Does quitting apps on Mac save battery?

Answered by Willie Powers

Quitting apps on your Mac can indeed help save battery life. When you have multiple apps running in the background, they continue to consume energy even if you’re not actively using them. By quitting these apps, you ensure that they are no longer running processes and thus not draining your battery unnecessarily.

When an app is running, it utilizes system resources such as the CPU, memory, and network connectivity. These resources require power to function, and if an app is left open and running in the background, it will continue to use battery power even if you’re not actively using it. This can significantly impact your overall battery life, especially if you have multiple resource-intensive apps running simultaneously.

By closing and quitting apps that you aren’t actively using, you free up system resources and reduce the overall power consumption of your Mac. This can help extend your battery life and allow you to use your device for a longer period of time before needing to recharge.

To quit an app on a Mac, you can either click on the app’s name in the menu bar and select “Quit [App Name],” or you can use the keyboard shortcut Command + Q. Alternatively, you can right-click on the app’s icon in the Dock and choose “Quit” from the context menu.

It’s worth noting that some apps may have background processes or services that continue to run even after you’ve quit the main app. In such cases, you may need to manually disable or quit these background processes as well to ensure they’re not consuming unnecessary battery power. You can typically find these processes in the Activity Monitor utility, which can be accessed through the Applications > Utilities folder.

While quitting apps can help save battery life, it’s also important to consider other factors that can affect battery usage. For example, keeping your Mac’s screen brightness at a lower level, reducing keyboard backlighting, and disabling unnecessary wireless connections like Bluetooth or Wi-Fi when not in use can also contribute to conserving battery power.

In my personal experience, I’ve noticed a significant improvement in battery life when I make a conscious effort to quit unused apps on my Mac. Especially when I’m using resource-intensive apps like video editing software or virtual machines, closing them after I’m done significantly extends my battery life. It’s a simple habit that can make a noticeable difference, especially when you’re working on the go and don’t have immediate access to a power source.

Quitting apps on your Mac can indeed save battery life. By closing unused apps, you reduce the overall power consumption of your device and allow it to run more efficiently. It’s a good practice to get into, especially if you rely on your Mac’s battery while on the move. So, make sure to close and quit all apps that you’re not actively using, and enjoy an extended battery life on your Mac.