Extending the Life of Your Laptop Battery Replacing Worn Out Cells and Optimizing Power Management Settings

How to keep your laptop battery healthy and extend its life

Taking proper care of your laptop's battery is important for ensuring your mobile machine can run as long as possible. Although battery technology has evolved in the background, outdating "best practices" from a few years ago, there are still a number of ways you can extend (or reduce) your laptop battery's health. We've rounded up the top tips for how to care for your laptop's battery, from how long you should leave it plugged in to how low you should let the battery drain.

Unlike many desktop computers, there isn't a one-size-fits-all approach to laptops. Every machine is a little different, so finding out as much as you can about your laptop and its battery is important. Our tips apply to lithium-ion batteries, which are, by far, the most widely used batteries in modern laptops.

Save cycles, save your battery

All laptop batteries are built to handle a certain number of charge cycles, usually somewhere around 500 full cycles and sometimes even more. Essentially, a charge cycle equals one full discharge down to 0% and then a recharge back up to 100%. A discharge down to 50% and then back to 100% would equal half a cycle. Over time, each charge cycle decreases a battery's capacity from its design specifications, meaning that the fewer times you drain it, the longer the battery lasts all other things being equal.

So, where do you start? You can begin by visiting the power settings corner of your laptop and learning how your battery works and what battery settings to enable. Also, pay attention to hibernation modes. Ideally, you want your laptop to enter into hibernation before the battery is totally drained as well as during downtime when you won't be using the laptop for a while.

To save even more power, take a tour of your apps and quit any that are running in the background and steadily eating into your battery life. In Windows 11, for example, we suggest you search for and enable the Battery Saver. This mode can automatically turn on when your laptop reaches 20% battery life (more down below on why this is particularlyimportant). This will automatically block background apps, keep your features like Calendar from syncing or pushing notifications, lower screen brightness, and enable other various changes that will conserve your battery so you can get to an outlet ASAP.

For MacBooks, look into enabling Power Nap on macOS versions prior to Venturaso you can put your Mac to sleep without worrying about it skipping important tasks, allowing you to save more battery life. On macOS Ventura and later, the power settings have changed for example, there's no longer a "Power Nap" option but the same basic options remain. Enabling automatic graphics switching, if your Mac has more than one graphics system, can also help it save power by switching to a more energy-efficient (and slower) graphics mode when engaged in simple tasks (like text-based work where graphics aren't as important).

There are plenty of manual changes you can make here, too. You can safely shut down things like cloud storage and messaging applications that may be running in the background. You can also manually reduce the amount of power you're using by shutting off Wi-Fi and Bluetooth when you're not using them, turning off optional features such as keyboard backlighting, and generally reducing the number of components using up the battery. Both Microsoft and Apple have guides explaining the process further.

Keeping your battery in zone

Contrary to some recommendations, you don't need to routinelydischarge a lithium-ion battery completely and then recharge it to somehow reboot or calibrate it -- this is a destructive practice that's very hard on your battery. Whether or not it's a smart idea to perform a complete discharge a couple of times a year remains an unanswered question. Generally, the consensus seems to be that letting your battery discharge (without bottoming it out aim for around 20%) and then charging it when possible is the best practice.

Next, there was a time when users were advised to refrain from keeping their devices plugged in, based on the idea that letting a battery charge to 100% could wear the battery out more quickly. Today, however, modern devices are designed tostop charging at 100%, so keeping them plugged in doesn't impact the battery's lifespan, according to Battery University.

As with many battery-related questions, the issue of keeping your laptop plugged in when it's reached full capacity is hotly debated, so there's nothing wrong with turning your machine off and unplugging it if you feel more comfortable doing that. But generally speaking, the best thing you can do for your lithium-ion battery is to avoid letting it discharge below 20%. Plug it in and charge it when you can, and then rinse and repeat. The good news is that with modern batteries and systems, there's really not much else you need to do outside of anticipating that your battery will eventually start losing its overall capacity.

Finally, if you're going to store your laptop for an extended time without using it, discharge or charge it to 50% before putting it away.

It's getting hot in here, so hide your batteries

When a laptop battery gets too hot, the electrochemical reactions inside speed up but that doesn't mean that the battery grows more efficient. Instead, the battery is now producing lots of energy that it cannot use and cannot safely route to any hardware. This creates even more heat, compounding the problem. Not only can this eventually damage the inside of the battery permanently, but it also wears the battery out with a bunch of chemical reactions that aren't necessary but burn through a battery's lifespan anyway.

