7 Ways to Make a Laptop Battery Last Longer

Learn how to keep your laptop running for hours longer

Co-authored by Luigi Oppido and Darlene Antonelli, MA

Last Updated: January 4, 2025 Fact Checked

Is your notebook computer's battery dying too quickly? This tutorial will teach you how to get more life from each battery charge by making simple tweaks to the way you work. We've also included tips from tech experts Luigi Oppido and Ken Colburn.

Increase Battery Life in Laptop

Use built-in power management software for Mac and Windows to set power-saving options and use recommendations to get the most out of your battery. Turning off Bluetooth and turning the brightness on your display down are the best options. Don't have unnecessary background tasks running.

1

Use power management software.

Download Article

Windows and Mac computers have built-in software to extend the life of your battery. These programs offer free ways to optimize your battery so it lasts longer by turning down the brightness of your screen, turning off unneeded systems like Bluetooth, not using battery-hoggers like sync, and more.
- For Windows 10, find the Power-Saving features in Settings > System > Battery.
- For Windows 11, find the Power-Saving features in Settings > System > Power & battery > Energy recommendations.^{[1]
  X
  Trustworthy Source
  
  Microsoft Support
  Technical support and product information from Microsoft.
  
  Go to source}
- For Mac, go to System Settings > Battery > Low Power Mode.^{[2]
  X
  Research source}
  - There will also be recommendations that you can apply to lower your energy use, like turning off Bluetooth if you aren't using it.
  - Note that you can also adjust brightness and other settings to increase the lifespan of your battery without using power management software. Go to Settings > Display > Brightness. Decreasing the brightness reduces how powerful your LEDs are burning so you might get more battery life.^{[3]
    X
    Expert Source
    
    Luigi Oppido
    Computer & Tech Specialist
    
    Expert Interview}

2

Reduce open tasks.

Download Article

More open apps drain the battery on your computer. Use only what you need at any given time. If you are using two apps frequently (like Microsoft Word and Chrome), then keep those two open to avoid opening them often.
- Keep in mind that many apps, like Steam and Discord, minimize to the tray or your menu instead of completely closing when you click the x. Use Activity Monitor or Task Manager to make sure unnecessary apps are not running.
- Aim to keep at least 20% of your hard drive free at all times, so your laptop can function at its highest level and retain battery power.^{[4]
  X
  Expert Source
  
  Ken Colburn
  Consumer Electronics Expert
  
  Expert Interview}
- According to tech specialist Luigi Oppido, unnecessary open tabs or multiple extensions can be the cause of a battery that's quickly losing battery life, especially if you're using a Chromebook.^{[5]
  X
  Expert Source
  
  Luigi Oppido
  Computer & Tech Specialist
  
  Expert Interview}

3

Adjust graphics and display settings.

Download Article

Changing which graphics card your computer uses will extend the life of your battery. This only works if you have 2 different graphics cards built into your computer, which is more popular with gaming or design-heavy computers.
- For Windows 11, go to Settings > System > Display > Graphics.
- For older Windows, type graphics settings and click the desktop app result. Choose the application to adjust click Options, then click the graphics card you want it to use. Finally, click Save.
- For Mac, go to System Settings > Battery and make sure "Automatic graphics switching" is checked.

4

Turn on Airplane Mode.

Download Article

Airplane Mode increases your battery's lifespan significantly. You can't be online or make online edits to a document if you have Airplane Mode enabled, however. Many background tasks, like notifications or syncing, use a lot of battery to keep your computer connected and updated, but turning on Airplane Mode for a little while will not negatively impact how your computer functions.
- Turn this on by clicking the airplane icon in the taskbar (Windows) or in the status bar (Mac).

5

Optimze airflow in and out.

Download Article

Heat will cause a battery to drain quickly. In that case, you want the heat created by your battery to be able to vent away instead of heating the area.
- Make sure there aren't any objects obstructing airflow, and check for any dust build-up. Use something like a microfiber cloth to wipe away any dust build-up from the outside of your computer's vents.
- Make sure you keep your laptop on a breathable surface, like a desk or table. Putting the laptop directly on a pillow or blanket is a good way to obstruct the fans and lose battery life to heat.
EXPERT TIP

Ken Colburn
Consumer Electronics Expert
Ken Colburn is a Consumer Electronics Expert and the Founder & CEO of Data Doctors Computer Services. With more than 34 years of experience, he specializes in computer checkups and repairs, data recovery, and teaching others about technology. Ken also provides one-minute tech tips through his broadcast, Data Doctors Tech Tips.

Ken Colburn
Consumer Electronics Expert

Heat is your battery's number one enemy. Never charge a laptop while it's warm or hot to the touch. Turn it off for a while and let it get back to room temperature before plugging it in.

6

Check your current battery health.

Download Article

Most modern computers have a simple battery-health checker that will help you. You can see what areas of battery management you can improve in or what you're doing right, so you can extend the life of your battery.
- For Mac, go to System Settings > Battery.^{[6]
  X
  Research source}
- For Windows 10, open PowerShell and enter powercfg/batteryreport. Go to the path specified in File Explorer to see the report.
- For Windows 11, open Windows Terminal as an administrator and enter powercfg /batteryreport /output "C:\battery-report.html". Go to the path specified to find the HTML of the battery report.

7

Turn off keyboard backlights.

Download Article

So turn them off if you don't need them.

Community Q&A

Search

Add New Question

Question

Should you always charge your battery when it reaches 40%?

Community Answer

You can charge it whenever you like. You could wait until you get a warning that the battery's getting low (usually around 10% or so), or you could charge it earlier than that. This has no effect on the life of the battery, unless you're using the computer while charging it, which will shorten it a little bit.

Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
Thank you for your feedback.
If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow
Yes No

Not Helpful 11 Helpful 15
Question

If I charge my laptop while using it, will it reduce battery life?

Community Answer

No, but if it is fully charged and you are charging it and using it, it will affect the battery.

Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
Thank you for your feedback.
If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow
Yes No

Not Helpful 15 Helpful 21
Question

My laptop's battery was working fine until I reinstalled Windows. Now it drains after 30 minutes. What happened?

Community Answer

Your laptop's battery is damaged. Replace your battery. This might have happened because of charging your laptop all the time even when it's fully charged.

Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
Thank you for your feedback.
If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow
Yes No

Not Helpful 28 Helpful 13

See more answers

Ask a Question

200 characters left

Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered.

Submit

Video

Reader Videos

Tips

Be sure to charge up completely before you leave the house if there is no place to charge it where you are going.

Thanks
Helpful 1 Not Helpful 0
Clean your desk. It sounds strange, but if you have a dusty, dirty desk, that dust will get into the vents and clog the cooling fan. Once the dust is inside your laptop, it is much harder to remove. You can try blasting it out with canned air, but you run the risk of damaging internal components. You can also remove the vent and clean out the grit, but remember that taking apart your laptop can void the warranty. So clean your desk at least once a week, if not daily.

Thanks
Helpful 1 Not Helpful 0
Use the battery until you charge it. When it's fully charged unplug it and your battery will last longer and give better performance.

Thanks
Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0

Show More Tips

Submit a Tip

All tip submissions are carefully reviewed before being published

Name

Please provide your name and last initial

Submit

Thanks for submitting a tip for review!

Warnings

If you use your computer for too long, it could overheat and slowly damage components, shortening their lifespan.

Thanks
Helpful 33 Not Helpful 10
If you are working on the Internet and using the laptop, do not turn anything off or you will lose your work.

Thanks
Helpful 17 Not Helpful 18