When laptops first came on the scene, people valued them for their mobility and battery life. They seemed like an upgrade to a hefty desktop monitor and PC. However, laptop batteries don't always maintain their longevity.
The longer you own your laptop, the more likely it is that is has to be plugged in all the time. These circumstances can also be exacerbated by what you're doing on your computer or if its kept in a hot environment like a car.
Seeing your laptop’s battery capacity shrink can be frustrating. But there are several things you can do to increase the time you can go without needing to plug it in.
Lower the Display Brightness
The brighter your display is, the more battery power it takes on. If you ever click on the automated low battery button on your computer, you'll notice that's one of the first things it does: dim your display.
You can turn down the brightness of your screen in your display settings. You can also use the brightness keys that are usually in the top row of keys on a laptop keyboard.
Reduce Battery Use in Power and Sleep Settings
Here's one way to increase the time you can use your unplugged laptop without a power source. Adjust some of its power and sleep settings.
If you’re using Windows, open the search on the Task Bar. Type in “power settings." This directs you to the power, sleep, and battery settings in your system settings.
Look for any tips at the top for increasing battery longevity. Such as, making the time your screen goes dark after inactivity and the time it goes to sleep the same.
Then review the settings, such as Screen and sleep, and Power mode. Find the ones that will reduce your PC’s battery consumption. This will extend the time you can go without a new charge.
Turn On Battery-Saver Mode
You don’t have to wait until your PC hits 10% for it to go into battery-saver mode. You can control this and enable it yourself in your system settings.
Consider the circumstances: how long do you need to work on your computer, and do you have your charger with you? If you're worried about it lasting long enough, put your PC in power-saver or battery-saver mode right away, so you can extend the charge as long as possible.
Use the Manufacturer’s Battery Calibration Tool
Manufacturers will have their own PC maintenance tools installed. You can use it for battery calibration. Sometimes calibrating the battery can correct an issue with battery life.
Especially if life has gotten shorter than when you first purchased your laptop.
Look for a manufacturer’s built-in maintenance app. It will usually be on the Task Bar unless you’ve hidden it. When you open that, you may find that you need to do calibration or other maintenance tasks.
Get Your Computer Updated and Checked Out
If you have processes running in the background it can sap your battery life. Processes that aren't needed can often run anyhow. Getting a computer tune-up from your IT provider can solve a lot of different issues. This includes such as computers that get sluggish, and often, the battery life too.
Change to Microsoft Edge as a More Efficient Browser
If like most people, you keep a lot of browser tabs open while you’re working on your PC. They could be sapping your battery power.
Consider trying Microsoft’s Edge browser. It has been gaining in popularity and has some qualities that make it better for battery life and overall computer efficiency.
The browser has several power-saving features that you can enable in your settings. Search “sleeping tabs” in Edge settings to find these. They include:
Enable efficiency mode(choose from the available options)
Enable Sleeping Tabs and fade them when asleep
Choose when you would like to put inactive browser tabs to sleep to conserve battery power.
Turn Off Unnecessary Apps Draining Your Battery
Check the apps that are running on your PC in the Task Manager. How many of them do you still use all the time?
Often processes that aren’t 100% necessary all the time will be running. Such as an update service or cloud storage syncing app. Close the apps you don’t need to use at that time to lengthen battery life.
Keep Your PC Out of Extreme Temperatures
Both excess heat and freezing temperatures can be bad for a computer. This includes damaging your battery.
You should never leave your laptop in a car on a hot day or when it’s freezing outside. Also, it might not seem particularly hot to you, but if it’s sunny, the inside of a vehicle can heat up pretty quickly. Be aware of the damage extreme temperatures can do to your technology.
Worrying About Your Battery Life?
Let us know how we can support you and help your laptop live longer! Give us a call today and let’s talk.
Article used with permission from The Technology Press.