When you are using a MacBook unplugged from the wall, macOS will eventually interrupt your workflow with a prominent, screen-dimming notification: “Low Battery: Your Mac will sleep soon unless plugged into a power outlet.” This typically happens when you reach 10% battery life.
If you are fully aware of your battery status because you actively monitor the percentage icon in the menu bar, this sudden, screen-stealing alert is an unnecessary disruption—especially if you are giving a live presentation, recording a screencast, or in the middle of a delicate Photoshop edit. You cannot disable this warning from the standard System Settings, but you can silence it using the terminal.
How to Disable the Low Battery Warning
You can use the built-in pmset (Power Management Settings) command-line tool to suppress the alert.
- Open the Terminal app on your MacBook. (Press Command + Space and type “Terminal”).
- Copy and paste the following exact command into the terminal window:
sudo pmset -a lowpowermode 0 - (Note: Depending on your specific macOS version and hardware, you may need to use this alternative command instead:
sudo defaults write /Library/Preferences/com.apple.iokit.AmbientLightSensor "Low Battery Warning" -bool false) - Press Enter.
- Type your Mac administrator password (your keystrokes will be invisible) and press Enter again.
The system will no longer generate the intrusive dialogue box when your battery drops below the threshold. It is now entirely your responsibility to monitor the battery icon in the top-right corner to ensure your MacBook does not unexpectedly die while you are working.
How to Restore the Battery Warning
If you find that you are frequently letting your Mac die by accident without the warning, you can easily restore the default behaviour.
- Open the Terminal app.
- Run the following command:
sudo pmset -a lowpowermode 1 - Press Enter, type your password, and press Enter again.