4 tips to help laptop battery last longer

Battery life is always a concern for many Windows laptop users. If you often have to carry a charger with you or feel worried because your device runs out of battery in the middle of a task, you may have overlooked the simple but effective optimization settings built into the operating system.

Adjusting a few system options can make a big difference. Here are five important settings tweaks you should check and apply right away to help your Windows laptop last longer on a charge.

1. Enable battery saving mode

Take advantage of Battery Saver to extend your usage time. You can manually enable it at any time via Settings > System > Power & Battery > Battery Saver or from the system tray.

Turn on battery saving mode on laptop.

This mode will automatically reduce background activity and limit battery-draining tasks. Also, in the Power Mode section in the same settings area, select "Best Power Efficiency" instead of "Best Performance" to prioritize battery life. If you find your device slowing down significantly, you can select "Balanced" mode to balance performance and savings.

2. Adjust screen brightness

The screen is the number one battery drainer on laptops. Reduce the screen brightness to a level that is easy to see, especially when using the device indoors or at night (40-50% is usually reasonable).

To do this, go to Settings > System > Display to adjust, or you can use the shortcut on your laptop keyboard (if available). If your computer has an "Adaptive brightness" feature, turn it on so that the computer can automatically adjust to the environment.

3. Shorten screen off timeout

To avoid wasting battery when you leave your phone for a short while, set your screen to turn off more quickly. Go to Settings > System > Power & Battery > Screen and Sleep, and set the "On battery power, turn of my screen after" option to about 5-10 minutes (or less, depending on your habits).

Set screen to turn off faster.

4. Clean up background apps

Many apps run in the background constantly to update, sync. and silently consume battery. Check which apps are "consuming" the most battery by going to Settings > System > Power & Battery > Battery Usage. If you find an app that is rarely used but is draining battery unusually, open Task Manager (press Ctrl+Shift+Esc), find the app's processes and select "End Task" to close them.

List of apps that use the most battery.

Applying these simple tweaks in sync may not turn your laptop into a more battery-powered machine, but it will definitely help improve actual usage time, helping you work and play more efficiently and seamlessly between charges.

Jessica Tanner

Update 20 April 2025