Sailing Mode and real battery % levels

[Volodymyr-13]

Describe the bug Sailing mode is not working 74%

To Reproduce Steps to reproduce the behavior: Enable it, use MacBook..

Expected behavior Drop to 75% and started to charge

Screenshots

MacBook (please complete the following information):

• MacBook Pro (14-inch, 2021)
• macOS version 12.3.1(always using latest)
• AlDente Pro
• AlDente 1.15.2
• List of all enabled/disabled settings in AlDente:

Additional context Other app, like coconutBattery showing that it’s not charging and it’s real % is 74.32% and that it's not charging, so it's still trying to discharge battery.

[Volodymyr-13]

And after some time it's going lower, but system and AlDente showing that it's has higher value of battery charge:

System and AlDente - shows the same value of % charge which is higher that real value. This is really strange as for me..

[MatthiasKerbl]

Hi @KAMIKAZEUA,

From what I can see, Sailing Mode works as intended for you. Please read the following explanation of the Sailing Mode completely: https://apphousekitchen.com/feature-explanation-sailing-mode/

Regarding the battery percentage: MacOS shows you a different percentage than the battery actually has. This is due to various reasons. For simplicity, AlDente currently uses the macOS battery percentage. However, in the next update of AlDente Pro, you will have the option to switch to the hardware battery percentage in AlDente as well. Which is the same one the other apps show you.

Cheers, Matthias

[Volodymyr-13]

Hey @MatthiasKerbl but using real values is the only right way for battery, since it's sailing on a wrong/non optimal % range for li-ion batteries(real 75-80%).

When this new version will be available?

[MatthiasKerbl]

Hi @KAMIKAZEUA,

the next update with the hardware battery percentage will be released in the coming weeks of April.

Cheers, Matthias

[Volodymyr-13]

Hey @MatthiasKerbl that's good. But I really wondering now which way the the right way.. Interesting how Apple did this trick with real % of battery and those from Settings and why...

So, currently this app works using system value and typical settings is 80% limit and -5% for sailing mode. As result for real values, this will be:

• 75% system = ~71.45% real value:

• 80% system = ~78.95 real value:

[MatthiasKerbl]

Hey @MatthiasKerbl that's good. But I really wondering now which way the the right way.. Interesting how Apple did this trick with real % of battery and those from Settings and why...

So, currently this app works using system value and typical settings is 80% limit and -5% for sailing mode. As result for real values, this will be:

• 75% system = ~71.45% real value:
• 80% system = ~78.95 real value:

Hi @KAMIKAZEUA,

In general, the SoC is always only a good guess and never 100% accurate. The "real percentage" you see in different apps, is the SoC which the battery management system reports and is much more accurate than the SoC macOS shows. Of course, I don’t know what the reason behind Apple's decision is to show different SoC numbers is but here are my best guesses: Battery longevity and convenience. Apple also knows that charging to 100% most of the time is bad for batteries. Therefore, macOS showing 100% SoC when the battery management system only reports 95% makes sense since people will unplug earlier because they think it is already fully charged. Furthermore, charging 95% "real SoC" is much faster than completely charging to 100% since the last 5% usually takes a really long time. Therefore, users could get annoyed with the long charging time.

Cheers, Matthias

[Volodymyr-13]

Thanks for detailed explanation!

So for now the best settings is 81% for charge limit, which is almost equal to the 80% in real value:

And for sailing difference, this is looks like will be 3%, need to test this.. perhaps this will be different depends on the device model and age.

[Volodymyr-13]

@MatthiasKerbl

Thanks for the quick fix and update released just today :)

I'll test properly, but so far what I can see 2 bugs.

1. it's not reading % precisely:

Should be some option like from other app(Wattagio):

2. It tells that it's Disabled, when it's Enabled :)

P.s. have no idea why you really rushing things here by closing ticket, why not just wait for update from user, wait for feedback after new release, confirm it's fixed/improved, maybe also post new updates here. And only then maybe, after some time, close ticket, like fully resolved.

[MatthiasKerbl]

Hi @KAMIKAZEUA,

good to hear you like the new update. :)

ad 1: The readout is precise, however, AlDente rounds it to whole percentages which should be accurate enough.

ad 2: You are right this is a bug. We will fix it asap.

The reason why I closed the issue after my first reply was because your first point about Sailing Mode was answered and we already had an issue/feature request regarding the Hardware Battery Percentage open. However, since you told me about a bug that is not yet fixed, I will open it again. :)

[Volodymyr-13]

Well, I love perfectionism, when it charged to 79.52% instead of 80.0% - it wasn't a good feeling for me)

[Volodymyr-13]

@MatthiasKerbl

And another thing for to be more precise: on real 74.55% it still will "think" because of rounding that it's like 75%, so will not start charging, but it should start charging since it's already sailed from 80% -> 75%(again going lower to 74%). So it will start charge on after 74.49% at first.

