Microsoft’s upgrade to Windows 10 is great for those who want to get the most out of any device they already own. It’s been available since last July and has some great apps and options built in for laptops, desktops, tablets, and Windows 2-in-1s.
The demands are even more pronounced for laptops and tablets. When users put a new operating system on their mobile device, their primary concern is storage space and battery life. Storage-related issues can be circumvented at least with the help of external media, but battery life is crucial. Carrying an external battery or charger with your laptop, tablet or Windows 2-in-1 isn’t fun.
The free Windows 10 upgrade includes some changes and features to help users get the best possible battery life. If all else fails, there are measures Windows 10 users can take to enjoy every minute of productivity and entertainment they can get.
How to Improve Windows 10 Battery Life: Battery Saver
Battery Saver makes its debut with a free Windows 10 upgrade. Battery Saver is not an add-on or a separate download. Microsoft built the utility directly into Windows 10 and changed the battery profile and power management tools that users have relied on for years.
Battery Saver aims to take the guesswork out of power settings. There is only one interface for this and it activates itself manually depending on the settings you specify.
Look for it in the right corner of your Taskbar. Click on it.
While in Tablet Mode the battery meter is always visible, but outside of Tablet Mode it disappears, forcing you to click or tap the arrow on the Taskbar.
What you see in the battery menu depends on your device’s power state. If it’s charging, you’ll see a nice countdown clock letting you know how long it will take to recharge your battery. You can use the left button to change how bright your screen is.
When your device isn’t connected to an internet connection, you’ll get a clickable icon for Battery Saver and, in severe cases, an estimate of how long you have until your battery runs out. Tap or click Battery Saver to turn it on. Right-click with your mouse or tap and hold the toggle button to open the Battery Saver menu.
Tap and click
Battery Saver dims your screen and tries to help you save battery life by preventing apps from running in the background. From the Battery Saver Settings Menu, you can decide which apps to bypass Battery Saver and still check for updates. You can also decide when you want your device to switch to Battery Saver mode with the toggle button at the top of the screen.
How to Improve Windows 10 Battery Life: Unplug Your Accessories
We often connect our smartphones and other gadgets to our computers, hoping to quickly charge or transfer some information. Smartphones, mobile internet modems, and more feed the power provided by your USB port, helping your battery run down faster. If you need a little more power to get through the day, try unplugging all non-essential accessories.
How to Improve Windows 10 Battery Life: Manually Dim Your Screen
Every device has two major strengths: its processor and its screen. That’s why Battery Saver goes after apps running in the background and your screen brightness when turned on. If you want better battery life in Windows 10, start by dimming your screen on the go.
Click the balloon to the right of the Taskbar with the mouse pointer. Tablet users should place their fingers on the right edge of the screen and slowly slide to the left. Tap or click .
Now tap or click the screen brightness toggle button to decide on a lower brightness setting. You can also adjust the screen brightness from the battery menu. The device used in this example is a Surface Pro 3. Therefore, your brightness options will be different. For brightness, each device manufacturer, not Microsoft, sets their own default values.
How to Improve Windows 10 Battery Life: Turn off Wi-Fi
If you really feel like you need to use up every battery you can, you can turn off Wi-Fi from the Wi-Fi menu or from the Wi-Fi menu. Tap or click the icon in the taskbar, then tap or click the toggle button on the left in the Wi-Fi menu.
How to Improve Windows 10 Battery Life: Close Programs
Windows Store apps are designed to help limit battery consumption. Windows 10 manages them by restricting their operation so they don’t harm your experience. The programs were not designed with battery concerns in mind. If programs are running in the background, they are straining your processor as Windows basically lets them do whatever they want.
Programs that will harm battery life include photo editors, video editors, video games, and even some browsers. (Chrome for Windows is said to have had a huge drop in battery life.)
Turn them off when you’re done with them.
How to Improve Windows 10 Battery Life: Quick Tips
Good luck with the free Windows 10 upgrade. Microsoft is gradually rolling out the update to Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 users. It is not free for Windows Vista and Windows XP users.
