It’s critical to take good care of your laptop’s battery to ensure that it lasts as long as possible. While it is true that battery technology has advanced in the background, outdating “best practices” from a few years ago, there are still a few ways to lengthen (or shorten) the life of your battery.
Laptops, unlike many desktop computers, do not have a one-size-fits-all strategy. Because each machine is unique, learning as much as you can about your laptop and its battery is critical. From how long you should leave your laptop plugged into how low you should allow the battery to drain, we’ve compiled the best tips for taking care of your laptop’s battery.
Turn off WI-FI and Bluetooth When Not in Use
If you’re not using Wi-Fi or Bluetooth, disable them both or just one of them. Both of these functions diminish the battery’s capacity. As a result, it’s a good idea to turn them off.
To turn off Wi-Fi, most computers feature a key or switch combination. Bluetooth, on the other hand, might be more difficult.
You may need to study the documentation for your specific machine or conduct an online search to get the solution.
If your laptop runs Windows 10, it’s as simple as tapping the Windows key and holding A to open the Action Centre, then clicking the Wi-Fi and Bluetooth icons to disable them.
You may locate a shortcut for activating or disabling Bluetooth on older computers, which is commonly found in the Start menu.
If you’re still not sure, open Control Panel, navigate to Hardware and Sound, select Device Manager, and then scroll through the list of hardware.
When you’ve located the Bluetooth adapter, right-click it and select Disable from the menu. When the icon is deactivated, double-clicking it will bring it back to life.
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Use the Battery Saver Mode
By default, your laptop is set to Windows’ Balanced mode rather than the Power Saver mode.
To adjust your power mode settings follow these steps:
- Click on the Start menu
- Select Settings
- Click on Systems
- Choose the option Power & Sleep
Keep in mind that depending on whether Windows is running on battery or mains power, it uses various performance and power settings.
Select a battery-saver option and pick it before closing the window. You may also select Show additional plans from the drop-down menu.
Image Source: PC World
Reduce Screen Brightness
The screen, especially the lighting of the screen, is one of the largest power drains on laptops. On an LCD panel, this is what allows you to perceive colors.
Some older laptop models feature fluorescent backlights that use a lot of electricity. While later versions include LED backlights, even they use a significant amount of battery power.
Dimming your screen’s brightness might extend your battery life by up to 30 minutes or more.
To access the Windows 10 action center, hit the Windows key while holding down the A key. You will find the screen brightness slider at the bottom of the page.
If you’re using an earlier version of Windows on your laptop, hit Win+X. The Mobility Center will open immediately, and you may change the brightness from there.
Avoid Keeping Your Laptop Plugged All the Time
According to best practices for Li-ion battery longevity, a partial charge is preferable to a full charge. We recommend keeping your laptop plugged in if you are performing things that need a lot of battery power, such as gaming or video editing.
On the other hand, it is not required to keep charging your laptop if you are only using it for ordinary chores such as surfing the internet or working on a project. This will help protect your laptop battery from draining too quickly.
In fact, leaving your laptop plugged in all the time might reduce its average lifespan. This is due to the fact that charging and recharging your battery will gradually deteriorate it over time.
So, if you want to extend the life of your laptop, just plug it in when it is necessary.
Keep Your Laptop Away from High Temperatures
The electrochemical processes within a laptop battery speed up when it becomes too hot, but that doesn’t mean the battery becomes more efficient. Instead, the battery is now creating a large amount of energy that it is unable to utilize or securely send to any device.
This generates even more heat, aggravating the situation. Not only may this irreversibly harm the interior of the battery, but it also wears it out by causing a slew of chemical reactions that aren’t essential yet nevertheless burn your laptop’s battery life.
Although today’s lithium-ion batteries are long-lasting, they can only resist a certain amount of heat. If your laptop battery becomes too hot during charging, for example, because the CPU is working hard on a task or the environment is too hot, switch off the device and remove the battery if possible.
Keep it cool by giving it a rest or moving it somewhere with a lower temperature. Many modern laptops have sealed batteries, therefore shutting it off and letting it cool is strongly recommended if you want to increase the battery’s life.
Close Apps That Are Not in Use
If you spend a lot of time working away from a power outlet, it’s a good idea to change your laptop usage in battery-saving ways, such as sticking to one program at a time and turning off everything else while not in use. It’s similar to shutting out the lights in a room when it’s not being used. Keep both Firefox and Microsoft Word open if you’re switching back and forth between the two. If you’re simply viewing a YouTube video, you’ll be better off closing every other program that you are not using.
Make Use of the Windows Performance Management Tool
The Windows performance management tool is a slider in Windows 10 that you may get from the battery symbol in the taskbar. It can be found in Windows 11 under Settings > System > Power & Battery > Power Mode. It has the role to categorize and display all of the parameters that influence battery life into a few simple categories.
Your computer’s manufacturer selects the parameters the battery slider regulates. However, keep the following principles in mind:
The Best Performance mode is for those who are ready to sacrifice battery life in exchange for increased speed and responsiveness. In this setting, Windows will not prevent background programs from using a lot of power.
The Best Performance (or Recommended) mode stresses power above efficiency, limiting resources for background programs.
The Better Battery mode uses less power than the default settings available in older Windows versions.
Consider Hiring Managed IT Services To Maintain Your Devices In Good Shape
In addition to these tips, businesses can also benefit from investing in Managed IT Services to keep their devices in good shape. With Managed IT Services, businesses can have regular maintenance checks and software updates to ensure that laptops and other devices are running smoothly. This proactive approach can help reduce the chance of unexpected hardware issues, which can lead to costly downtime.
Break/fix services, on the other hand, are reactive and only address issues as they arise, which can result in devices being neglected and eventually becoming more expensive to repair. In case you are wondering about break/fix vs managed IT services, you should know that MSPs ensure that businesses can prolong the lifespan of their devices and reduce the chances of failure, ultimately saving money in the long run.
Conclusion
These strategies mentioned in this blog post will help you make the most of the battery you have. If you still have concerns about the performance of your battery or want some further help, set up a quick 15-minute meeting with us. We’ll be happy to help!