Today's lithium-ion batteries are durable, but they can only take so much heat. For example, if you are charging your battery and it starts to get overly warm, perhaps because the CPU or graphics processor is working hard or the environment is overly hot, then shut the device down and pop the battery out if possible. Give it a break so that it can cool down, or you can move it to someplace with a lower temperature. Most modern laptops have sealed batteries, in which case shutting the machine down and letting it cool is highly recommended if maximizing the battery's lifespan is your concern.

Likewise, keep the laptop off of your lap.If discomfort isn't a good enough reason, with many machines, you're also making the problem worse by blocking vents. You'll want to make sure that both vents that pull in cool air and those that expel hot air are able to do their jobs.

Finally, and perhaps most importantly,you shouldavoid placing your laptop anywhere it might become hot. That includes your car on a hot summer day, beneath a window that gets direct sunlight, or near a space heater. Unusual conditions such as these can do a lot of damage to a battery in a short period oftime, though you may not realize it immediately.

Cold temperatures usually aren't a problem down to a certain point, and storing a battery in a cool place is recommended, but don't leave your laptop in freezing temperatures. Too much cold can also kill thebattery permanently or reduce its lifespan.

If you want to watch temperature even more closely (say, you live in a particularlyhot climate), then there are a number of apps you can run that will monitor laptop heat. This includes CoreTemp and Real Tempfor Windows, which you can download for free.

Leave it plugged in (but not all the time)

It's safe to leave most modern laptops plugged in. In fact, most high-powered gaming laptops work best when plugged in. The most important aspect of battery health is the discharge cycle. No matter how cautious you are, your battery will degrade over time as you discharge and recharge it. Whenever you're running an intensive application such as a game you can run it while your laptop is plugged in to reduce the number of discharge cycles on your battery.

You shouldn't leave your laptop in this state all the time, though, just when you'd drain the battery very quickly. As mentioned, it's better to store your battery at 40% to 50% capacity than it is to store it at 100% capacity if you don't plan on using it for a bit. Degradation is faster on fully charged, unattended batteries, especially at high temperatures.

So, if you're not moving around and running an intensive application, it's a good idea to leave your laptop plugged for the duration of that time. If you're handling day-to-day tasks that don't consume as much power as quickly like browsing the internet you can rely on the battery alone.

Download software to get battery health reports

It can be tough to know at a glance just how your battery is doing. Devices like iPhones come with native battery maintenance settings and alerts that provide at least some information, but these diagnostics are harder to find on laptops unless you install them yourself. Here are a couple of battery-monitoring app options for you to consider.

BatteryCare: This extra-lightweight app designed for Windows computers provides notifications, CPU/storage temperature readings, discharge cycle monitoring, and lots of handy information all in one place.

Battery Monitor: Made for macOS, this app shows battery charge in a friendly interface with info on battery health and cycles, alerts, battery temperature readings, and current total capacity.

If you don't want to download any dedicated apps, you still have options available. For example, you can open up PowerShell on your Windows computer and run the command "powercfg /batteryreport," which will provide you a file path to this somewhat secret report. Copy or drag it to a browser window, and you'll get a page with full information on your battery, including recent usage, cycle counts, usage history, and more. It doesn't have the smooth interface of a monitoring app, but you don't have to download anything extra to get it.

Enable battery-conscious modes on your computer

Windows 10 operating systems provide a battery saver mode under their power settings. If you turn on the battery saver mode when your power is running out, youll be able to extend the battery life until you can get to a charger. By activating the battery saver mode on your computer, you will safeguard your battery from the damage that comes with letting it reach a 0% charge. MacOS has similar abilities.

Adaptive brightness modes are also a good idea to enable. These modes adjust your screens brightness according to ambient light to help save battery life when you are in a well-lit spot. You can also activate your laptops dark mode, which saves energy and also might be easier on your eyes. Any option that helps you save energy will prolong your laptops battery life.

Update your operating system

For optimal functionality, you must consistently update your computers software. When the manufacturer releases a new update, it not only has patches and upgrades but can also help programs run more efficiently, which will conserve battery power. The same operating system on a later patch could use significantly less battery power, giving your battery a longer lifespan without changing anything else. And so, review your OS and keep your machine and its battery on a healthy diet of updates.

