Battery capacities of laptops have increased in recent years. At the same time, the processors have become more efficient. Apart from the hardware solutions, Microsoft has focused on making Windows 11 more efficient. Together, these aspects help a new laptop offer a relatively long battery life. However, the user patterns have also changed simultaneously, requiring longer on-screen times. While a new laptop might meet your needs, older systems might not be able to deliver the same on-screen times as they once did. After multiple charge cycles, batteries lose the capacity to hold as much charge. Similarly, gaming laptops, with dedicated GPUs, also offer lower-than-expected battery life.
Hence, Windows 11 offers multiple ways through which users can extract the most battery life from their laptops. There are multiple methods available inside the Settings app of your Windows 11 laptop. You can choose to turn on energy saver, set a screen timeout for when your laptop is plugged in and when it is running on battery, restrict background activity for specific apps, and choose which apps automatically launch when you turn on your laptop. While other aspects, including temperatures, can affect your laptop’s battery life, these methods help you extend your laptop’s battery life regardless.
How to Enable Windows 11’s Power Saver Mode
Open the Settings app on your Windows laptop.
Tap on the System button, which appears in the left panel.
Scroll down and tap on the Power & battery button.
Tap on the Energy Saver button.
Turn on Always use energy saver and Lower screen brightness when using energy saver options.
Alternatively, you can open the Control Panel from the bottom-left corner of the home screen and tap on the Energy Saver button.
How to Adjust Your Screen Timeout on Windows 11
- Open the Settings app on your Windows 11 laptop.
- Navigate to System settings.
- Scroll down to the Power & Battery section > tap on it.
- Click on the Screen, sleep, & hibernation timeouts drop-down menu.
- Set “Turn my screen off after” and “Make my device sleep after” options to 5 minutes, which is recommended by Microsoft, for when your laptop is plugged in.
- Similarly, set both the options to 3 minutes under the On battery section.
How to Restrict Background Apps on Windows 11
- Open the Settings app.
- Navigate to Apps settings.
- Now, click on the Installed Apps button.
- Navigate to the app for which you wish to restrict background activity.
- Tap on the three dots appearing on the right side of the app.
- Select Advanced options from the drop-down menu.
- Under the Background app permissions section, select the Power optimised option, as recommended by Microsoft.
How to Manage Startup Apps on Windows 11
- Open the Settings app > Apps settings.
- Now, scroll down to the bottom of the screen and tap on the Startup button.
- Here, you toggle the switch off the apps you do not wish to start when you boot up your laptop.
1. Does overheating affect my laptop’s battery life?
Yes. Extreme temperatures, hot and cold, can affect your laptop’s battery life.
2. Does turning on the Battery Saver mode affect my laptop’s performance?
Yes, turning on the Battery Saver can lower your laptop’s performance and reduce the brightness of your laptop’s display.
3. Is it safe to leave my laptop on charge overnight?
While it is not advised, the battery management systems of modern laptops do allow users to leave them on charge overnight.
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