Make use of Microsoft’s Windows Performance Management tool
The performance management tool on your laptop can be our first destination on the battery life improvement tour. On Windows 10, it’s a slider accessible from the battery icon on the taskbar. It’s designed to put the settings that influence battery life into simple categories.
- When you run Windows 11, you’ll find it under the Settings menu, System >
- Power and battery >
- Power Mode.
The company that built your computer determines what settings the slider of the battery determines. However, in general, you should keep these rules in your head:
- The most efficient Performance mode lets users sacrifice battery runtime in order to increase speed and speed. When this is enabled, Windows will not stop applications that are running in the background from drawing a lot of energy.
- The Best performance (or The Recommended) mode reduces the resources available to background applications, however, it prioritizes efficiency over power.
- Better Battery mode gives you more battery life than the default settings of older versions of Windows.
- The Battery Saver mode, an option that appears only when your computer is off, reduces the display’s brightness by 30 percent and blocks Windows Update downloads, stops the Mail application from syncing, and also suspends the majority of background apps.
For Macs: Use macOS Battery Settings
Modern Mac laptops feature a wide range of energy and battery settings that you can manage. For macOS Monterey or later, launch the System Preferences app and click on Battery.
Make sure you have “Slightly reduce the brightness of your display using battery power” is enabled as well as “Enable Power Nap when powered by battery” is checked off. (With Power Nap enabled and your MacBook asleep, your MacBook will wake and check for updates. Enabling it will keep your MacBook in a state of sleep until you decide to get it to wake up.) In the case of the most recent MacBook Pro laptops, the brightness of the display adjusts to 75% once you remove the computer from power if it has “Slightly lower the screen brightness when powered by battery” disabled.
It’s all dependent on what laptop and the version of macOS you’re running You may also see other options available in the Energy Saver preferences pane. They include “Optimize video streaming when using battery” to disable HDR video playback as well as “Optimized charge of the battery.” Certain Macs also come with the Energy Mode setting, similar to the Windows performance management tool mentioned in the previous paragraph. If you’re able to see Energy Mode in the Battery section of the system’s preferences, then you’ll have the following choices:
- Lower Power Cut down on energy consumption to extend the life of batteries.
- Automatic: Let your Mac automatically select the highest speed level.
- High-Power: Increase energy consumption to boost performance when working for long periods of time.
Facilitate Your Workflow by Closing apps and using Airplane Mode
If you’re spending a lot of time at the outlet, it’s a good practice to modify your laptop’s usage to conserve battery for example, by staying with one application at a time , and then closing all other applications when you’re not working on it. It’s similar to turning off the lights when the room is not in use. If you’re bouncing back and forth between your cooking area as well as the kitchen every day as well as in between Firefox as well as Microsoft Word, keep both sets of lights (and applications) in use (and running). However, if you’re cooking, or watching the latest YouTube video then you’re best served by switching off everything else and closing it.
Additionally, if you want to stop other applications while you are focused you should consider turning on Airplane mode on Windows or shutting off WiFi as well as Bluetooth in macOS when you are certain that you will edit a document that requires internet access. Apart from the reduction of distracting factors, Airplane mode eliminates a major source of battery consumption which is the wireless radios along with the background apps and processes that make use of them, including push notifications and updates.
Close Specific Applications that make use of lots of power
Multiple processes and apps that are running simultaneously on your system consume battery power faster, and the chances are that you don’t use all the programs running on your computer. In Windows, the Settings application is the first step in identifying energy-consuming programs.
Type “See what apps are impacting the life of your battery” into your Windows 10 search bar for an inventory of apps that use the most energy. For Windows 11, you can find this list within the Power & Battery settings pane under Battery Usage. If you find an application that you don’t use often, taking up lots of power ensures that you shut it down. Most of the time its apps that you’ve been using in the background but you’ll need to keep track of like Spotify and Adobe Reader.
Then then, Next, type “See what processes are launched automatically whenever you start Windows” in the search box or in it in the Task Manager app. On the Startup tab, you’ll find all the programs that run immediately upon starting your computer. Anything that has a name such as “Download Assistant” or “Helper” is generally safe to deactivate. For instance, if you don’t often access Spotify tracks, playlists, or albums via links within your browser on the internet, you can remove Spotify Web Helper. Spotify web helper.
