Share:
4 ways to extend your Windows 10 laptop battery life
It’s probably one of the oldest and most common complaints that users have when it comes their electronics, especially with laptops. And that complaint, of course, is having a short battery life, which is both annoying and inconvenient for laptop users everywhere.
The biggest let down for most is having a battery that won’t make it throughout the day without being plugged in at least once. People are literally trying every trick and tip to save every last ounce of battery life.
The truth is, you don’t have to go deep into your system to get more out of your battery. You can stick with the basics. If you want to keep your PC up and running for longer, here are four easy ways to extend your Windows 10 laptop battery life.
Power and sleep settings
Much like previous versions, Windows 10 comes with a sleep optimization mode already built-in. Here’s how to change the default settings:
- Open Settings from the Start menu.
- Look for the Power and Sleep option.
- The, find Screen and Sleep section.
- Under each, there will be time options/intervals available. Be sure to pick a low time interval in the drop-down field under Screen.
- Under the Sleep section, you can set your computer to enter the Sleep mode around 10-15 minutes when it’s unplugged.
Turn off Wi-Fi and Bluetooth when not in use
Wi-Fi and Bluetooth put a significant strain on battery life. For instance, you may have noticed that as soon as you connect to a network or pair with Bluetooth, your battery begins to drain much more quickly. It’s for this reason that you should seriously consider turning these features off when you’re not using them. The best way to shut both of these off at the same time is to simply switch to airplane mode.
To disconnect your PC from a Wi-Fi network while it’s sleeping, go to the Start menu (with the Windows button) and go to the Settings. From there, go to the System tab and then to the Power and Sleep option to find Airplane Mode.
Lower display brightness
This one’s an oldie but a goodie. Today, it’s no secret that a bright display eats through your laptop battery. Since your screen’s brightness is directly linked to your battery, lowering it can help conserve and extend battery life overall in the long-run. To reduce the brightness, hold down the Function (Fn) key and toggle the brightness buttons on the top of your keyboard. These should have small icons on them that look like suns.
Use battery saver
The Battery Saver tool is already built right into the Windows 10 system. It works by limiting background activity, and ensures that the proper energy is being delivered to individual running apps. When the battery saver is enabled, it automatically puts a stop on your email and calendar updates, Live Tile updates and limits background app refreshes.
You’ll find the battery saver by clicking the Windows + L buttons and tapping the System option in the Settings menu. From there, just look for the Battery Saver option in the left pane. You can toggle that setting along with the automatic saver setting. You’re able to pick and choose which apps you want auto updated from here as well.
Using one or any combination of these tricks will help your battery last much longer, so you can keep working or simply surfing the web.
Tags: battery/batteries, Microsoft Windows 10, network, Wi-Fi
Share: