by The Computing Australia Group | Tips to Extend Laptop
Battery Charge
Laptop battery draining faster than it used to? You’re not imagining it. Modern laptops juggle brighter screens, always-on Wi-Fi, background sync, cloud storage, video calls, browser tabs, and security tools—all of which can quietly chew through your charge.
The good news: you can usually get a meaningful battery boost in minutes, without buying anything. Below are practical, up-to-date tips (Windows 10/11 and macOS), plus a few “battery health” habits that help your battery last longer over the months and years—not just until the next charge.
Why laptop batteries drain so fast
Battery drain isn’t usually caused by one big thing—it’s a dozen small ones stacking up. Common culprits include:
- High screen brightness (often the #1 drain)
- Web browsers with many tabs, autoplay videos, and power-hungry extensions
- Background apps (cloud sync, chat tools, game launchers, conferencing apps)
- Wireless radios continuously searching for networks/devices
- Notifications and syncing (email, calendar, Teams/Slack, file syncing)
- Heat and poor ventilation, which forces fans to run harder and reduces efficiency
- Battery ageing, where the battery simply holds less charge than when new
- Malware or unwanted programs running in the background
The goal isn’t to turn your laptop into a “low-performance brick.” It’s to trim the invisible waste—so you keep performance when you need it and battery life when you don’t.
Fast wins in 5 minutes
If you need more battery right now, do these first:
1. Lower brightness to the lowest comfortable level
2. Turn on Battery Saver / Low Power Mode
3. Close the biggest drains (video calls, games, extra browser windows, unused tabs)
4. Disable Bluetooth if you’re not using it
5. Disconnect unnecessary USB devices (portable drives, dongles, webcams)
5. Turn off keyboard backlight (if your model has it)
These steps alone can often add 30–90 minutes depending on your laptop and workload.
Screen settings that make the biggest difference
1) Reduce screen brightness
Your display is one of the most power-hungry components. Dropping brightness even slightly can noticeably extend charge.
Windows 10/11
- Click the battery or network icon → adjust the brightness slider (if available), or:
- Settings → System → Display → Brightness
macOS
- Control Centre → Display → Brightness, or use keyboard brightness keys.
2) Use dark backgrounds and dark mode
Dark wallpapers can help a little, but the bigger improvement usually comes from Dark Mode (especially if you use a lot of white web pages/apps). Results vary by screen type, but it’s a simple change that improves comfort too.
Windows
- Settings → Personalisation → Colours → Choose your mode → Dark
macOS
- System Settings → Appearance → Dark
3) Reduce refresh rate (where applicable)
Some laptops default to higher refresh rates (e.g., 120Hz/144Hz), which can reduce battery life.
Windows
-
Settings → System → Display → Advanced display → Choose a refresh rate
Try 60Hz when on battery.
Stop background apps from draining your battery
Background apps can drain power even when you’re “not doing anything.”
Check battery usage by app (Windows 10/11)
1. Settings → System → Power & battery (Windows 11)
2. Look for Battery usage (by app) over the last 24 hours / 7 days.
3. If an app is consuming a lot of battery, consider:
- Closing it when not needed
- Preventing background activity
- Disabling auto-start
Disable startup apps (Windows)
-
Task Manager → Startup apps
Disable anything you don’t need at boot (chat launchers, updaters, helper tools).
macOS: find energy-heavy apps
-
Open Activity Monitor → Energy tab
Look for high Energy Impact and quit apps you don’t need.
Common hidden drains to watch for
- Cloud sync tools: OneDrive, Google Drive, Dropbox
- Video conferencing apps: Teams, Zoom
- Game launchers and overlays
- Multiple antivirus/security tools running at once
- Browser extensions that constantly scan pages or run scripts
Use the right power mode (Windows) or Low Power Mode (Mac)
Windows power modes explained (simple version)
Windows offers different modes balancing performance vs battery life.
- Best performance: fastest, drains battery quickest
- Balanced / Better performance: good everyday choice
- Best power efficiency / Battery saver: maximises battery, limits background activity
Windows 11
-
Settings → System → Power & battery → Power mode
Choose Best power efficiency when unplugged.
