Who doesn’t love squeezing the most juice out of their laptop battery? The good news is, the Windows OS is already on your side! It boasts a range of built-in settings specifically designed to optimize your laptop’s battery performance. Even if you own one of the best laptops for battery life, there’s always room for improvement. The best part? Most of these tweaks don’t require any additional software – they’re completely free and easy to implement! Keep reading to discover hidden gems within Windows to improve laptop battery life.
Use Windows Tools
Windows laptops might be the battery champ, but its secret weapons are hidden. Many built-in tools designed to extend your laptop’s life are switched off by default. Let’s switch them on to improve laptop’s battery life.
1 – Activate Battery Saver: This built-in power saver is your first line of defense. It offers a range of options like dimming your screen or limiting notifications when unplugged, all to conserve battery life.
2 – Power Down, Power Up Efficiently: Modern laptops are powerhouses, so consider switching to the “Best power efficiency overall” mode. Reserve the high-performance modes for those moments when you truly need the extra muscle.
3 – Hibernation, Your Battery’s Best Friend: For extended breaks, take advantage of Hibernation mode. This puts your laptop in a deep sleep, preserving battery life significantly compared to regular sleep mode.
4 – Airplane Mode: For those times when sacrificing internet connectivity isn’t a dealbreaker, enabling Airplane mode completely cuts off wireless connections, maximizing battery savings. However, this might not be ideal for everyone in our internet-dependent world.
By implementing these simple tweaks, you can unlock the full battery-saving potential of Windows 11 and keep your laptop humming for longer!
Monitor Battery Health
Unlike some laptops, Windows 11 doesn’t offer a readily available battery health indicator. While some manufacturers have their own monitoring apps, Windows itself holds a valuable secret weapon: a comprehensive battery report.
Unlocking the Battery Report:
1 – Open Command Prompt (search for it in the Start Menu).
2 – Type powercfg /batteryreport and press Enter.
This will generate an HTML file containing a wealth of information about your battery, including estimated remaining life and how you’re using battery power. While accessing it might not be the most intuitive process, this report is a goldmine for understanding your battery’s health and maximizing its lifespan.
Disable Power Hungry Apps
Ever feel like your laptop takes ages to boot up, or its battery drains faster than usual? Annoying startup apps might be the culprit! Many programs sneak themselves onto your startup list during installation, automatically launching when you turn on your laptop. While this might seem convenient on a desktop PC, it’s a battery drain monster on laptops. Here’s the fix to improve laptop battery life:
1 – Head to the Startup Apps menu (search for it in the Start Menu).
2 – Take a deep breath and disable everything you see on the list.
3 – Reboot your laptop.
Don’t worry, this isn’t permanent! Simply re-enable any programs you genuinely need on startup. The rest can stay disabled, saving you precious boot time and improve laptop’s battery life. By following this strategy, you can reclaim control over your startup process and keep your laptop running smoothly and efficiently.
Use Laptop Energy Recommendations
Windows has a hidden gem waiting to boost your battery life: the Energy recommendations feature! This handy tool, located in Settings > System > Power & battery, analyzes your system and suggests a range of tweaks to maximize your laptop’s unplugged life.
From simple adjustments like switching to a power-saving mode to more unexpected tips like disabling USB power when your screen is off, Energy recommendations offer a comprehensive approach to battery optimization.
Even if you’ve already made some battery-saving changes, it’s worth checking this list. You might discover hidden settings you haven’t considered that can squeeze even more juice out of your laptop’s battery.
Monitor Battery Charge Cycles
All laptop batteries have a limited lifespan. Just like a car engine, they can only go through so many recharge cycles before their capacity starts to decline. For lithium-ion batteries, like the one in your Windows laptop, that’s typically around 500 cycles. After reaching this point, the battery might only hold 80% of its original charge.
Now, this 500 cycles is a conservative estimate – smartphone batteries are often rated for around 800 cycles. The key thing to remember is that a cycle doesn’t necessarily mean draining the entire battery from 100% to 0%. Plugging in throughout the day still counts towards a cycle, but it doesn’t deplete it as quickly as a full discharge.
The good news is, small reductions in battery life happen gradually. However, there are ways to maximize your battery’s health and lifespan. Keep it charged between 20% and 80%. Lithium-ion batteries are happiest in this sweet spot. If your laptop has software that lets you limit the maximum charge to 80%, enable it! This helps maintain battery health over time.
By following these simple tips, you can improve laptop battery life extending it and keeping it running stronger for longer.
Avoid High Temperature Areas
Heat is the kryptonite of laptop batteries! While lithium-ion batteries are content at room temperature, they become grumpy when exposed to direct sunlight, scorching environments, or excessive humidity.
Keeping Your Battery Cool, here’s how:
1 – Fend Off the Extremes: Shield your laptop from the sun’s wrath and avoid using it in excessively hot or humid places.
2 – Clear Those Airways: Dust and debris can clog air vents, hindering airflow and causing overheating. Keep those vents clean for optimal ventilation.
3 – Cool It Down: If you can’t control the ambient temperature, consider using a cooling pad with a fan. This can lower the battery’s operating temperature by a few degrees, keeping it happy and healthy.
4 – Ditch the Lap Myth: Despite the name, laptops aren’t designed for laps! The soft materials trap heat, blocking airflow. Use a sturdy surface like a table or tray for better cooling.
By following these simple tips, you can keep your laptop battery functioning optimally and extend its lifespan. Remember, a cool battery is a happy battery!
In Closing
Even the endurance champions of laptops, like those powered by Snapdragon X Elite processors, can benefit from a few tweaks to squeeze out even more juice. Implementing these tips will help you improve laptop battery life, allowing you to work unplugged for longer.
These suggestions are geared towards maximizing battery health and performance on a functional battery. However, if your laptop is experiencing significant battery drain or doesn’t hold a charge, it might require a replacement or further troubleshooting.
If you have any comments be sure to leave them here below. Be sure to check out some Laptops with long battery life, and if you’re interested, check out Androids’ smartphones with long battery. Stay safe until next time 😀