Windows 11 Energy Saver: What It Does and How to Use It

Windows 11 energy saver is the switch that tells your PC to use less power, at the cost of a little performance. It arrived with Windows 11 version 24H2 as the replacement for the older battery saver, and it does more than its predecessor: it can run all the time, not just when the battery is low, and it works on PCs that are plugged in. This guide covers where to find it, how to make it start automatically, what it actually changes, and how it relates to power mode.

The steps apply to Windows 11 version 24H2 and 25H2 on both Home and Pro. If you see Battery saver instead, your PC is on an older version; check your Windows 11 version to confirm.

Energy saver vs battery saver

Microsoft’s hardware documentation says energy saver replaces battery saver on Windows 11 24H2 and later, and describes it as automatically managing power use across the system and apps to balance performance and efficiency. The practical differences:

	Battery saver (older versions)	Energy saver (24H2 and later)
Main trigger	Low battery	Low battery, manual, or always on
Works when plugged in	No	Yes, if you choose
Desktop PCs	Not applicable	Available
Settings location	Power & battery > Battery saver	Power & battery > Energy saver

Turn energy saver on from Quick Settings

The fastest way is Quick Settings:

1. Select the network, volume or battery icon at the right end of the taskbar, or press Windows key + A.
2. Select the Energy saver tile. It is highlighted when on.
3. Select it again to turn it off.

If the tile is missing, select the pencil icon in Quick Settings, choose Add and pick Energy saver.

Configure it in Settings

For automatic behaviour, go to Settings > System > Power & battery and expand Energy saver. On a laptop you will typically find:

• Turn energy saver on automatically when battery level is at: pick the percentage at which it starts by itself.
• Always use energy saver: keeps it on regardless of battery level, including while charging.
• Lower screen brightness when using energy saver: turn this off if the dimming bothers you.

The exact options depend on your PC and update level. Microsoft’s July 2026 preview update (KB5101684) notes that it restored the ability to set the battery threshold in this page, so if the percentage option is missing, install the latest updates from Settings > Windows Update.

Microsoft’s own guidance recommends leaving energy saver on all the time if maximum battery life matters to you, even when the battery still has plenty of charge.

What energy saver changes

Microsoft documents two levels of behaviour. Whenever energy saver is on:

• Power mode is locked. You cannot change it in Settings until energy saver is off.
• The screen dims. Microsoft’s documentation gives a 30 percent reduction by default; you can switch the dimming off, and PC makers can configure the value.
• Transparency effects are turned off on window backgrounds.

When the PC is unplugged and the battery is low, energy saver goes further:

• Background apps are blocked, although some categories, such as calling (VoIP) apps, keep running, and you can allow individual apps.
• Some Microsoft apps may not sync; Microsoft names OneNote, OneDrive and Phone Link as examples.
• Non-critical Windows Update downloads are blocked, while update scans still happen.
• Most telemetry uploads are blocked and many scheduled tasks are postponed until energy saver turns off.

Microsoft notes this list can change as Windows is updated. If a sync app or a background download seems stuck on battery, energy saver is a good first suspect.

Can you use it on a desktop PC?

Yes. When Microsoft introduced the feature, it said energy saver, while designed to extend battery life, is also available when PCs are plugged in, including desktop PCs, for people who want to conserve energy all the time. On a desktop there is no battery threshold, so you turn it on from Quick Settings or with the always-on option. Expect the plugged-in effects, mainly screen dimming, transparency off and a locked power mode, rather than the low-battery restrictions.

Energy saver and power mode

Power mode lives just above it, at Settings > System > Power & battery > Power mode. It sets the general balance between speed and power use:

• Best Power Efficiency: Microsoft says it reduces power use by limiting background activity, both plugged in and on battery.
• Balanced: the usual default.
• Best Performance: for games and heavy workloads.

Think of power mode as the everyday setting and energy saver as an extra layer on top. Because energy saver locks the power mode, turn it off before switching to Best Performance for a gaming session. Task Manager’s Efficiency mode is something else again: it lowers the priority of a single app’s process, not the whole PC.

Other ways to save power

Energy saver is one tool among several. Microsoft’s power settings page also suggests shorter screen and sleep timeouts (Settings > System > Power & battery > Screen, sleep & hibernate timeouts), dark mode on OLED screens, dynamic refresh rate under Settings > System > Display > Advanced display, and switching off Wi-Fi and Bluetooth when you are not using them.

For more, see our guides to Windows 11 power settings and Windows 11 battery drain. If the PC feels slow even with energy saver off, work through Windows 11 slow performance, and the Windows 11 settings guide maps out the rest of the Settings app.