Windows 10
- Click the battery icon in the taskbar → use the slider (if available)
- Or: Settings → System → Battery
Battery Saver (Windows)
attery Saver can reduce brightness, limit background activity, and reduce syncing.
- Windows 11: Settings → System → Power & battery → Battery saver
- Windows 10: Settings → System → Battery → Battery saver
Tip: Set Battery Saver to turn on automatically at 20–30%.
macOS: Low Power Mode
macOS includes Low Power Mode, which reduces background activity and power consumption.
- System Settings → Battery → Low Power Mode (options may vary by macOS version)
Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and wireless settings
Wireless features are convenient—but they draw power even when you aren’t actively using them.
Turn off Bluetooth when not needed
Bluetooth can keep scanning for devices and maintaining connections.
- Windows: Settings → Bluetooth & devices → Bluetooth → Off
- macOS: Control Centre → Bluetooth → Off
Disable Wi-Fi if you’re offline
If you’re working on a document or spreadsheet and don’t need internet, turning off Wi-Fi can help.
- Windows quick toggle: Click network icon → toggle ProcessesWi-Fi off
- macOS: Control Centre → Wi-Fi → Off
Use Airplane mode (when appropriate)
Airplane mode disables wireless radios quickly.
Windows
-
Click the network icon → enable Airplane mode
Or: Settings → Network & Internet → Airplane mode
Unplug peripherals and reduce accessory power draw
Connected devices often draw power from your laptop:
- USB drives and external HDDs/SSDs
- USB webcams
- Wireless mouse receivers/dongles
- External keyboards with lighting
- External keyboards with lighting
Quick rule: If you aren’t actively using it, unplug it.
What about discs and disc drives?
Most modern laptops don’t include optical drives anymore. If yours does, remove discs when not needed—some systems keep the drive active more than you’d expect.
Browser tips: tabs, video, extensions
Your web browser can be one of your biggest battery drains, especially with many tabs, streaming, or heavy web apps.
1) Reduce the number of tabs
Each tab can run scripts, refresh content, and consume memory/CPU.
- Close tabs you don’t need.
- Use bookmarks or a “read later” list instead of keeping everything open.
- If you must keep many tabs, consider a tab-suspender feature (built-in or reputable extension).
2) Stop autoplay video
- Pause videos you’re not watching.
- Lower streaming quality if you’re on battery.
- Avoid leaving YouTube/streaming services running in the background.
3) Audit extensions
Extensions can quietly run 24/7.
- Disable extensions you don’t use.
- Remove duplicate tools (e.g., multiple ad blockers or multiple password managers).
- Keep only trusted, necessary extensions.
4) Enable browser energy-saving features
Most modern browsers include performance/battery settings (names vary). Look for options like:
- Energy saver / efficiency mode
- Sleeping tabs
- Processes
Sleep vs hibernate: choose the best option
If you walk away from your laptop often, the way it “rests” matters.
- Sleep: wakes fast, still uses some battery
- Hibernate: uses almost no battery, slower to resume
- Shut down: minimal battery usage, clean start
Best practice:
- For short breaks: Sleep
- For long breaks or commuting: Hibernate or Shut down
Windows users who notice big drain while “sleeping” may benefit from using hibernate more often (some laptops are notorious for sleep-related drain).
Battery health: charging habits that extend lifespan
There’s “battery life” (how long your laptop runs today) and “battery health” (how much capacity your battery retains over time). Good habits can slow long-term wear.
Avoid constant heat while charging
Charging generates heat; heat accelerates battery ageing. Try not to:
- Charge on a bed/couch
- Block vents
- Run heavy workloads while charging (gaming/video editing) on soft surfaces
Don’t leave it at 0% regularly
Deep discharges add stress. If you can, plug in before you hit single digits.
Don’t keep it at 100% all the time (where possible)
Sitting at full charge continuously can increase wear on some battery types. Many laptops include “battery protection” features that cap charging (e.g., 80%) when you’re mostly plugged in.
Look for settings in:
- Manufacturer utility apps (Lenovo Vantage, Dell Power Manager, HP Support Assistant, etc.)
