Some folks who installed the latest macOS Monterey 12.2 update are reporting an unusual Bluetooth issue that drains a Mac notebook’s battery overnight while in sleep mode.
- The release of macOS Monterey 12.2 is giving some people Bluetooth headaches
- Your notebook’s battery may completely discharge overnight when in sleep mode
- This is an apparent bug that anyone wishing to test macOS 12.2 should be aware of
Is macOS Monterey 12.2 causing Bluetooth battery drain?
Issues with Bluetooth on the Mac are nothing new: Bluetooth is notoriously unreliable and suffers from all kinds of issues. If Bluetooth is working like a charm on your Mac, consider yourself lucky. If you’re among that group and thinking about installing the update, think twice.
Some folks are noticing an unusual Bluetooth battery issue that drains the battery of a Mac notebook overnight in sleep mode, as evidenced by posts on Reddit, Twitter and other online forums. Affected users are seeing their MacBook battery drain completely when the computer is left in sleep mode overnight, and Bluetooth appears to be the culprit. Read: How to reset your Mac’s Bluetooth module
Both Intel-based Macs and their Apple silicon counterparts are affected.
MacRumors has more:
Affected users say their Mac’s battery life drops from 100% to 0% while in sleep mode overnight since updating to macOS 12.2. A few users tried to identify a cause in Terminal and found that Bluetooth accessories are frequently causing a “DarkWake from Deep Idle” that results in the Mac repeatedly waking from sleep, which drains the battery. The issue appears to be affecting both Intel-based Macs and M1-based Macs.
Another clue that this is a Bluetooth-specific issue: The problem doesn’t manifest itself when Bluetooth is disabled or when all Bluetooth accessories are disconnected from the computer. One viable explanation could be that Bluetooth peripherals are frequently waking the computer from sleep, which might explain an unexpected battery drain.
We couldn’t determine at post time how widespread the problem is.
@ Apple tweeps: macOS 12.2 breaks something related with bluetooth + sleep/wake. Looking at `pmset -g log`, it seems like it spent all night waking up every few seconds for bluetooth and drained all the battery. [FB9862509] https://t.co/5IF81PVw3P pic.twitter.com/qczeDKD5oX
— João Pavão (@jpavao) January 28, 2022
If your Mac is free of Bluetooth issues, you’re advised to stay away from the macOS Monterey 12.2 update unless you’re OK with disconnecting all your Bluetooth peripherals like keyboards and mice every time you put your notebook in sleep mode.
And how do we know this? Because shutting down the notebook instead of putting it into sleep makes the problem temporarily go away.