Is it bad to leave your MacBook on all the time
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It's a fair question for Mac users who want to extend the longevity of their Macs. So what is best — shutdown or sleep mode — for your Mac? Show
I'm here to help you uncover the correct answers right in this article. Sleep vs. shutdown on a Mac: what's the difference?Sleep modeUltimately, the sleep function's primary purpose is to save power. When enabled, it helps to minimize energy consumption for non-vital hardware like displays, etc. Let me put it this way: when in sleep mode, your Mac is still turned on but uses far less power. Primary benefits of sleep mode include:
Here's how to put your Mac to sleep: 
Another great thing about the sleep function is your Mac activates a feature called Power Nap that enables it to wake up periodically to sync your devices, update Mail, Contacts, Notes, iCloud documents, location, and more. Here's how to enable this feature:
Shut Down modeShut Down powers off your Mac entirely, forcing all your applications and programs to close. Lots of users ask, is it ok to shut down your MacBook? 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. Here's how to Shut Down your Mac:
Should I shut down my Mac every single night then?Answering this question, I will give you a straight fact: there's no proof or official comment from Apple stating that shutting down your Mac every night is beneficial. Many users believe that shutting down Mac helps prevent component failure, save the battery in good condition or keep it optimized, but that's not entirely true. Sleep is the better option when it comes to sleep vs. shutdown on a Mac, especially if you're stepping away for just a few hours or overnight. On the other hand, Shut Down mode consumes extensive energy and takes longer to start back up. Thus, if you want to shut down your Mac to improve its performance, don't! A better way is to consider using a notarized tool like CleanMyMac X to keep your Mac fully optimized and squeaky clean. The Maintenance module from CleanMyMac X does the job for me. It is powerful and quick and can reach the hard-to-get system clutter that would take me hours to clean manually. You can free up Ram, run maintenance scripts and resolve multiple errors in just a few clicks. Here's how it works:
Repeat this regularly to keep your Mac in top shape! You no longer need to shut down your Mac so often to solve similar issues or free up RAM. So how often should you shut down your Mac?Many experts suggest shutting your Mac down every 2-3 days. So, if you're not planning on using your device for more than 36 hours, then a shutdown is a great option. If you're planning to leave your device for an extended period, Apple recommends storing it at around 50% battery charge. This will help to prevent capacity loss. Also, you can schedule specific times for your device to shut down, wake up or sleep. In macOS Ventura, you can do it using Terminal. Read more in this article from Apple support. Here's how to do it for Monterey and older macOS versions:
So if anyone asks you, should I shut down my Mac at night? Now you can give an expert answer. See you again soon for my Mac tips and tricks! Is it okay to leave MacBook on all the time?macOS does a good job of managing memory use, but sometimes the only way to really give your device the clean slate it needs is to shut it down and start it up once more. This will clear out the RAM and allow some processes that might have become stuck to get going once more.
How often should you shut down your Mac?Many experts suggest shutting your Mac down every 2-3 days. So, if you're not planning on using your device for more than 36 hours, then a shutdown is a great option. If you're planning to leave your device for an extended period, Apple recommends storing it at around 50% battery charge.
Is it OK to never shut down a Mac?It puts less weight on CPU: As discussed, not shutting down exempts your Mac from the POST test (often) and apps reloading. It's good for your batteries: Apple uses the Li-ion batteries, which theoretically need their electrons constantly moving for a maximum lifespan. This happens only if you put your Mac on sleep.
Why you shouldn't shut down your Mac?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”.
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