- BIOS/UEFI battery settings (varies by device)
Aim for a practical routine
- If you’re mostly mobile: charge to 100% when needed—convenience matters
- If you’re mostly plugged in: consider a charge limit (e.g., 80%) if your laptop supports it
- Keep the laptop cool and ventilated
Heat and airflow: the silent battery killer
Poor airflow doesn’t just reduce performance—it can drain battery faster.
Why airflow matters
When a laptop heats up:
- fans spin faster (drawing power)
- the CPU/GPU may work less efficiently
- the battery is stressed by higher temperatures
Simple airflow fixes
- Use your laptop on a firm, flat surface
- Don’t place it on pillows, laps, blankets, or beds
- Keep vents unobstructed
- Consider a laptop stand for better circulation
If your laptop runs hot all the time, it may also need dust cleaning or thermal maintenance (best handled by a technician).
Update, scan, and troubleshoot unusual battery drain
If you’ve done the basics and your battery is still dropping unusually fast, it’s time to investigate.
1) Restart your laptop
A simple reboot can clear stuck processes and memory leaks.A simple reboot can clear stuck processes and memory leaks.
2) Check for updates
Updates can fix power-management bugs.
- Windows: Settings → Windows Update
- macOS: System Settings → General → Software Update
3) Look for runaway processes
If fans are loud when you’re “doing nothing,” something may be chewing CPU.
- Windows: Task Manager → Processes (sort by CPU)
- macOS: Activity Monitor → CPU / Energy
4) Scan for malware (Windows especially)
Malware and unwanted software can run background tasks continuously.
- Ensure your security software is up to date
- Run a full scan
- Remove suspicious programs you don’t recognise (carefully)
5) Check battery health and capacity
A battery that used to last 6 hours might only hold the equivalent of 3 hours after years of use. That’s normal ageing.
When it’s time to replace the battery
Consider battery replacement if you notice:
- Dramatically reduced run time (even after optimising settings)
- The laptop shuts down at “30–40%” (battery calibration/cell issues)
- Battery health shows very low maximum capacity
- Swelling (stop using immediately and get it checked—this is a safety issue)
A reputable technician can confirm whether it’s a battery issue or another drain (like a failing fan, overheating, or background software).
Most modern laptops don’t have disc drives installed in them, but if your laptop has one, it’s wise to remove the disc from your disc drive. This is because some of the programs keep the disc spinning leading to battery draining.
These are some of the tips for extending your laptop battery charge. If you still have trouble with fast battery drainage or other IT related issues. Contact our IT specialists or email us at helpdesk@computingaustralia.group. Our IT HelpDesk in Perth is always available to help you with your IT problems.
Jargon Buster
USB – Universal Serial Bus is an interface that allows a computer to communicate with other devices and peripherals.
Peripherals – any device that connects to a computer via a USB. Examples – mouse, keyboards, loudspeakers, webcams etc.
Airplane mode – or offline mode disables all the wireless transmission functions of a device.
FAQ
Why is my laptop battery draining so fast?
Common causes include high screen brightness, too many background apps, lots of browser tabs, always-on Wi-Fi/Bluetooth, overheating, ageing battery cells, or malware/unwanted programs.
What’s the quickest way to extend battery life right now?
Lower screen brightness, turn on Battery Saver/Low Power Mode, close unused apps/tabs, and disconnect unnecessary USB devices. These changes often deliver the biggest immediate gains.
How do I check which apps are using the most battery in Windows?
Go to Settings → System → Power & battery → Battery usage (Windows 11) or Settings → System → Battery → Battery usage by app (Windows 10). You’ll see which apps are draining your charge.
Does turning off Wi-Fi and Bluetooth really help?
Yes. Wi-Fi and Bluetooth can drain power by constantly searching for networks/devices and maintaining connections—especially if signal strength is weak. Turn them off when not needed.
Is it bad to leave my laptop plugged in all the time?
It can increase battery wear over time, especially if the laptop runs hot or stays at 100% constantly. If your laptop supports it, enable a charge limit (e.g., 80%) when mostly plugged in, and keep airflow clear.
