How to enable or disable Eco mode or app efficiency in Windows 11

In Windows 11, the so-called Eco mode, or efficiency mode, has gradually become a part of many users' daily lives. Sometimes it activates without us even noticing, and suddenly we find that the browser or a resource-intensive application is less responsive, laggy, or seems "crippled." This raises a very reasonable question: can we manually and permanently activate or deactivate this mode for specific apps without having to resort to external programs?

In addition, Windows 11 has changed the default power, display, and sleep settings to reduce energy consumption when the computer is idle. This all sounds great for battery life and saving electricity, but it also means that the system sometimes makes decisions for us that aren't always ideal, especially with demanding desktop applications. Let's take a closer look at what Eco mode is, how it actually works, what we can and can't control in Windows 11, and what alternatives we have if we need to maximize performance.

What is Eco mode or efficiency mode in Windows 11?

Eco mode (also called efficiency mode in many parts of the interface ) is a built-in feature in Windows 11 designed to make certain applications and processes use fewer system resources. The idea is very simple: to reduce the use of CPU, memory, and other intensive tasks when an app doesn't need to run at full capacity, so that:

• Reduce energy consumption, something key in laptops when we're running on battery power.
• It is generated less heat and less fan noise by reducing the processor load.
• The system has more free resources for priority applications, such as gaming, video editing, or heavy tasks.

Internally, this mode isn't magic: what Windows does is lower the process's priority and limit certain background activities. Unlike "End task" in Task Manager, which kills the process completely, Eco mode keeps the program open but with less CPU access . It's like telling Windows, "This application can wait; don't give it so many resources."

Microsoft has been testing this approach for quite some time. Previous builds of Windows 11 (such as Build 22557) already mentioned a new efficiency mode associated with Task Manager capable of significantly reducing resource consumption by affected processes. In internal tests, the company has seen reductions of up to 76% in resource usage for some processes after activating this mode, something that can make a big difference for laptops and computers with modest hardware.

Advantages and disadvantages of efficiency mode

On paper, Eco mode sounds great: energy savings, less heat, and longer battery life . But like anything that affects performance, there's a catch. It's important to be very clear about what we gain and what we might lose by activating it in our apps.

The main advantage is that applications running in efficiency mode use less CPU, less memory, and perform fewer intensive operations . This translates to:

• longer battery life On laptops, this is especially useful if we are using lightweight apps (browsers, office suites, email) and want to extend the session without being plugged in.
• Reduction of electricity consumption in desktop computers, which in the long term can be noticeable in the electricity bill, especially if the PC is switched on for many hours.
• Less heat generated by working the processor with less sustained load, which in turn reduces thermal wear on the components.
• Less fan noisebecause it needs less cooling when the temperature drops.

However, this mode also has drawbacks that cannot be ignored. By limiting resources, Windows can cause some applications to lose fluidity, responsiveness, or even functionality . Some typical examples:

• If you are editing video, audio or photosThe app may take longer to apply effects, export, or respond to your actions.
• En video gamesYou may notice stuttering, FPS drops, or micro-stuttering if the game enters Eco mode.
• Seeing movies, series or streamingIt is possible that playback will not be as smooth as it should be, or that the app internally reduces certain qualities to adapt to the lower use of resources.
• In some real-time apps (for example, video calls or video chat software), latency or stability may be affected.

Microsoft warns that some programs may stop working correctly or even crash if they are permanently forced into efficiency mode. Therefore, this feature is not meant to be applied indiscriminately to everything, but rather selectively and with common sense.

As a general rule, Eco mode is more appropriate for applications that don't require consistently high performance , such as browsers when only a few tabs are open, word processors, email clients, lightweight chat applications, or background utilities. Conversely, it's best to avoid it in:

• Demanding games and graphics engines.
• Professional video, 3D or audio editing software.
• Multimedia players that already include their own energy saving system or adaptive performance.
• Programs critical to the system or security (antivirus, Windows processes, etc.).

Where does Task Manager come into play?

The epicenter of Eco mode in Windows 11 is the Task Manager . From there, we can decide, process by process, which apps we want to run in efficiency mode. It's an evolution of what we already had in previous versions of Windows, but with a more refined approach: instead of forcefully closing programs that consume too many resources , we can simply lower their priority.

If you open Task Manager (right-click the Start button and select "Task Manager", or use the shortcut Ctrl + Shift + Esc , or Ctrl + Alt + Delete and choose the option), you will see a list of the following in the Processes tab:

• Applications running in the foreground.
• Background processes.
• Windows processes and system services.

Windows 11 introduced a specific mode in the Task Manager that allows you to mark an app in efficiency mode instead of forcing you to "End task" when it's consuming too many resources . Internally, this adjusts the system's scheduling priority so that the app has less weight compared to others , but remains active in the background if needed later.

It's important to note that not all processes support this mode . You'll see that in some, when you right-click, the "Efficiency Mode" option appears disabled. This usually applies to:

• Windows processes, such as File Explorer (Windows Explorer) or critical system components.
• Security services, such as Microsoft Defender Antivirus and others that need to be executed with complete reliability.
• Elements that the system considers essential for stability.