Editors' Recommendations

How to extend laptop battery life on Windows 11

On Windows 11, running low on battery when you are actively using the device can be a frustrating situation, even more, if there's not a power outlet nearby, but there are many ways to make the most of a single charge, and in this guide, we'll show you how.

For example, you can enable battery savers to disable features and visual effects that can negatively affect battery life. You can tweak the power settings to shorten when the screen should turn off and when the computer should enter sleep mode to preserve energy. You can enable hibernation to save the current session with your running applications onto the hard drive to shut down the system and extend the device's battery life. It's also possible to troubleshoot and fix common battery drain problems automatically and control many other features.

This guide will walk you through the best tips to extend the battery life on your Windows 11 laptop as much as possible.

How to enable battery saver on Windows 11

To enable battery saver to extend your laptop battery life on Windows 11, use these steps:

1. Open Settings.
2. Click on System.
3. Click the Power & battery page on the right side.

1. Under the "Battery" section, click the Turn on now button.

1. (Optional) Choose the battery percentage before automatically turning the battery saver feature.
2. (Optional) Turn on the "Lower screen brightness when using battery saver" toggle switch.

Once you complete the steps, the battery saver feature will turn off features that may use a lot of power, such as background activity, file and email syncing, and fancy visual effects. In addition, the screen brightness will dim to improve battery life on Windows 11.

How to set when inactive display turns off on Windows 11

To reduce the time when a display should turn off automatically, use these steps:

1. Open Settings.
2. Click on System.
3. Click the Power & battery page on the right side.

1. Under the "Power" section, click the Screen and sleep setting.
2. Reduce the number of minutes before turning off the display while on battery power using the "On battery power, turn off my screen after" setting.

After you complete the steps, the display will automatically turn off when you specify to save power.

How to set when computer should sleep on Windows 11

To reduce the time when a computer should enter in sleep mode to save battery, use these steps:

1. Open Settings.
2. Click on System.
3. Click the Power & battery page on the right side.

1. Under the "Power" section, click the Screen and sleep setting.
2. Reduce the number of minutes before turning off the display while on battery power using the "On battery power, put my device to sleep after" setting.

Once you complete the steps, the laptop will enter into sleep mode after the time of inactivity you specified to conserve battery life.

How to change power mode on Windows 11

To change the power mode to favor battery life, use these steps:

1. Open Settings.
2. Click on System.
3. Click the Power & battery page on the right side.

1. Under the "Power" section, choose the "Best power efficiency" option using the "Power mode" setting.

After you complete the steps, the system will implement policies to favor battery life rather than performance.

How to sleep laptop when the lid closes on Windows 11

Although you can always use the power options from the Start menu, you can also customize the system to Sleep or Hibernate as you close the laptop's lid to help you conserve battery.

To change what closing the lid does on Windows 11, use these steps:

1. OpenControl Panel.
2. Click onHardware and Sound.
3. Click onPower Options.

1. Click the"Choose what closing the lid does"option in the left pane.

• Under the "On battery" section, use the "When I close the lid" setting and choose theSleeporHibernate(recommended) option.
• (Optional) Under the "Plugged in" section, use the "When I close the lid" setting and choose theSleeporHibernate(recommended) option.
• Click theSave changesbutton.

After you complete the steps, the next time you close the lid, the laptop will go into the sleep mode you selected to extend battery life.

This page also allows you to control the action of the power button. Depending on your preferences, you can set it to sleep or hibernate (recommended) the computer.

The "Hibernate" option will only be available if you have previously enabled the feature on Windows 11.

How to change video playback settings on Windows 11

To optimize battery life for video playback, use these steps:

1. Open Settings.
2. Click on Apps.
3. Click the Video playback page on the right side.

1. Select the "Optimize for battery life" option using the "Battery options" setting.

1. Check the "Play video at a lower resolution when on battery" option.

Once you complete the steps, the video playback settings will be optimized to preserve battery life on the computer.

How to disable apps at startup on Windows 11

To prevent apps from running a startup to minimize battery drain, use these steps:

1. Open Settings.
2. Click on Apps.
3. Click the Startup page on the right side.

1. Turn off all the unnecessary apps (leave enabled only the essential apps).

1. Restart the computer

After you complete the steps, the computer will no longer launch additional programs at startup that could waste system resources that can negatively affect the battery experience.

How to turn off wireless adapter on Windows 11

If a task doesn't require an internet connection, you could disable the wireless communication to extend the laptop's battery life further.

