Windows 11 Laptop battery drain quickly? How to Improve Battery Life

Microsoft is constantly upgrading and adding new features that make it easier to manage battery life, which seems to dramatically improve battery life overall. However, some users report Windows 11 battery drain issue after OS upgrade or their Windows 11 laptop drains battery even after shutdown. When it comes to battery drain, screen brightness and background apps are the main causes of battery drain. Again, a complex task involving hardware also drains the battery. Enabling battery saver, reducing screen brightness or Adjusting power plan are some of the common solutions to fix laptop battery drain issues on windows 11.

1. Run power troubleshooter

Windows 11 has a troubleshooter for every utility. So, if you're experiencing unusual battery drain on your Windows PC, you can start by running the Power Troubleshooter. 

1. Click on the Search icon on the Taskbar, type troubleshooter settings, and press Enter.

2. Go to Other troubleshooters.

3. Lastly, click on the Run button next to Power.

2. Optimize the Power Plan

Power consumption is the energy consumed by the laptop from the moment it is fully charged. Essentially, all the processing and computation your device does puts its components under pressure, requiring power from the battery.

The Windows 11 system allows you to choose from its pre-built power plans. 

• Best performance: This power pack is best suited for those looking to trade off battery runtime for improved machine speed and responsiveness. However, this will drain your battery faster than usual.
• Best power efficiency: This mode delivers longer battery life than your system's default setting. However, it may prevent some applications from running in the background and control the brightness of your computer.
• Balanced: This is the default power mode and it is a combination of both the best battery and the best performance.

To improve the battery life of your Windows 11 device, follow the steps below to change your default power mode to the best power saving plan:

1. Open Settings by pressing Windows Keys + I..

2. Then click System > Power & battery.

3. In Power mode, select Best Power Efficiency.

3. Turn on Battery Saver

Like Windows 10, Windows 11 also comes with its own Battery Saver mode, which allows you to use more battery by automatically adjusting screen brightness, limiting notifications and background activity. You also have the option to automatically enable the feature when your battery reaches a certain percentage.

1. Press Windows key + I to open Settings

2. Under Settings, click System > Power & Battery.

3. Click the toggle button under Battery saver to turn it on manually.

4. If you want to enable this feature automatically, choose your preferred battery percentage under the drop-down menu of Turn battery saver on automatically at. This allows the Battery Saver to turn on right when your battery hits your desired percentage.

4. Display Settings

The screen is one of the most power-hungry components on a laptop. As a result, you can make a few tweaks to your existing display settings to dramatically reduce battery drain.

You can start by dimming that screen a bit. To do that, press Windows key + A to open Quick Settings. Then use the slider next to Brightness to dim your screen.

Next, you can also set custom graphics settings for apps on your PC to increase battery life. 

1. Open the Start menu, type graphical settings and press Enter.

2. Click on the application to modify the graphics settings and select Options.

3. Finally, select Power saving, and press Save.

In addition to the above, you can set a darker theme on your Windows 11 laptop to reduce the amount of power used by the screen.

5. Stop some background apps

Running too many apps in the background can drain your laptop battery quickly. Stopping some apps running in the background is a great way to improve your laptop battery life on windows 11.

1. Open Settings using Windows keys + I

2. Go to system then Power & battery,

3. Locate and expand battery usage, this will display which apps might be consuming more battery in the background.

4. For apps that allow you to manage the background activity, select the Three vertical dots icon, then Manage background activity.

5. On the app’s settings page, change the setting under Let this app run in the background.

Improving the battery life of your Windows 11 device is easy, especially if you know what components and apps are consuming the majority of your device's life. Taking advantage of Windows' built-in power plan can definitely increase your battery life, along with battery saving features. However, there is no substitute for carrying your charger with you at all times to keep your device's battery from being completely drained.