Should I shut down Mac M1?
A good rule of thumb is that if you're only going to be away from your Mac for an hour or two or even overnight, letting it sleep is probably the best method. Any longer than that and you'll want to power it down, for reasons outlined in the next section.
The Energy Savings From Shutting Down Are Minimal
In comparison, your Mac consumes much more power when left idle. An M1 Mac in idle consumes 3.22W an hour while a 27-inch Mac with Retina 5K display consumes 31.1W. It may even consume more when you shut it down and start it again.
Yes, it is 100% beneficial. What's more, restarting your Mac is the number one tip on any troubleshooting list. Shut Down mode can help fix many Mac issues, plus it will also flush your RAM and allow your device to cool down, protecting it from overheating.
The main reason for letting your Mac sleep instead of shutting it down is that your Mac can't perform maintenance tasks during the night if you shut it down. macOS does a lot every night while your Mac isn't being used and it is “sleeping”. Apple actually has a term for this sleep mode — “Power Nap”.
So Sure, leave it plugged in. Nothing will be damaged in any way. Older Macs do not incorporate Battery Health Management.
Power surges or power drops occurring when a machine is powered by its power adapter are more harmful to a sleeping computer than to one completely shut down. The heat produced by a sleeping machine exposes all components to higher heat more of the time. Computers left on all the time may have a shorter life.
Your PC hardware – including RAM, motherboard, and battery – doesn't get much rest during sleep. Therefore, if you want to prolong your device's hardware life cycle, it is better to shut it down rather than use the sleep settings.
In short, yes. It's okay. However, you may notice a bit of performance lagginess creeping in over time. It's generally considered a good idea to restart your Mac every now and then.
Fortunately, it's not possible to overcharge your MacBook battery by leaving it plugged in all the time, nor will it overheat or damage any other components. But you might reduce the battery's maximum charging capacity by keeping it plugged in all the time.
Yes of course you can use your computer while it's charging.
References
- https://www.techwalla.com/articles/can-i-keep-my-macbook-pro-plugged-in-overnight
- https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/anyone-know-how-long-the-m1-mbp-takes-to-fully-charge-from-zero.2274919/
- https://www.imore.com/best-portable-batteries-mac-mini
- https://www.macworld.com/article/819438/best-macbook-usb-c-charger.html
- https://www.esrgear.com/blog/does-magsafe-charging-damage-battery/
- https://www.amazon.com/Charger-Supply-Adapter-MacBook-Devices/dp/B0B3GZ36VM
- https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/surface/use-the-surface-usb-c-to-ethernet-and-usb-3-0-adapter-e2524d8d-0d73-0d61-c399-595873343349
- https://apple.stackexchange.com/questions/436819/can-i-charge-my-m1-mac-air-with-a-higher-power-charger
- https://support.apple.com/en-au/HT212753
- https://support.apple.com/kb/SP825
- https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/can-the-m1-mac-mini-be-solely-powered-by-a-usb-c-cable-via-the-apple-studio-display.2365180/
- https://www.macworld.com/article/229045/thunderbolt-3-adapter-m1-imac-macbook-pro-mac-mini-usb-displayport-hdmi-ethernet.html
- https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/architecture-and-technology/thunderbolt/thunderbolt-4-vs-usb-c.html
- https://www.hampshire.edu/it/user-support/software-and-hardware/basic-computer-care/taking-care-your-laptop/shutdown-or-sleep
- https://appleinsider.com/articles/21/08/26/is-it-ok-to-leave-your-mac-always-on-or-plugged-in-all-the-time-its-complicated
- https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT212755
- https://www.hp.com/us-en/shop/tech-takes/usb-c-vs-thunderbolt
- https://www.amazon.com/Apple-67W-USB-C-Power-Adapter/dp/B09JR24YYW
- https://bgr.com/tech/what-to-know-about-macbook-pros-fast-charging-speeds-before-you-buy/
- https://www.quora.com/Can-I-use-a-10-000-mAh-Mi-PowerBank-Pro-charger-to-charge-my-MacBook-Pro-2017-with-USB-Type-C
- https://www.quora.com/Can-the-MacBook-Pro-be-charged-with-any-USB-C-charger
- https://support.apple.com/guide/macbook-pro/charge-the-battery-apdbc13fd966/mac
- https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201700
- https://www.apple.com/in/macbook-air-m1/
- https://www.akitio.com/faq/336-can-i-recharge-my-macbook-pro-with-only-27w-or-60w
- https://www.belkin.com/clp-what-is-magsafe.html
- https://www.makeuseof.com/shut-down-vs-sleep-mac/
- https://www.reddit.com/r/macbook/comments/kdpxmm/psa_m1_macbook_air_can_charge_at_45w_tested_with/
- https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2023/01/apple-unveils-m2-pro-and-m2-max-next-generation-chips-for-next-level-workflows/
- https://discussions.apple.com/thread/253588859
- https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201897
- https://apple.stackexchange.com/questions/440782/can-the-macbook-pro-14-charge-via-its-usb-c-port
- https://cleanmymac.com/blog/shutdown-mac-at-night
- https://support.apple.com/en-ph/HT201700
- https://www.macrumors.com/guide/magsafe/
- https://support.apple.com/guide/macbook-air/charge-the-battery-apdbc13fd966/mac
- https://macreports.com/should-you-charge-your-macbook-to-80-or-90-or-100/
- https://www.quora.com/Is-it-bad-to-keep-a-MacBook-Air-with-an-M1-chip-charging-overnight
- https://www.makeuseof.com/macbook-battery-health-plugged-in-charging-all-the-time/
- https://apple.stackexchange.com/questions/71880/what-would-happen-if-i-use-a-power-supply-with-a-different-wattage-than-the-syst
- https://screenrant.com/charge-macbook-pro-via-magsafer-thunderbolt4/
- https://www.kovolinc.com/blogs/news/can-you-use-a-phone-charger-to-charge-a-macbook-pro
- https://ifixindia.in/blog/how-to-charge-macbook-without-charger/
- https://eshop.macsales.com/blog/47473-tech-tip-should-you-shut-down-your-mac-or-let-it-sleep/
- https://www.pcmag.com/news/thunderbolt-3-vs-usb-c-whats-the-difference
- https://www.macrumors.com/2020/11/10/m1-mac-models-thunderbolt-3/
- https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT212753
- https://support.apple.com/kb/SP823
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apple_M1
- https://www.macworld.com/article/668186/apple-magsafe-battery-pack-review.html
- https://discussions.apple.com/thread/253568089
- https://www.macrumors.com/guide/m1/
- https://www.macworld.com/article/675859/should-i-shut-down-my-mac-every-night.html
- https://support.apple.com/guide/macbook-air/whats-included-with-your-macbook-air-apd3a37305b7/mac
- https://www.amazon.com/product-reviews/B081FVQCHQ
- https://www.maketecheasier.com/pc-shutdown-or-sleep/