To disable Wi-Fi communication to extend battery life on Windows 11, use these steps:

1. Open Settings.
2. Click on Network & internet.
3. Turn off the Wi-Fi toggle switch.

Once you complete the steps, the computer will disable the wireless communication to reduce battery drainage.

Alternatively, you can use the "Windows key + A" keyboard shortcut and click the Wi-Fi button to disable wireless communication.

How to disable Bluetooth on Windows 11

Like mobile phones, Bluetooth can also help drain the battery faster. If you disable the adapter, you can help improve the computer's battery life.

To disable Bluetooth to preserve battery life, use these steps:

1. Open Settings.
2. Click on Bluetooth & devices.
3. Turn off the Bluetooth toggle switch.

After you complete the steps, the device will pause Bluetooth connections to improve battery life.

Alternatively, you can use the "Windows key + A" keyboard shortcut and click the Bluetooth button to disable wireless communication.

How to turn on Airplane mode on Windows 11

Although you can manually disable Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and other wireless communications individually, you can turn off all these signals automatically by turning on Airplane mode.

To turn on Airplane mode to save battery life on Windows 11, use these steps:

1. OpenSettings.
2. Click onNetwork & internet.
3. Turn on theAirplane modetoggle switch.

Alternatively, you can click the network icon in the Taskbar System Tray (Windows key + A shortcut) and click theAirplane modebutton.

When Airplane mode is enabled, all wireless communications will be disabled, resulting in less power being utilized, expanding the battery life of the device.

How to switch to dark theme on Windows 11

When you use dark color mode and dark wallpaper on Windows 11, the display won't use as much energy to drive the pixels on the screen. As a result, using this color mode can help save battery life.

To set the dark theme on Windows 11, use these steps:

1. OpenSettings
2. Click onPersonalization.
3. Click theThemespage on the right side.

1. Select theWindows (dark)theme.

Once you complete the steps, the desktop will include the dark version of Bloom wallpaper for Windows 11, and the Taskbar, Start menu, and supported apps will switch to the dark color mode.

How to enable power usage during indexing on Windows 11

To minimize Windows Search battery usage, use these steps:

1. Open Settings.
2. Click on Privacy & security.
3. Click the Searching Windows page on the right side.

1. Turn on the " width="50"Respect power settings when indexing" toggle switch.

Once you complete the steps, Windows 11 will temporarily throttle or pause search and updates to the index database to extend battery life while on battery power.

How to disable animation effects on Windows 11

Windows 11 has visual effects, such as minimizing, opening, closing, and maximizing windows, actions in the Taskbar, and more, to make the experience smoother. The only problem is that these effects require additional computing resources that can drain the laptop's battery. However, you can disable these effects to save some battery and make the experience feel a little faster in the process.

To disable the Windows 11 animation effects, use these steps:

1. OpenSettings.
2. Click onAccessibility.
3. Click theVisual effectspage on the right side.

1. Turn off theAnimation effectstoggle switch.

1. Turn off theTransparency effectstoggle switch.

Once you complete the steps, the system won't need to use additional resources to play visual effects, improving battery life.

How to lower brightness on Windows 11

To lower the brightness settings to save battery life, use these steps:

1. Open Settings.
2. Click on System.
3. Turn on the Display toggle switch.

1. Under the "Brightness & color" section, click the Brightness setting.
2. Use the slider to control the light intensity of the display.

1. Check the "Help improve battery by optimizing the content shown and brightness" option to let the system manage image quality in favor of battery life.

After completing the steps, the display will lower its brightness to reduce power consumption and battery usage.

How to enable Dynamic Refresh Rate on Windows 11

Dynamic Refresh Rate (DRR) is a feature that automatically lowers the device's refresh rate to save battery life. When using this feature, you will be trading off-screen quality, but it'll help to preserve battery life.

The feature is only available on displays with 120Hz or higher refresh rates.

To enable Dynamic Refresh Rate on Windows 11, use these steps:

1. Open Settings.
2. Click on System.
3. Click the Display page on the right side.

1. Under the "Related settings" section, click the Advanced display setting.

1. Select the Dynamic option using the "Choose a refresh rate" setting.

1. (Optional) Use Select the 60 Hz option using the "Choose a refresh rate" setting on displays of 120Hz or higher refresh rates.

Once you complete the steps, the device will automatically lower the display refresh rate when a higher rate isn't necessary to save power.

