how to use new laptop battery first time

#How to use new laptop battery first time manual
#How to use new laptop battery first time full
#How to use new laptop battery first time software
#How to use new laptop battery first time Bluetooth
#How to use new laptop battery first time mac

But generally speaking, the best thing you can do for your lithium-ion battery is to avoid letting it discharge below 20%.

#How to use new laptop battery first time full

Today, however, modern devices are designed to stop charging at 100%, so keeping them plugged in doesn’t impact the battery’s lifespan, according to Battery University.Īs with many battery-related questions, the issue of keeping your laptop plugged in when it’s reached full capacity is hotly debated, so there’s nothing wrong with turning your machine off and unplugging it if you feel more comfortable doing that. Next, there was a time when users were advised to refrain from keeping their devices plugged in, based on the idea that letting a battery charge to 100% could wear the battery out more quickly. Generally, the consensus seems to be that letting your battery discharge ( without bottoming it out - aim for around 20%) and then charging it when possible is the best practice. Whether or not it’s a smart idea to perform a complete discharge a couple of times a year remains an unanswered question. It’s time to clear the air.Ĭontrary to some recommendations, you don’t need to routinely discharge a lithium-ion battery completely and then recharge it to somehow reboot or calibrate it - this is a destructive practice that’s very hard on your battery. This problem doesn’t exist any longer thanks to modern lithium-ion batteries, but it has led to a lot of poor advice and arguments about battery care based on outdated information. In ancient, less enlightened times, there was a problem called “battery memory” that caused nickel-metal hydride (NiMH) batteries to “forget” their full charge capacity and start charging at lower and lower levels. Keeping your battery in zone FrameAngel/Shutterstock Both Microsoft and Apple have guides explaining the process further.

#How to use new laptop battery first time Bluetooth

You can also manually reduce the amount of power you’re using by shutting off Wi-Fi and Bluetooth when you’re not using them, turning off optional features such as keyboard backlighting, and generally reducing the number of components burning power. You can safely shut down things like cloud storage and messaging applications that may be running in the background.

#How to use new laptop battery first time manual

There are plenty of manual changes you can make here, too. Enabling automatic graphics switching can also help Macs save energy by switching to a lower graphics mode when engaged in simple tasks (like text-based work where graphics aren’t as important).

#How to use new laptop battery first time mac

This will automatically block background apps, keep your features like Calendar from syncing or pushing notifications, lower screen brightness, and other various changes that will conserve your battery so you can get to an outlet ASAP.įor MacBooks, look into enabling Power Nap so you can put your Mac to sleep without worrying about it skipping important tasks, allowing you to save more battery life. This mode will automatically turn on when your laptop reaches around 20% battery life (more down below on why this is particularly important). On Windows 10, for example, we suggest you search for and enable the Battery Saver. To save even more power, take a tour of your apps and quit any that are running in the background and steadily eating into your battery life. Ideally, you want your laptop to enter into hibernation before the battery is totally drained - as well as during downtime when you won’t be using the laptop for a while. Also, pay attention to hibernation modes. So, where do you start? You can begin by visiting the power settings corner of your laptop and learning how your battery works and what battery settings to enable. Over time, each charge cycle decreases a battery’s capacity from its design specifications, meaning that the fewer times you drain it, the longer the battery lasts - all other things being equal. A discharge down to 50% and then back to 100% would equal half a cycle. Essentially, a charge cycle equals one full discharge down to 0% and then a recharge back up to 100%. Save cycles, save your batteryĪll laptop batteries are built to handle a certain number of charge cycles, usually somewhere around 500 full cycles - and sometimes even more. Our tips apply to lithium-ion batteries, which are, by far, the most widely used batteries in modern laptops. Every machine is a little different, so finding out as much as you can about your laptop and its battery is important. Unlike many desktop computers, there isn’t a one-size-fits-all approach to laptops.

Enable battery-conscious modes on your computer.

#How to use new laptop battery first time software

Download software to get battery health reports.

Leave it plugged in (but not all the time).

It’s getting hot in here, so hide your batteries.