15 Ways to Effectively Extend Windows Laptop Battery Life

Simple tricks to keep your PC laptop's battery healthy

Co-authored by Hannah Dillon Reviewed by Stan Kats

Last Updated: July 30, 2026 Fact Checked

If you have a Windows laptop, you've likely had your battery die at a very inconvenient time. Thankfully, there are a number of things you can do to extend your laptop's battery life, both in the short and long term. In this article, we cover 15 ways you can reduce battery drain on your Windows laptop. Some of these methods will also work on a desktop PC, helping reduce your energy consumption. Read on to learn more.

Ways to Extend Your PC's Battery Life

Change your laptop's sleep settings so your device isn't always on if you're not using it.
Change your power plan to "Power saver," though you may notice some performance loss.
Lower your laptop's screen brightness.
Disable Bluetooth and Wi-Fi when you're not using them.
If you use Google Chrome, switch to Microsoft Edge or Mozilla Firefox.

1

Change your device sleep settings.

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If your laptop is set to always be awake, it will burn through a lot of battery in a short amount of time when it's off its charger. You can fix this by changing your computer's sleep settings, which adjust how long your computer must be inactive before the screen turns off and before the computer completely goes to sleep. Here's how to do it:
- Type sleep into the taskbar search bar, then click Power, sleep, and battery settings in the Start menu that pops up.
- Expand the "Screen, sleep & hibernate timeouts" header.
- Adjust your sleep settings. You'll see headers that say "Plugged in" and "On battery."
  - To extend your battery life, make sure to change options under the "On battery" header. You don't have to adjust the "Plugged in" settings to save your battery life, but it can help reduce your overall energy consumption.^{[1]
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2

Change your power plan.

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Your computer has a number of power plans you can use to dictate whether the computer should prioritize battery life or performance. If you need to extend your battery life, you should choose a power plan that reflects this. By default, Windows computers are set to the "Balanced" plan, which balances performance and energy consumption. However, if you need to reduce battery drain, you should choose "Power saver." Here's how to do it:
- Type control panel in the taskbar search bar, then click Control Panel in the Start menu that opens.
- Click Power Options. If you don't see this option, make sure the dropdown in the upper right corner is set to "Small icons" or "Large icons."
- Click the radio button next to "Power saver." It should be near the top of the window, under the "Preferred plans" header. If not, expand the "Show additional plans" header.
- Close the Control Panel. Your power plan choice will be saved automatically.^{[2]
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3

Lower your screen brightness.

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Lowering your screen brightness, even by 10 to 20%, will help reduce battery usage on your laptop. To lower your brightness, simply click on the system tray button in the bottom-right corner (which has your volume and Wi-Fi icons on it). Then, drag the slider with the sun icons to the left.^{[3]
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- Don't darken your screen so much that you can't see anything. This will only cause eye strain as you try to use your laptop.

4

Disable Bluetooth and Wi-Fi if not in use.

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If your laptop constantly has Bluetooth and Wi-Fi enabled, even when you're not using them, it will continuously search for new Bluetooth and Wi-Fi signals. This will drain your battery and can lead to your laptop dying faster. If you're not using Bluetooth and Wi-Fi, here's how to disable them:
- Click on the system tray icon in the bottom-right corner, which has icons of your volume and internet connection.
- Click the Wi-Fi and/or Bluetooth icon to disable them. The buttons will be highlighted if these services are on.
  - Alternatively, you can simply click the Airplane mode button to temporarily switch these services off. Click Airplane mode again to turn Wi-Fi and Bluetooth back on.^{[4]
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5

Use a different web browser.

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Even though Google Chrome is the most popular web browser, it takes up a lot of resources on your computer. If you use Chrome but you notice that your laptop is dying quickly, try switching to a different browser.
- Microsoft Edge, the replacement for Internet Explorer, is actually very quick and optimized to work well on Windows computers. If Chrome is eating up your battery life, consider switching to the built-in Edge browser on your computer.
- If you don't want to use Edge, try Mozilla Firefox or Waterfox, an open-source browser based on Firefox.

6

Reduce your screen refresh rate.

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A high refresh rate makes motions on your screen look smoother, but it also uses more power. If you want to reduce the amount of battery that your laptop uses, try lowering the screen refresh rate. Here's how you do it:
- Type display into the taskbar search bar, then click Display settings in the Start menu that pops up.
- Click Advanced display under the "Related settings" header.
- Choose a new refresh rate next to "Choose a refresh rate." The lower the number, the more power you'll save, but conversely, motions on your screen won't be as smooth.

7

Decrease your maximum processor state.

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Decreasing your maximum processor state can help save battery by not allowing your CPU to run at its highest frequency. While this might sound bad, it usually does not affect performance. If you lower your maximum processor state and notice that your computer doesn't work as smoothly as it used to, simply go back and set your maximum processor state back to 100%. Here's how to lower it:
- Type control panel in the taskbar search bar, then click Control Panel in the Start menu that opens.
- Click Power Options. If you don't see this option, make sure the dropdown in the upper right corner is set to "Small icons" or "Large icons."
- Click Change plan settings next to your chosen power plan.
- Click Change advanced power settings.
- Click the plus next to "Processor power management" to expand the options.
- Click the plus next to "Maximum processor state."
- Click on "Setting" so you can edit the number.
- Change the setting to 99 (or lower).
- Click OK to save your changes.

8

Fully close programs you're not using.

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If you have a lot of programs running on your PC that you're not using, you could be burning up extra battery charge. The harder your computer has to work to run, the more power it will use up. So, if you're running a lot of extraneous programs—especially programs that use up a lot of resources, like a video game—your power will drain quickly. Only keep the programs you're actively using open to extend your battery life.

9

Limit your battery's max charge to 80%.

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If you want to maintain the long-term health of your laptop's battery, only allow it to charge to 80% capacity. When your laptop battery is fully charged, it can actually degrade the battery slowly over time. This is to be expected, but you can help slow down this degradation by only letting your battery charge up to 80%.^{[5]
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- This is more of a long-term solution, as it will keep your battery healthier for longer. If your battery is old and already struggling, this option may not work for you.
- Unfortunately, Windows doesn't have a built-in feature to limit your battery charge. If your laptop has its own manufacturer app (like the HP app), you can sometimes use this to limit your max battery charge. You also may be able to set this in the BIOS/UEFI. If you don't have any other option, you may just need to unplug your laptop when it reaches 80%.

10

Keep your laptop in ideal temperatures.

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If your laptop's battery gets too hot or too cold, it can damage the battery and lead to battery degradation, which will, over time, lead to your battery not lasting as long. To avoid this, keep your laptop in the lithium-ion battery ambient temperature range, which is 32°F to 95°F (0°C to 35°C).^{[6]
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- Avoid hot cars and direct sunlight, as well as frigid winter outdoor temperatures, if possible.

11

Don't let your laptop battery die.

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Letting your battery hit 0% is just as bad as letting it stay at 100%. While wear and tear on your battery is normal, it's best not to speed up that process by letting your battery completely die. Make sure to plug in your laptop before the battery dies completely.^{[7]
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12

Use a dark theme or background.

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If you have an OLED monitor, using a dark theme or background can help save battery life. However, if you have an LCD or IPS screen, changing your theme won't actually save any battery life at all. This is because on an OLED screen, a black pixel means it's off, so it's not using any power. On an LCD or IPS screen, however, this isn't the case, and a dark theme or light theme will use the same amount of power.^{[8]
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- If you have an LCD or IPS screen, using light mode and turning down your brightness will do a lot more to save your battery life!

13

Check your energy recommendations.

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Windows has a built-in list of energy recommendations, based on your current laptop settings. After you try the methods in this article, you should check out the energy recommendations Windows has to see if there's anything else you can do. Here's how to check it:
- Type power into the taskbar search bar, then click Power, sleep, and battery settings in the Start menu that pops up.
- Click the Energy recommendations option at the top of the menu.
- Click Apply next to any recommendations you want to use.

14

Use a power bank.

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If you need to extend your laptop's battery life but can't plug it in to charge, you can use a power bank to help keep your battery running longer. This only works if your laptop has a USB-C power cord; typical laptop AC power ports won't work with a power bank.
- You can use any power bank to charge your laptop, but one with a higher mAh rating will give you more charge before it runs out of juice.

15

Replace your battery.

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If your laptop battery doesn't last very long at all, it may be time to replace it. Most laptops have removable batteries, though some are held in with screws. Make sure to buy a new battery from your laptop's manufacturer and the correct one for your laptop model. If you buy a battery from a third party or the wrong battery, it may not work in your laptop or pose a shock or fire risk.
- If you end up getting a new battery, use the tips in this article to keep it running smoothly for as long as possible!