In these cases, Windows clearly prioritizes system stability and security over energy efficiency. You can't force Eco mode there, precisely to avoid serious problems like crashes, freezes, or security vulnerabilities.

Change Eco mode from Task Manager

If you want to enable or disable efficiency mode for specific processes, the most direct way is to use the Windows 11 Task Manager . The procedure is simple and requires no additional installation:

1. Open Task Manager. You can do this with Right-click on Start → Task Manageror with the keyboard shortcut Ctrl + Shift + Esc.
2. Go to the tab Processes Then find the application or process you want to adjust. If it's a program with multiple instances or threads, be sure to identify the one that's actually consuming resources.
3. Right-click on the process and locate the option "Efficiency mode" (may appear as "Eco Mode" in some translations or builds).
4. If the option is available, by selecting it you will be activating Eco mode for that processWindows will reduce its priority and apply optimizations to lower power consumption.
5. If it was already active and you click again, You will deactivate efficiency mode, restoring the process to its normal behavior.

One important limitation to note is that this setting is temporary and only lasts for one session . In other words, if you close the app or restart your device, this configuration is not saved permanently . The next time you open the app, it will revert to its default state, and you will have to re-enable Eco mode if needed.

Many users have asked about this very issue: they would like certain desktop applications to always run in efficiency mode or always in efficiency mode , without having to manually adjust the settings each time. Currently, Windows 11 does not offer a global toggle that permanently remembers this process-by-process preference in classic desktop applications.

App settings from Settings: limitations on classic desktop

In addition to Task Manager, Windows 11 includes a number of app-specific power options in the Settings app. However, there's a crucial distinction to be made: Windows doesn't treat all apps the same.

In the case of applications installed from the Microsoft Store (UWP or modern apps), many of them include advanced settings accessible from:

• Settings → Applications → Installed applications.
• You locate the app from the store that interests you.
• You press on the ellipsis menu (…)
• You enter Advanced.

Among these advanced options, it's common to find permission controls, background behavior settings, and, in some cases, performance or power adjustments . In other words, the app developer may have defined how they want its resource consumption to be managed when it's running in the background or not actively being used.

The problem arises with traditional desktop applications (Win32) , which are the vast majority of classic programs we install with an .exe or .msi file. These apps don't usually offer native settings within Windows Configuration to force a permanent Eco mode. For these programs:

• In most cases, there is not one integrated self-power option in Settings.
• The only standard way to apply efficiency mode is through the Runtime Task Manager.
• When closing or restarting, The choice regarding Eco mode is lost..

This leads to a curious situation: many users want to permanently disable efficiency mode for critical apps (due to performance issues) or, conversely, force certain resource-intensive programs to always start in Eco mode to save resources. Without a centralized API or control panel to remember these preferences for each executable, Windows 11 manages much of this logic automatically and dynamically.

General settings for display, sleep, and power saving in Windows 11

Eco mode for individual processes is complemented by a series of power defaults that Microsoft has been adjusting in Windows 11 so that the system consumes less power by default when not in use. These changes directly affect:

• The time it takes for the screen to turn off.
• The time it takes for the equipment to enter sleep mode.
• Behavior when on battery and when plugged in.

To view or modify these times in Windows 11, you can go to:

• Start → Settings → System → Power & Sleep (in some translations it may appear as "Startup/Shutdown and display, sleep and hibernation timeouts").

Within that section you will see options such as:

• Turn off my screen afterYou choose how long the device should wait before turning off the screen when you are not interacting with it, whether it is plugged in or running on battery power.
• Put my device to sleep after: You define the time that must pass without use before the system enters sleep mode, also differentiating between use on battery and connected to the mains.

To reduce power consumption, Microsoft has modified the default standby mode settings on modern computers. There are two main families of devices that behave differently: those that use Modern Standby and those that follow the classic S3 standby mode.

New default values ​​for devices with modern standby mode

On devices that support Modern Standby , the default screen-on and sleep timeouts have been reduced so the device consumes less power when inactive. In simpler terms, the settings have been adjusted from broader values ​​to more conservative ones.

The table of changes reflects that, for example:

• With batteryThe time to turn off the screen has been reduced to about 3 minutes compared to the original 4.
• When it's plugged in, the screen timeout has been adjusted to about 5 minutes instead of the previous 10.
• The interval for the device to enter battery suspension It is now around 3 minutes (There used to be 4).
• With the device plugged into the power outlet, the time of suspension It has been reduced from approximately 10 to about 5 minutes.

The philosophy behind these changes is clear: avoid leaving your computer "on and wasting power" for extended periods without interaction . If you get up for even a moment and leave it idle, Windows tends to turn off the screen and go into sleep mode more quickly, which, combined with Eco mode in less critical apps, can result in significant energy savings over time.

New default values ​​for devices in S3 standby state

On more traditional devices that use the classic S3 sleep state , Microsoft has also tweaked the default values, although the timings are somewhat different, adapted to this type of hardware and power management.

