How to Save Battery on Your Chromebook and Chromebook Plus

Jeni_Odley

Remote working options give employees the freedom to work anywhere they like. From bustling coffee shops to an idyllic beachside villa, remote workers can choose their preferred working location. However, battery life is a major concern for digital nomads and remote workers, especially as their chosen workplace may not have adequate power outlets to keep a laptop on charge. Preserving battery life is crucial to maximize efficiency and lets remote workers work on the go without worrying about the dreaded low battery sign. Here, we provide handy tips to boost Chromebook battery life so you can get more done on a single charge. 

1. Adjust screen brightness  

Adjusting screen brightness to your surroundings is a great way to preserve battery life. It is often unnecessary to turn the screen brightness to its maximum level, so turning it down to the minimum setting and adapting when working in darker surroundings is sufficient. Users can adjust their screen brightness manually by using the brightness up or down key on a laptop’s keyboard.

Users can also alter the screen brightness and color at night by enabling Night Light mode. Doing so helps protect the eyes when working in dim lights while preserving battery life. Moreover, Night Light mode also changes the Chromebook’s screen colors to a pre-set darker color scheme to accommodate evening lighting. 

Night Light mode can be activated via the following instructions:

1. Select Settings. 

2. Click Displays. 

3. Activate Night Light.  

Users can also customize the settings to change according to the sunrise and sunset of their location. 

2. Manage extensions and apps  

Users can also preserve their Chromebook battery by managing extensions and apps. Applications run in the background and can cause devices to lag, impacting their battery life. Closing unnecessary applications alleviates the burden on Chromebook devices so they can run more efficiently. Users should regularly review extensions and avoid running multiple large applications simultaneously to keep their devices running at maximum performance.

Moreover, some applications or extensions may be pre-installed onto devices without the user realizing it. This can drain its battery life and cause it to become bogged down with unneeded programs. Disabling these unnecessary programs can give Chromebooks a boost by preserving battery life.

How to manage extensions on Chromebook 

1. Open Chrome. 
2. Click the More menu in the top right corner of the screen. 
3. Select More tools and then Extensions. 
4. A list of your installed extensions will appear. 
5. To toggle an extension on or off, click the switch next to the extension's name. 
6. To remove an extension, click the Remove button next to the extension's name. 
7. Click Remove to confirm.

How to manage apps on Chromebook: 

1. Select the Launcher button in the corner of the screen. 
2. To manage your apps, right-click on the app icon in the Launcher. 
3. Select New tab or New window to open the app in a new tab or window, respectively. 
4. Select Uninstall to remove the app from your Chromebook.  
5. Confirm the uninstallation by clicking the Uninstall button again.

3. Utilize Energy-Saver mode  

Activating Energy-Saver mode is a savvy way to extend battery life. It also helps users preserve their device’s battery life by simply activating a single setting. Energy-Saver mode reduces background activity and visual effects, meaning users can use their Chromebooks longer without scrambling to find a power outlet. Moreover, users can pre-set their Chromebooks to automatically activate Energy-Saver mode once their battery reaches 20% or when their Chromebook is unplugged.

How to turn on Energy-Saver mode: 

1. Open Chrome 
2. Click the 3-dot icon on the Chrome toolbar 
3. Select Settings 
4. Select Performance 
5. Choose when Energy-Saver mode should be activated. 

4. Disable unnecessary connections

Closing unnecessary connections like Bluetooth and Wi-Fi when not in use is imperative to preserving battery life. Chromebooks will otherwise continue to search for nearby Bluetooth devices or open Wi-Fi networks, which will cause their battery life to suffer. Users should create the habit of switching off Wi-Fi when not linked to a network to save precious battery life and continue working for longer. 

5. Monitor battery usage  

Users should regularly monitor battery usage to identify larger applications or extensions that can negatively impact a Chromebook’s battery life. Doing so allows users to identify battery-intensive apps and boost battery life for longer work sessions. Users can also check their Chromebook battery’s health to see how quickly it discharges, giving valuable insight into its performance and longevity. 

6. Manage Sleep Mode and shutdowns  

Sleep Mode is a handy way to preserve battery power without shutting a Chromebook down entirely. This is useful when taking short breaks, as users can simply resume programs upon their return. Users can consider shutting down their Chromebook when taking longer breaks, which reduces battery activity to nothing. Shutting down a Chromebook also clears temporary files and unnecessary data, which boosts its overall performance.  

7. Additional tips for Chromebook Plus  

Chromebook Plus users can enjoy a long-lasting battery and up to 10 hours of usage time, which is enough to power through a full day’s work or a long flight. Alongside the tips mentioned earlier, Chromebook Plus users can select the “reduce resolution to save power” option to control the device’s resolution and preserve battery life even further. Finally, when it is time to charge their device, Chromebook Plus users can take advantage of faster charging speeds.

How to activate Reduce Resolution to Save Power mode:

1. Open Chrome. 
2. Click the 3-dot icon on the Chrome toolbar.  
3. Select Settings. 
4. Scroll to Device, then click Displays. 
5. Choose a screen resolution. 

Conclusion 

A long battery life is essential for working on the go, especially if power outlets are limited. Luckily, there are many tips and tricks Chromebook and Chromebook Plus users can utilize to extend their device’s battery life. Monitoring the Chromebook’s battery usage allows users to identify which applications or extensions are draining their battery the fastest and make necessary adjustments. Moreover, activating Sleep Mode, Energy-Saver Mode, or the Night Light lets Chromebook devices do the legwork by automatically adjusting the screen’s brightness, thus preserving its battery. Chromebook Plus users can enjoy fast charging speeds to ensure their device is always work-ready.