Did you know that the average lifespan of a computer is only 3 to 5 years? While many issues can lead to you needing to invest in a new laptop, the battery is often the first thing to go.

The good news? There are multiple tips and tricks you can use to extend the life of your laptop battery, helping you avoid the costs of a new computer completely.

In this article, we’ll tell you how to make your laptop battery last longer using a few basic lifehacks. We’ll break down what you need to do to make your laptop battery lifespan last longer, both shorter and longterm.

We’ll also tell you about some common mistakes to avoid so you can keep your battery working as well as it did when you first took your laptop out of the box. Now then, let’s get started!

Dim Your Screen’s Brightness

One of the best ways to improve your laptop’s battery life is to adjust your screen’s brightness. Dimming your screen to a lighter setting uses a lot less power, and thus, makes your battery last quite a bit longer.

Sure, you may have to strain harder to clearly see your laptop screen. But this trick can be ideal if you’re on a plane or in a workspace where access to power outlets is limited.

Adjust Your Power Settings

Most laptops come with a variety of power setting options that can help extend and improve battery lifespan. From a low-power mode that is ideal for long flights, to the ability to tweak certain power usage settings, these adjustments can help you get more out of your laptop’s battery.

If your laptop doesn’t have too many power setting options, try adjusting how often you have it going to sleep. Having your laptop go to sleep or idle faster can help you save on power, too, which is why we suggest you have a screensaver activate after 15-minute idle times.

Turn Off Both WiFi and Bluetooth

Your laptop most likely has both WiFi and Bluetooth accessibility. Those features, while convenient, can be quite taxing on your laptop’s battery life.

Of course, if you’re using your laptop’s WiFi or Bluetooth, you can’t turn them off to save power. But if you’re working offline, and aren’t connected to any devices, it’s not a bad idea to turn them off while not using them to conserve energy.

Engaging airplane mode can do this for your fast while improving your laptop’s battery life greatly. It also can help you avoid distractions when working, which is a huge plus, especially if you struggle to focus on certain tasks.

Unplug All USB Devices

When unplugged, your laptop has to power all USB devices using its battery. Whether it’s a thumb drive, a mouse, or a gaming controller, those devices all use your laptop’s battery, making it die that much faster.

Like your WiFi and Bluetooth, we suggest that you turn these devices off by unplugging them when they’re not being used. That, combined with the other battery hacks that we’ve mentioned in this article, can help you get the most out of your laptop battery going forward.

Avoid Multitasking

Sometimes when you’re working on your laptop, you have to have more than one window open at a time to get a task done. Doing this requires your laptop to use more memory, which of course uses more battery power when your laptop isn’t plugged in.

Because of this, we suggest that you avoid all unnecessary multitasking when trying to conserve your laptop’s battery. Closing out any unneeded windows will save power, and make your computer run faster, allowing you to get your work done that much quicker.

Charge Your Laptop Properly

Having your laptop charged and ready to go for a trip or a visit to the library is key if you want to get the most out of your battery. But leaving your laptop plugged in for too long can actually do longterm damage to its battery, which is why you should avoid this if possible.

Plugging in your laptop and letting it charge overnight is never a good idea. If you can, try to charge it in the morning so you can make sure it gets unplugged when the charge is completed.

A pro tip? If you want to charge your laptop overnight safely, pick up an electrical timer. Set it for a few hours before you plug your laptop in, so it shuts off long before your battery is damaged, helping you extend its overall life.

Avoid Extreme Temperatures

Leaving any electronic device in a hot or cold car is never a good idea. It can do some serious damage to the more important parts of that device, including the battery, leading to you needing to replace the battery to fix the issue.

If you can, try to keep your laptop in a room temperature setting at all times. Having it get too hot, or too cold, can lead to you having bigger issues than just a dead battery, which of course isn’t what you want.

Got a Mac computer? Want to make the battery last longer? Check out https://setapp.com/how-to/tips-to-extend-mac-battery-life for tips on how to do just that!

How to Make Your Laptop Battery Last Longer: A Guide

Well, there you have it. That is a breakdown of how to make your laptop battery last longer.

Remember, your computer has multiple features that can help you extend the life of your battery, both shorter and longterm. Use those features, take care of your laptop, and you should be able to get more than the average 3 to 5 years out of it.

Looking for more helpful tech tips and tricks? Check out our blog!