To conduct similar purges of apps in macOS Search in users & Groups, then click the Login Items tab, where you’ll find a list of apps that will be running in the background whenever you boot up on your Mac.
Modify Graphics as well as Display Settings
If you’ve got a high-end graphics processing unit (a discrete GPU) on your laptop, it is possible to ensure that only games and other apps that are graphically intensive need to be run. In the same way, all other applications can benefit faster by using more efficient CPU-based graphics processors. In Windows 11 you can navigate to System Settings, then Display Graphics. There you can alter each application’s graphics processor, or let Windows determine for you which is the best. This option might not be accessible for the majority of Windows 11 laptops with dedicated GPUs.
For the same task on the Mac start by opening the window for battery preferences that we discussed earlier, and ensure you check the “Automatic graphic switching” option selected in the image below, which is from macOS Big Sur. Mac users don’t have the same exact control over each app that you have in Windows 11, so you’ll need to rely on macOS for the judgment of its users on what apps should use the appropriate graphics accelerator.
Pay Attention to Airflow
The majority of laptops today have lithium-polymer batteries which require less maintenance than the batteries of 10 years ago, thanks to as much the software and firmware upgrades as well as the latest advances in the technology behind the battery itself. There is no need to do a full discharge on a regular basis to check its calibration and you don’t have to worry about using the battery for too long can harm the laptop.
However, it is important to be cautious about temperatures, which can accelerate the demise of batteries. The most significant issues arise from the physical obstructions to vents and grilles. Dust accumulation is a problem that you can address by cleaning your vents and the fan of your laptop. (Periodically make use of compressed air to clear some of the dust.) Another issue that frequently arises is the use of the laptop on a cushion or blanket, which could block an internal or external fan, and keep the heat that is coming from the device. Be sure to place your laptop on solid surfaces like tables or desks that won’t bend and hinder airflow or cooling.
Pay attention to the health of your battery
Batteries lose their capacity to charge in time, and eventually, they will need replacement. A review of the battery’s health regularly is always beneficial.
For your Apple MacBook laptop, to check if the battery is approaching an endpoint in its life you need to hold the Option key and then click the icon for the battery in the menu bar. This will reveal the status of your battery. If you get a “Replace Now” or “Service Battery” message then your Battery is likely to be operating lower than its initial capacity.
When you open your System Information app and navigate to the Power tab, you’ll be able to discover more in-depth information about the amount of charge cycles the Battery has been through. You can compare the number of cycles against the maximums that are rated in Apple’s list(Opens in an entirely brand new tab) to find out how many cycles you have left.
To get a similar indicator for battery health for Windows 10 or 11, you’ll have to put on your hoodie and dive into the realm of the command prompt. This is our complete guide on how to create the Windows Battery Report.
Check and review the settings for the battery management
A few laptops from recent times can automatically check the temperature history and charges patterns that are generated by the Battery. Through software provided by the company, this data can be adjusted to allow “full” charging to stay less than 100% of the battery’s capacity when you don’t use it regularly. (Reducing the amount of charging cycles could aid in prolonging the battery’s lifespan. )
It’s an excellent idea to make use of this kind of monitoring. However, if you prefer to turn off this management program to ensure that you’re always charging the battery to its maximum capacity Many manufacturers allow you to use this feature. If you have an Intel-powered MacBook with macOS 10.5.5 and later select Settings from the Apple menu, and then go to Battery > Battery Health. Delete the “Manage the battery’s longevity” option, and select OK. Macs that have Apple Silicon have battery management permanently activated.
For Windows laptops, however, the instructions differ by manufacturer. here’s(Opens with a brand new browser) Dell’s guide to using HTML0.
Keep a Backup Battery
The simplest method to ensure you have always sufficient batteries is to carry an additional battery.
External power sources connect to your laptop just like the charger plugs in. They typically cost between $100-$200, however, they have adapters that work with a variety of laptop models. They are compatible with many systems, and can also be used on other devices, for example, your phone or tablet.
These methods will help you maximize the Battery you own. If you’re in looking to buy a new laptop and battery life is among your primary issues, take a look at our review of laptops we’ve tested that have the longest battery performance.