How to choose graphics card per application on Windows 11

If you want to preserve battery life as much as possible, you can change the system settings so that the applications use the less powerful graphics card. Of course, this only works on a system with two or more graphics cards.

To configure an app to use the less powerful GPU on Windows 11, use these steps:

1. OpenSettings.
2. Click onSystem.
3. Click theDisplaypage on the right side.

1. Under the "Related settings" section, click theGraphicssettings.

1. Select the app and click theOptionsbutton.

• Quick tip:If the app isn't on the list, use the "Add an app" settings to add it.

1. Choose thePower savinggraphics card.
2. Click theSavebutton.

Once you complete the steps, the application will use the less powerful graphics card to preserve battery life.

How to enable hibernation on Windows 11

On Windows 11, hibernation is a feature that saves the contents loaded into memory onto the hard drive, allowing you to turn off the computer to preserve the battery without losing your session. The next time you turn off the computer, the previous session will load, allowing you to pick up where you left off.

To enable hibernation on Windows 11, use these steps:

1. Open Start.
2. Search for Command Prompt, right-click the top result, and select the Run as administrator option.
3. Type the following command to confirm the hibernation status and press Enter: powercfg /availablesleepstates

1. Confirm whether Hibernate appears disabled.
2. Type the following command to enable Windows 11 Hibernate feature and press Enter: powercfg /hibernate on

Once you complete the steps, hibernation will be enabled on the computer.

The feature isn't supported on all system configurations. If you can't enable hibernation, there could be several reasons. For example, the graphics card driver does not support the power state, and you need to update the video driver to fix the problem.

If the computer uses hybrid sleep on Windows 11, you must disable the feature before turning on hibernation.

In the case that hibernation is supported but not enabled on the Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI), you may need to access the motherboard firmware to update the settings.

If the feature isn't supported because of the hardware configuration, you won't be able to enable the feature.

How to control app battery usage on Windows 11

If you suspect that one or more apps are draining the battery fast, you can use the power settings to identify the apps using the most battery and change their settings to prevent them from running in the background to conserve power.

View apps battery usage

To view the battery usage history on Windows 11, use these steps:

1. Open Settings.
2. Click on System.
3. Click the Power & battery page on the right side.

1. Under the "Battery" section, click on Battery usage to open the settings.

While in this view, you can see the device's battery usage to find out the apps using the most energy.

Manage apps background activities

To change apps background activities to improve battery life, use these steps:

1. Open Settings.
2. Click on System.
3. Click the Power & battery page on the right side.

1. Under the "Battery usage" section, select the app, click the menu (three-dotted) button, and select the Manage background activity option.

• Quick note: You can only change the power settings for apps you acquired from the Microsoft Store. If you have a traditional desktop app, you will need to edit the power settings from the application (if applicable).

1. Under the "Background apps permissions" setting, choose the Never option. Or select the Power optimized (if applicable).

Alternatively, you can go to Settings > Apps & features, select the app, click the menu (three-dotted) button, click on Advanced options, and then change the "Background apps permissions" setting.

How to fix power problems to improve battery life on Windows 11

To fix power-related issues to extend battery life on Windows 11, use these steps:

1. Open Settings.
2. Click on System.
3. Click the Troubleshoot page on the right side.

1. Click the Other troubleshooters setting.

1. Under the "Other" section, click the Run button for the "Power" troubleshooter.

1. Continue with the on-screen directions (if applicable).

1. Click the Close button.

Once you complete the steps, the troubleshooter will scan and apply common fixes to improve battery life on Windows 11 (as necessary).

How to remove viruses affecting battery life on Windows 11

A virus or any other type of malware can also decrease battery life. If you think that your computer is infected, you may be able to resolve this problem by doing a virus scan with Microsoft Defender Antivirus.

If you have a third-party antivirus, you will need to refer to the software documentation for the steps to perform a full malware scan.

To perform a full virus scan on Windows 11, use these steps:

1. Open Start.
2. Search for Windows Security.
3. Click on Virus & threat protection.
4. Under the "Current threats" section, click on Scan options.

1. Select the Full scan option.

1. Click the Scan now button.

After you complete the steps, the antivirus will scan and remove any virus that may negatively affect the experience and battery life.

When nothing seems to improve the device's battery life, and this is a software-related problem, you may want to consider resetting the device to its factory default settings or performing a clean installation of Windows 11.

More resources

For more helpful articles, coverage, and answers to common questions about Windows 10 and Windows 11, visit the following resources: