Thermal State

What?

Thermal state is a 4 level system for monitoring temperature on macOS and iOS.

Why?

Apple protects sensitive data on macOS and iOS. Thermal state provides an indication of the device's condition without compromising privacy or security.

Apps published on the App Store must also comply with sandbox rules which limit access to certain resources.

Levels

1. Nominal

No change in performance.

2. Fair

Background tasks may be deferred. Fans may activate on supported devices.

3. Serious

May reduce CPU, GPU, disk and network activity. Fans may increase on supported devices.

4. Critical

Greater reduction in CPU, GPU, disk and network activity. May reduce use of peripherals such as cameras or microphones. Fans may increase further on supported devices.

How?

Stats Panel displays the thermal state as a 4-bar indicator with a text description.