With Microsoft's new Windows 11 operating system, you may expect more usage time between charges than ever before. Every software upgrade includes its own set of issues and bugs, but the good news is that there are simple adjustments you can make to get more juice out of your laptop's battery. Some of these features are new to Windows 11, while others have been carried over from Windows 10.
Update Your Laptop Often
It’s imperative to keep your operating system up to date, especially with a newer OS like Windows 11. Updates will patch security holes, add new features, and increase overall performance. From Windows 11 Settings, click Windows Update to check for available updates. Windows 11 usually takes care of updates automatically, but it's nice to check every once in a while to ensure your device is up to date.
Use the Battery Saver Tool
Windows 11 comes with a Battery Saver mode, which can be found in the Windows 11 Settings screen. By choosing System and Power & battery, you can check the current status of your battery's health and performance over time. Click Battery saver to turn it on manually or regularly set a time for automatic battery-saving. In this mode, Windows 11 slows down sync for emails and calendars and reduces application activity when you aren't using them.
Reduce Display Brightness
Your laptop's screen consumes a significant amount of the built-in battery's charge. From Windows 11 Settings, click System, then Display.: Under Brightness, you can toggle the screen dimmer and enable a battery-saving mode that automatically optimizes the screen’s brightness.
Another way to reduce the display's power draw is to turn it off frequently. From Settings, select System, Power & battery, and Screen and sleep. You can also select how long the operating system runs idly before the display turns off, saving you even more battery life.
Utilize Dark Mode
The Dark Mode feature limits the amount of power the screen uses by displaying darker or inverted shades rather than bright and vibrant colors.
Open Windows 11 Settings and choose Personalization. You can click Background to change the wallpaper to something darker or click Colors to switch between light and dark modes for Windows. You can even click Themes to change nearly every part of the Windows 11 interface.
Control Your Power Usage
Windows 11 can send measured amounts of power to particular applications to limit how much battery they use. Open up Windows 11 Settings and choose System then Power & battery. Under Screen and sleep, you can set how long your laptop waits in an inactive state before it puts itself to sleep. We also recommend using Best power efficiency mode to get the most time possible out of your battery.
Improving the battery life of your Windows 11 device is simple, especially if you know which apps and features are consuming most of its life. While taking advantage of the Windows 11 power-saving tools can surely boost your battery life, nothing beats bringing your charger with you to keep your device's battery from completely dying. Keep it handy just in case!
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