AlDente on your Mac — 1.39.4

AlDente Pro 1.36.3 supports macOS 12 Monterey and later, and runs on both Apple silicon and Intel MacBooks. The current version fixes visual glitches in the Popover that showed up in the first betas of macOS 27.2.

Calibrate and protect

Calibration Mode helps you run a full cycle when you need it. Heat protection keeps an eye on temperature, which matters if you often work with the MacBook on your lap.

Fit in with what you use

It sits quietly in the menu bar, next to the other utilities you already run. The interface is translated into Russian, English, German, Spanish, French, Turkish, Arabic, Japanese, and many more languages.

Works on both Intel and ARM Macs running Monterey or later

Because AlDente supports both ARM and Intel architectures, it behaves like a native menu bar utility on either type of MacBook. The app needs macOS 12 Monterey or later, so if your machine is already running that or anything newer, you are covered.

On Intel models, it does the same job through the standard system interfaces. Either way, the menu bar icon shows the current charge state and the limit you have set. The window that opens from the menu bar is the Popover, and it is where most of the controls live.

Since the app is a small utility, it does not demand much attention. It runs in the background, keeps the limit in place, and only makes itself known when you open it or when it has something to tell you. If you are the sort of person who likes to set things once and forget them, this fits that pattern well.

Charge limit only works while the app is running

The most frequent issue people hit is forgetting that the charge limit only applies while the app is running. If you quit AlDente entirely, the MacBook falls back to its normal charging behavior and may charge past your limit. The fix is simple: leave it running in the menu bar. It is designed to stay there, and it does not get in the way.

Another thing that trips people up is the difference between a charge limit and a one-time pause. If you set the limit to 80 percent and then plug in the MacBook, it will stop at 80. But if you need a full charge for a trip, you have to raise the limit to 100 or turn the limit off temporarily. AlDente gives you the control, but it does not decide for you.

The AlDente Popover shows the real state, so check there if you are unsure what is happening.

If the app seems to not respond to a change you made, close the Popover and open it again. The interface refreshes each time you open it, and that usually clears up any confusion. On the first beta versions of newer macOS releases, the Popover had some visual glitches, but those are fixed in version 1.39.4.

Set your charge limit first—80% is a good starting point

When you first open AlDente, the most useful setting to set is the charge limit. Pick a number that suits your routine. If you move around a lot, 80 percent is a good middle ground that still gives you most of a full charge.

Sailing Mode is worth turning on if you keep the MacBook plugged in for long stretches. You can enable it right from the main window.

Heat protection is another setting to switch on early. It watches the temperature and adjusts charging behavior when things get warm.

Calibration Mode is not something you need every day. Turn it on when you plan to do a full cycle, and turn it off after.

Check your current charge and limit from the menu bar icon

You sit down at your desk in the morning and plug in the MacBook. The menu bar icon shows the current charge, say around 60 percent, and the limit you set yesterday at 80. You open the Popover to check that everything is as expected. It is.

The fan barely comes on, and the heat protection setting watches the temperature in the background.

At lunch you unplug and head to a meeting room. You use it for an hour, then come back and plug in again. The charging resumes, but only up to the same 80 percent limit. It does not try to top off to 100.

Later in the week, you have a long flight. You open AlDente, raise the limit to 100, and let it charge fully overnight. The next morning the MacBook is at 100, and you unplug and go. When you come back, you lower the limit to 80 again, and the routine continues.

Once a month or so, you run Calibration Mode.

Available in Arabic, Greek, Korean, and many more languages

AlDente is translated into a long list of languages, including Arabic, Greek, Korean, Dutch, Polish, Portuguese, Turkish, and both Traditional and Simplified Chinese. If your Mac is set to one of those languages, the app will follow along. That is a nice touch for classrooms or shared machines.

The app works with most Apple silicon and Intel MacBooks, which means it is just as useful on an older Intel machine as on a new one.

Since the app is a menu bar utility, it stays out of the Dock and out of the way. You can check the charge at a glance without opening any window. The Popover gives you the details when you need them, and closes when you click elsewhere.

AlDente does not force a particular charging style on you. It gives you the dials, and you decide. Some people set a fixed limit and never touch it again. Others use Sailing Mode for daily work and Calibration Mode for monthly maintenance. Both approaches are valid, and the app supports both without fuss.

• Fixed visual glitches in the Popover that occurred in the first betas of macOS 27.2.

• macOS 12 Monterey or later
• Apple silicon or Intel