The feature presented a way for multiple Apple devices to work together automatically. The OS update also made automation easier, with the new Shortcuts function replacing the previous Automator. But things don’t always go as smoothly as they should. A new operating system is often blamed when a problem crops up after updating. So, read on to see why your MacBook’s battery might be draining way too fast.
Here’s the backstory
The incremental macOS 12.2 update adds a few security patches, but users didn’t bargain on having their battery drain entirely overnight as well. The odd bug has been occurring for a small percentage of MacBook users, so luckily, it isn’t widespread. Affecting Intel and Apple Silicon chip users, the battery drains when the device goes into sleep mode. The mode is used as a power-saving method, where you don’t have to shut down the MacBook and can continue working by simply opening the lid. A Twitter user reached out to Apple with the following message: Apple Support responded to the Twitter thread with: If you want to check out Apple’s battery support article, you can find it here.
What you can do about it
The most likely cause of the unusual battery drainage is macOS 12.2’s Bluetooth functionalities. When put into sleep mode, the device is supposed to restrict unnecessary processes severely. But the bug is triggering the Bluetooth function to intermittently “wake up” the MacBook, draining the battery. When any Bluetooth device is paired with the MacBook, the bug in macOS 12.2 seemingly tries to reestablish a connection every few seconds. Judging from the tweet above, the Bluetooth connection can drain 8.3% of a full battery an hour when not connected to a power source. Here’s how you can prevent battery drainage:
If you are putting your MacBook in sleep mode, make sure also to turn off the Bluetooth connection. To do this, click on the Bluetooth icon in the top strip and toggle it to the off position.A faster way to do that is to put your MacBook in flight mode. This will block any connections (including Wi-Fi) from functioning, leaving the device to charge uninterrupted overnight.Instead of using sleep mode at night, you can power down the MacBook completely.
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