Microsoft has a new Windows 11 ‘trick’ to save battery on laptops

Microsoft Windows 11

Microsoft is testing an adaptive energy saver mode in Windows 11 that could significantly improve battery life on laptops and tablets.

The new feature is designed to automatically enable or disable Windows’ energy saver mode based on your system’s workload instead of relying solely on battery percentage. This smarter approach aims to optimise power efficiency without disrupting your usage.

Currently, energy saver mode on Windows 11 dims screen brightness by 30%, pauses non-essential updates, disables transparency effects, and limits background activity and app syncing for tools like OneDrive, OneNote, and Phone Link. However, the new adaptive version avoids changing screen brightness—making it more seamless for users.

According to Microsoft’s Windows Insider team, the feature is opt-in and only available on battery-powered devices. It evaluates system load and power status to toggle energy saver intelligently, without affecting display visibility.

The adaptive mode is now rolling out to users in the Windows 11 Canary Channel, and is expected to arrive publicly later this year. While desktop users won’t get this adaptive version, the standard energy saver mode already works on desktops to reduce electricity consumption.