Things to know before using your MacBook outside

Keep an eye on the temperature when using your MacBook outside. Things to know before using your MacBook outside. Big Tech Apple Things to know before using your MacBook outside Keep an eye on the thermomoter.

Heat and direct sunlight can affect both the laptop itself and how comfortable its screen is to use. You don’t need special outdoor gear, but you do need to know Apple’s temperature limits and give the MacBook a dry, stable surface with room to shed heat. Keep your MacBook within Apple’s temperature limits Maksym Belchenko/Getty Images Apple recommends using its Mac laptops when the ambient temperature is between 50 and 95 degrees Fahrenheit, or 10 to 35 degrees Celsius.

That’s a wider range than most people will encounter indoors, but the upper limit is easy to approach on a hot summer day. Apple also specifically warns against leaving a MacBook in a parked car, where temperatures can climb beyond its recommended range. The important word in Apple’s guidance is ambient.

The 95-degree limit refers to the air around the laptop, not how hot its aluminum enclosure might become while sitting in direct sunlight.