Most laptops can get 20–40% more runtime from a few settings changes. These are the tweaks that make a measurable difference, roughly in order of impact. (Mac users: skip to the macOS section at the end.)
In this article
1. Lower screen brightness
The display is usually the biggest power draw. Dropping from 100% to around 50–60% indoors can add an hour or more. Press Win + A for the brightness slider, and turn on Settings → System → Display → Brightness → Change brightness based on content (Content Adaptive Brightness) if your laptop supports it.
2. Use Energy Saver and the right power mode
- Settings → System → Power & battery → Power mode: choose Best power efficiency when on battery.
- Energy saver (it replaced Battery saver in Windows 11 24H2): set it to turn on automatically at 20–30%, or switch it on from Quick Settings (Win + A) whenever you need to stretch the battery. It limits background activity and lowers brightness slightly.
3. Lower the refresh rate
High-refresh screens (120Hz+) use more power. Go to Settings → System → Display → Advanced display and choose Dynamic refresh rate if available, or 60Hz on battery. Gaming laptops: also see tip 7.
4. Find the apps draining your battery
Open Settings → System → Power & battery → Battery usage. It shows which apps used the most power over the last 24 hours or 7 days. Common culprits are browsers with dozens of tabs, Teams/Zoom, game launchers, sync tools and RGB/peripheral software. Close or uninstall what you don’t need, and stop unnecessary apps launching at startup.
5. Tame your browser
- Edge: Settings → System and performance → turn on Efficiency mode and Sleeping tabs.
- Chrome: Settings → Performance → turn on Energy Saver and Memory Saver.
- Edge and Safari are generally the most battery-efficient browsers on Windows and Mac respectively.
6. Turn off what you aren’t using
- Keyboard backlight (usually an Fn key).
- Bluetooth, if you have no wireless devices connected.
- Unplug USB devices that draw power (external drives, phones charging, RGB mice).
- Dark mode can save meaningful power on OLED screens (not on regular LCDs).
7. Gaming laptops: use the integrated GPU on battery
A dedicated NVIDIA GPU can halve battery life. Use your laptop’s control app (Armoury Crate, Lenovo Vantage/Legion Space, Omen Gaming Hub, MSI Center) to switch to Eco / Integrated / Hybrid mode when unplugged. Don’t game on battery, which is slow and drains it in about an hour anyway.
8. Keep Windows and drivers updated
Updated chipset, graphics and BIOS firmware often include power-management fixes. Use Windows Update plus your manufacturer’s update tool (Lenovo Vantage, MyASUS, Dell SupportAssist, HP Support Assistant).
9. Keep it cool
A hot laptop runs its fans harder and its chips less efficiently. Use it on a hard surface, keep the vents clean (how to clean the fan), and see how to stop overheating.
Battery drains while the laptop is closed or asleep
Most modern Windows laptops use “Modern Standby”, which keeps Wi-Fi and some apps active during sleep, a bit like a phone. Some laptops lose a lot of battery in a bag overnight. To fix it:
- Hibernate instead of sleep when you won’t use the laptop for hours. Control Panel → Power Options → Choose what closing the lid does → set “On battery” to Hibernate. (If Hibernate isn’t listed, run
powercfg /h onin an admin Terminal.) - Find what woke it up: run
powercfg /sleepstudyin an admin Terminal and open the report it creates. It shows which apps and devices drained the battery during sleep. - Unplug USB devices before closing the lid, and turn off Bluetooth if you don’t need it.
- Update the BIOS, chipset and Wi-Fi drivers. Sleep-drain bugs are commonly fixed in updates.
Battery still dropping fast all the time? Check its health, as it may simply be worn.
On a Mac
- System Settings → Battery → Low Power Mode: set to “Only on Battery”.
- Check Activity Monitor → Energy for apps with high “Energy Impact”.
- Use Safari rather than Chrome for the longest battery life.
- Reduce brightness and turn off keyboard backlighting in bright rooms.
When settings aren’t enough
If your battery drains fast even after these changes, it may simply be worn. Check its health, and slow future wear with a charge limit. For long days away from outlets, a laptop power bank can double your runtime.
