After a period of time that will vary depending on use and settings, you may find that your battery will power your device for only a couple of hours, requiring you to charge more frequently. Rechargeable batteries have a limited number of charge cycles and may eventually need to be replaced.

You may choose to replace your battery while it still has a little juice left, or wait until the battery does not hold enough energy to power your device at all to replace it. As with all batteries, proper disposal is essential. Putting any battery directly in the trash harms the environment. Once an Apple product reaches the end of its useful life, Apple will help you recycle it responsibly. Learn more about Apple’s recycling program

iPod Owners

Your one-year warranty includes replacement coverage for a defective battery. You can extend your coverage to two years from the date of your iPod purchase with the AppleCare Extended Service Plan. During the plan’s coverage period, Apple will replace the battery if it drops below 50% of its original capacity. Apple disposes of your battery in an environmentally friendly manner.

iPad Owners

Your one-year warranty includes replacement coverage for a defective battery. You can extend your coverage to two years from the date of your iPad purchase with the AppleCare Extended Service Plan. During the plan’s coverage period, Apple will replace the battery if it drops below 50% of its original capacity. Apple disposes of your battery in an environmentally friendly manner.

Notebook Owners

Your one-year warranty includes replacement coverage for a defective battery. You can extend your replacement coverage for a defective battery to three years from the date of your notebook purchase with the AppleCare Protection Plan. However, the AppleCare Protection Plan for notebook computers does not cover batteries that have failed or are exhibiting diminished capacity except when the failure or diminished capacity is the result of a manufacturing defect. Apple offers a battery replacement service for all MacBook, MacBook Air and MacBook Pro notebooks with built-in batteries. You can purchase replacement batteries for many late models of Apple notebooks directly from an Apple authorized reseller.

If you own an older model PowerBook or iBook, several third parties offer compatible batteries, and Apple authorized service centers can order batteries for models up to seven years old.