How to check and adjust battery usage by app in Windows 11

Battery consumption is one of the most common concerns for those who use portable to Windows 11 in their daily lives. Whether working, studying, or just browsing, sometimes autonomy seems to vanish without any apparent explanation. Did you know that it's often certain apps or system settings that cause your battery to drain faster than it should? If you've ever wondered how you can see exactly who's using the most energy and how to change that, you've come to the right place.

Windows 11 includes a series of tools and settings that allow you to monitor the energy consumption of each application in detail.. Additionally, you can make decisions directly from the settings to optimize battery usage: from disabling background apps to adjusting the power plan or screen brightness. In this article, we'll explain how to do this. How to comprehensively review battery usage by app and what actions to take To extend the battery life of your laptop or tablet. If your laptop isn't lasting as long as you expected, it's time to take action.

Why it's important to monitor battery consumption in Windows 11

Today, most Windows 11 laptops, convertibles, and tablets have multiple apps running at once, many of them running in the background almost without us realizing it. This operation means that, even if you are apparently not using any app, the battery continues to lose charge. at a good pace. Monitoring who is using energy and how it's used is essential to increasing productivity and the lifespan of your device.

Excessive power consumption not only limits your battery life but also affects the long-term health of your battery.Microsoft knows this, and that's why it's improved the energy monitoring and management tools in Windows 11, offering users more transparency and action than ever before.

Furthermore, The frequency with which you charge your laptop may be greatly reduced If you adjust the behavior of the most voracious apps. Being able to identify which apps and what percentage of battery they consume allows you to make decisions such as closing, limiting, or even uninstalling those you no longer use, thus contributing to device conservation and energy savings.

How to access battery usage by app in Windows 11

Windows 11 makes it easy to access energy statistics in a very intuitive way. To see which apps are draining your battery the most, follow these steps:

1. Click on the Home or press the combination of Windows + I to open directly the Configuration of the System.
2. In the side menu, select the option System and then enter Power and battery.
3. Within this section, search and expand Battery usage; here you will find all the information on recent energy consumption.
4. Scroll to Battery usage per appYou'll see a list of all the apps along with the percentage of battery consumption during the selected period.

The interface allows you to choose the time range you want to analyze., usually within the last 24 hours or the last week, which helps detect patterns or applications that affect more at certain times.

In addition, the list usually also shows the consumption in foreground (when the application is active and visible) and in background (when the application keeps processes running without you interacting with it).

Interpreting and organizing information on energy consumption

The battery usage section by app not only shows data but also allows you to organize information intuitively to quickly identify the main culprits behind overspending. At the top right of the list, you can display a menu to sort apps by various criteria:

• Total usage: Sort by the total battery consumption of each app in the selected period.
• In use: Ranks apps by how much power they use when actively open.
• In background: Shows which programs continue to drain battery even when they don't appear to be running, which is key because many heavy processes often go unnoticed.
• By name: To quickly locate a specific app and check its spending.

Thanks to this option, you can prioritize your attention on the applications that really consume energy. Some may surprise you, such as browsers, email clients, or cloud syncing tools, which, even without direct use, can consume a lot of energy if left unchecked.

What to do if an application consumes too much?

Finding a budget-friendly app is just the first step. Windows 11 allows you to act directly on these applications to try to reduce their impact on the battery.:

• Click the three dots next to the name of the problematic app.
• Choose Managing background activity.
• In the screen that opens, change the settings for Allow this app to run in the background to 'Never«.

With this simple adjustment, You prevent the application from continuing to consume battery when you are not directly using it.Especially useful for apps you only need occasionally, such as email clients, social apps, or productivity tools.

For applications that you no longer use at all, the best remedy is to uninstall them:

1. Accede to Settings > Apps > Installed Apps.
2. Find the app you want to remove, click on the three dots and select uninstall.
3. Confirm again in the pop-up window to free up both space and resources.

Removing unnecessary software can have an immediate effect on energy efficiency., avoiding invisible processes that negatively impact the overall autonomy of the device.

Additional settings to save battery life in Windows 11

Beyond monitoring battery usage by app, Windows 11 offers a series of tools and recommendations to thoroughly optimize energy consumption. Let's look at some of the most effective:

Screen brightness: a silent consumer

One of the elements that most affects energy consumption is the screen, especially if you tend to work with the brightness set to maximum. Windows 11 incorporates automatic brightness adjustment that adapts the light intensity according to the ambient light. You can enable it from Settings > System > DisplayIf you prefer manual control, try to reduce the brightness whenever possible.

You can also choose the dark mode, which helps reduce power consumption on OLED or AMOLED screens and can make the viewing experience more comfortable during long sessions.

Power plans and saving mode

Intelligent performance management is essential to extending battery life. Windows 11 includes different power plans that you can select according to your needs:

• Balanced: Automatically balances performance and autonomy.
• High performance: Prioritizes power, but reduces battery life.
• Energy saving: : Restricts consumption as much as possible, ideal when you need to extend the battery life as much as possible.

You can choose your plan from Settings > System > Power & battery. Power saving mode activates additional restrictions when the battery drops below 20%., disabling some background tasks and reducing notifications to stretch out the last few minutes of charging.

Controlling wireless connections and accessories

WiFi and Bluetooth They are very useful accessories, but also They accelerate energy consumption if they remain active when you don't need them.. Remember to disconnect them from the Activities Center or directly from the network settings in the configuration. Some devices even allow you to schedule automatic activation/deactivation based on schedules or locations.

Updates and maintenance

Keep Windows 11 and its drivers always up to date This is another essential factor. The latest versions often include energy optimization patches and improvements to overall system efficiency.

Don't forget to perform preventative maintenance either: delete Temporary files, clean the disk and check the usage storage helps avoid bottlenecks and unnecessary background tasks that could affect battery life.

Third-party applications to monitor and improve battery usage

If you want even more information or advanced features, there are external tools such as BatteryBar or BatteryInfoView available in the Microsoft Store. These apps offer details such as Charge percentage, battery cycles, discharge times and other technical data that can help you with both the diagnosis and maintenance of your laptop.

Remember These types of utilities can complement, but not replace, the native functions of Windows 11.Use them to get a more detailed view, but always keep an eye on the apps you install and their potential impact on the system.

Related article:

Ultimate Guide to Limiting Battery Charge to 80% in Windows 11: Extend Your Laptop's Lifespan

Isaac

Passionate writer about the world of bytes and technology in general. I love sharing my knowledge through writing, and that's what I'll do on this blog, show you all the most interesting things about gadgets, software, hardware, tech trends, and more. My goal is to help you navigate the digital world in a simple and entertaining way.