The most notable changes are:

• With battery, the screen turning off becomes a 3 minutes compared to the original 5.
• When it's plugged inThe screen will turn off by default at 5 minutes instead of the previous 10.
• In battery-powered standby mode, the device can be configured to switch from one 15 minutes to about 10 minutes.
• With power, the suspension time is reduced from the 30 minutes to about 15 minutes, by default.

These settings, combined with process efficiency mode, are part of a broader Microsoft strategy to make Windows 11 consume less energy right out of the box , without requiring users to be experts in advanced configurations. Even so, all these settings can be customized to suit your actual PC usage.

Efficiency and battery saving mode from Settings

In addition to the Task Manager's process-by-process approach, Windows also allows you to manage application battery usage through System Settings. While the interface and terminology may vary slightly between versions and updates, the general idea is:

1. Open the app Configuration from the Start menu (gear icon).
2. go to section System and then to the section related to the battery (for example, "Energy and battery" or similar).
3. Inside, look for the option to view Which apps are affecting battery life?.
4. In the list of apps, select the application you want to adjust.
5. In your battery usage options, change the behavior. You may see options like:

• Let Windows decideThe system automatically manages when to optimize or limit the app.
• Reduce or similar: you tell Windows that you want that application to run in a more contained way for save battery.

This option is especially useful for apps that are almost always open but don't need maximum performance , such as email clients, messaging apps, or some browsers used lightly. When you choose "Reduce," you're essentially telling the system that it can more aggressively apply efficiency and resource-saving measures to that specific application.

If you later notice that the application is too slow or isn't behaving as expected, you can always return to that same menu and select "Let Windows decide" again , returning logical control to the system. This flexibility is useful, but again, it doesn't replace a permanent "always in Eco mode / never in Eco mode" switch for all desktop apps.

Is it necessary to install external programs like Process Lasso?

Some users, frustrated because all their browsers seem to always run in efficiency mode or because they can't find a clear control panel to manage this, have ended up on forums or articles that recommend installing third-party programs like Process Lasso to force CPU priorities, core affinities, and other advanced settings.

The reasonable question is: do we really need to resort to external tools for something that should be native to Windows? From a purist's point of view, no, you shouldn't have to install anything just to modify the power behavior and priority of your applications. Windows 11 already has:

• El Eco mode of processes in Task Manager.
• The power, battery, display and sleep settings in System Settings.
• Management options modern apps (Store) with controls over background usage.

However, the reality is that, currently, there is no permanent, granular, and centralized control for all desktop applications that allows for the easy definition of rules such as "this app always on low priority" or "this browser never in efficiency mode." That's where third-party tools can offer:

• Persistent profiles per application that are maintained between restarts.
• Advanced rules based on CPU load, battery, consumption, etc.
• More detailed monitoring of process behavior.

In any case, before installing anything, it's advisable to explore and thoroughly understand Windows' native options . Often, the problem isn't so much a missing feature, but rather that the system is automatically applying certain power-saving policies to specific apps (for example, browsers), and the solution might involve:

• Review the internal configuration of the browser itself (power saving mode, background limitation, etc.).
• Consult with the software developeras is the case with Opera, whose "efficiency mode" can be managed from the app itself rather than from Windows.
• Check that there are no overly aggressive energy plans activated in the system.

Even experts within the Microsoft community, when answering questions about browsers entering power-saving mode seemingly uncontrollably, insist that there isn't always a Windows setting that governs everything . In such cases, they recommend contacting the developers of the affected application to clarify how they implement their own power-saving logic.

What Windows 11 does allow and what is still missing

If we put all of the above together, we can draw a fairly clear picture of the current capabilities of Windows 11 regarding Eco mode and efficient application management :

• We can activate or deactivate process efficiency mode from the Task Manager, but the settings are not persistent after closing the app or restarting the system.
• The system processes and some critical apps They do not support Eco mode to avoid stability or safety issues.
• applications from the Microsoft Store They may have advanced options, accessible from Settings, that affect their background behavior and consumption.
• We have General settings for screen, sleep, and power which have become more aggressive in saving by default, especially in modern equipment with advanced standby mode and in S3 devices.
• There is a Battery impact panel by applications where we can tell Windows to reduce the consumption of certain apps, or let it decide automatically.

What's still missing from the standard Windows 11 experience is a global and permanent control over Eco mode applied to classic desktop programs . Something like "this app always has efficiency mode enabled" or "never apply Eco mode to this executable." Until that exists at the user-friendly interface and policy level, many users will have to resort to:

• Repeated manual adjustments in the Task Manager when you see that a process is getting out of control.
• Internal settings of each program, to the extent that developers offer performance or savings options.
• Third-party tools geared towards manage CPU priorities and affinities persistently.

In any case, understanding how Eco mode works, where it's activated, and what consequences it has for each type of application allows you to better balance energy savings and performance . By adjusting screen timeout and sleep timeouts, using Task Manager intelligently, and reviewing battery settings for each application, you can adapt Windows 11 to your actual workflow so that your laptop doesn't run out of battery at the slightest provocation, and your important programs don't suffer.