[MatthiasKerbl]

Hi @KAMIKAZEUA,

Since even the Hardware Battery Percentage from the battery management system is only a good guess of the real SoC of the battery and usually fluctuates in the range of a couple of percent, we decided to round it to whole percentages.

Cheers, Matthias

[Volodymyr-13]

Hey @MatthiasKerbl You mean real real battery state? Like if were theoretically measured with an external instrument? Well, yes li-ion will be +- something, depends on a current load. But anyway, Wattagio shows me really stable values during charge/discharge.

So, with settings of charge to 80% and sailing to 75% it will actually was like this for me today:

• sailing ->
  • 74.56% = 75%
  • 74.43% = 74% -> started charging +
  • 79.45% = 79%
  • 79.56% = 80% - > stopped charging ||

I think this is wrong.. should be really close to 75% and 80%, for example: 74.98% = 75% and 79.96% = 80%, so maybe different rounding like +- 0.05% < or >

[Volodymyr-13]

Another thing I noted.

When charging reached 79.50% (data from Wattagio) and AlDente displayed 80% and charging stopped. After 3-5 minutes, the charge became 79.45% (data from Wattagio), and AlDente already displayed 79%. Those, It comes out very abruptly, after ~ 5 minutes the maximum charge dropped by 1% (what the user sees from AlDente).

[MatthiasKerbl]

Hey @MatthiasKerbl You mean real real battery state? Like if were theoretically measured with an external instrument? Well, yes li-ion will be +- something, depends on a current load. But anyway, Wattagio shows me really stable values during charge/discharge.

So, with settings of charge to 80% and sailing to 75% it will actually was like this for me today:

• sailing ->
• 74.56% = 75%
• 74.43% = 74% -> started charging +
• 79.45% = 79%
• 79.56% = 80% - > stopped charging ||

I think this is wrong.. should be really close to 75% and 80%, for example: 74.98% = 75% and 79.96% = 80%, so maybe different rounding like +- 0.05% < or >

Hi @KAMIKAZEUA,

Again, we use mathematical rounding. Hence the behavior of AlDente you encounter. I do not see the benefit for the goal of AlDente by changing the rounding.

Cheers, Matthias

[MatthiasKerbl]

Another thing I noted.

When charging reached 79.50% (data from Wattagio) and AlDente displayed 80% and charging stopped. After 3-5 minutes, the charge became 79.45% (data from Wattagio), and AlDente already displayed 79%. Those, It comes out very abruptly, after ~ 5 minutes the maximum charge dropped by 1% (what the user sees from AlDente).

Hi @KAMIKAZEUA,

Again, in my opinion, AlDente is accurate enough as it is right now and we are focusing on different improvements right now.

Cheers, Matthias

[Volodymyr-13]

Hey @MatthiasKerbl

Sure, that's is just my comments.
I just thought it would be very easy 🙄 to add such an option(which will not round value of %):

[MatthiasKerbl]

Hey @MatthiasKerbl

Sure, that's is just my comments. I just thought it would be very easy 🙄 to add such an option(which will not round value of %):

Maybe we will implement something like that in the future.

[MatthiasKerbl]

Hi @KAMIKAZEUA,

We just release AlDente 1.16.1 which has a fix for the bug which displays the wrong state for the Hardware Battery Percentage feature. https://github.com/davidwernhart/AlDente/releases/tag/1.16.1

Cheers, Matthias

[Volodymyr-13]

Hey @MatthiasKerbl

Thanks for the update.

I found a very minor issue with text while update, some encoding like.

[Volodymyr-13]

By the way, thank you for Ukraine support, where I'm from 🇺🇦(last part of my nickname actually stands for country code).

[MatthiasKerbl]

Hey @MatthiasKerbl

Thanks for the update.

I found a very minor issue with text while update, some encoding like.

Thanks for telling us, we will try to do something about that with the next update.

[Volodymyr-13]

Another thing I noted. When charging reached 79.50% (data from Wattagio) and AlDente displayed 80% and charging stopped. After 3-5 minutes, the charge became 79.45% (data from Wattagio), and AlDente already displayed 79%. Those, It comes out very abruptly, after ~ 5 minutes the maximum charge dropped by 1% (what the user sees from AlDente).

Hi @KAMIKAZEUA,

Again, in my opinion, AlDente is accurate enough as it is right now and we are focusing on different improvements right now.

Cheers, Matthias

Hey @MatthiasKerbl

This is still like a bug, because I set 80% max charge and app only goes up to 79%:

Charging started on 74-75% and stopped on 79%, which is like 1% wrong, so should I set 81% max to achieve 80% :) ?

[Volodymyr-13]

@MatthiasKerbl yes, for all these days since my last post, I have never seen 80% after charge complete, it's always 79%, but I've set Charge Limit = 80%.

Please fix this, then finally this bug will be complete.