance. If you are working in a coffee shop without your charger, you need precise data to know exactly how much working time you have left. Apple allows you to turn on a permanent, numerical percentage indicator, but the setting is slightly hidden.
How to Enable the Battery Percentage
In older versions of macOS, you could simply click the battery icon itself to find this setting. In modern versions (macOS Ventura, Sonoma, and newer), the setting has been moved deep into the Control Center preferences.
- Click the Apple Logo in the top left corner of your screen.
- Select System Settings from the dropdown menu.
- In the left-hand sidebar, scroll down and click on Control Center.
- On the right side of the screen, scroll down until you find the section labeled Battery.
- Look for the toggle switch labeled Show Percentage and click it to turn it On (the switch will turn blue).
The change is instantaneous. If you look at the top right corner of your screen, you will now see a precise, numerical value (e.g., “78%”) sitting directly to the left of the small battery icon.
Extra Tip: Checking Battery Health
While you are thinking about your battery, it is always a good idea to check its overall physical health. Batteries chemically degrade over time, and a battery that is five years old will not hold as much power as it did on day one.
To check this, stay in the System Settings app, but click on Battery in the left-hand sidebar. On the right side, look for the “Battery Health” section. If it says “Normal,” your Mac is in perfect working order. If you click the small “i” icon next to it, macOS will reveal your “Maximum Capacity” percentage, letting you know exactly how much physical degradation the battery has experienced since it left the factory.