How to Make Your Laptop Battery Last Longer

A laptop battery loses capacity slowly over its life, and heat, full charges and heavy background work speed that up. You cannot stop ageing, but you can change how you use the battery so it lasts longer on each charge and degrades more slowly over the years.

Lower the screen brightness

The screen is usually the biggest power user. Lower the brightness to a comfortable level, and turn on automatic brightness if your laptop has a light sensor. Dark themes help on screens that use organic LED (OLED) panels, where dark pixels use less power.

Use battery saver mode

Windows: open Settings, then System, then Power and battery, and turn on Battery saver. You can set it to switch on automatically below a certain percentage.
Mac: open System Settings, then Battery, and choose Low Power Mode when you are away from a charger.

Close power-hungry apps

Video streaming, video calls, many browser tabs and large file syncs all draw power. Check which apps use the most energy in Task Manager on Windows or Activity Monitor on Mac, and quit the ones you do not need.

Charging habits

Lithium-ion batteries last longer when they are not kept at full charge or fully drained all the time. Many laptops offer a charge limit setting, such as stopping at 80%, which is useful if the laptop stays plugged in on a desk. Avoid leaving the laptop in a hot car or on a bed where vents are blocked.

Keep it cool

Heat is one of the biggest causes of battery wear. Keep the vents clear and use the laptop on a hard, flat surface. Clean dust from the vents as described in our guide to cleaning dust.

Check the battery health

Windows: open Command Prompt and run powercfg /batteryreport. Open the HTML file it creates and check the design capacity and full charge capacity.
Mac: hold the Option key and choose the Apple menu, then System Information, then Power. Check the cycle count and condition.

When to replace the battery

If the full charge capacity has dropped below about 80% of the design capacity, or the laptop shuts down unexpectedly, consider replacing the battery. Use an official or reputable replacement.

Frequently asked questions

Should I leave the laptop plugged in all the time?

It is fine for most modern laptops, which stop charging when full. A charge limit setting helps if you do this every day.

Does fast charging damage the battery?

Fast charging creates more heat, so use it when you need it, not all the time.

Battery myths

Some people believe that a battery must be fully drained once a month or that it should never be charged overnight. Modern laptop batteries do not need these routines. What matters most is heat, the depth of discharge and how often the battery is held at full charge. Keeping the laptop cool and using a charge limit when it stays plugged in are the simplest steps.

Everyday settings to check

Turn off Bluetooth and Wi-Fi when you do not use them, lower the keyboard backlight, and close apps that wake the processor in the background. On Windows, check Power and battery for apps that use the most energy. On a Mac, check the Battery section for apps listed under energy use.