Introduction
Having good battery life on your Windows 10 laptop is crucial for productivity on the go. With some simple tweaks and steps, you can extend your battery life and get the most out of each charge. Here are my top tips for maximizing battery life on a Windows 10 laptop.
Adjust Power Settings
The Windows 10 power options allow you to control how your laptop uses battery power. Here are some recommended settings:
Use Battery Saver Mode
- Enable Battery Saver mode when not plugged in. This reduces background activity and performance to save power.
Adjust Screen Brightness
- Lower screen brightness to around 50%. The screen is one of the biggest power drains.
Turn Off Unused Radios
- Disable Bluetooth if you’re not using it. Turn off Wi-Fi when not needed.
Change Plan Settings
- Change advanced power plan settings like dimming the screen and turning off hard disks earlier when on battery power.
Disable Unneeded Apps
- Stop apps like OneDrive from running in the background if you don’t need them.
Manage Apps and Usage
Being smart about how you use apps and features can extend battery life. Here are some tips:
Close Unused Apps
- Don’t just minimize apps. Make sure to actually close them if you’re done using them for now.
Disable Background App Refresh
- Turn off background app refresh in Settings for apps that don’t need it. This prevents them from draining battery when not in use.
Limit Notifications
- Disable notifications for low priority apps. The display lighting up constantly can use a lot of power.
Use Battery Saving Modes in Apps
- Many apps like Chrome have their own battery saving modes to limit background activity. Enable these when on battery power.
Avoid Resource Intensive Apps
- Limit gaming, video streaming, and other activities that tax the CPU, GPU, and storage when not plugged in.
Optimize Hardware Usage
There are some hardware optimization steps you can take as well:
Dim the Screen
- Use the lowest comfortable brightness, especially when reading static content.
Turn Off Keyboard Backlights
- Disable keyboard backlights like those on gaming laptops when not needed.
Eject Removable Storage
- Safely eject SD cards and USB drives when not in use. Spinning drives consume power.
Disable Unneeded Devices
- Temporarily disable Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and other devices from Device Manager if you won’t need them for a while.
Keep it Cool
- Make sure vents aren’t blocked to prevent overheating which reduces battery efficiency.
Battery Maintenance Tips
Maintaining your battery properly will help preserve its long term capacity:
- Avoid completely draining the battery repeatedly. Charge it before it gets below 20%.
- Don’t leave the laptop plugged in at 100% capacity for extended periods.
- Let the battery discharge by at least 50% once per month before recharging.
- Set charge limits of around 50-80% for day to day use if possible.
- Avoid exposing battery to high temperatures for a long time.
By following these Windows 10 tips, you’ll get the most life out of each charge for productivity on the go. Proper usage and maintenance will also help maximize your battery’s lifespan.
