What it does and how to use it

Power saving mode forces Google Chrome to be more efficient by limiting background activity and visual effects like smooth scrolling and stable video frame rate.

Worried about using Chrome on your laptop for fear that the battery will drain too fast? Enable power saving mode to increase power efficiency. That is how.

What is the power saving mode in Google Chrome?

Energy Saver is a feature of Google Chrome designed to make the browser more energy efficient. Google says that Energy Saver works “by limiting background activity and visual effects on websites with animations and videos.” Google says that in some cases, scrolling may be less fluid and video frame rates may be lower with this enabled.

Limiting background activity can cause web apps to stop working and some tabs may need to be reloaded when they become active again.

The feature is here for everyone in Chrome 110 for Windows, macOS, and Chromebooks. To check which version of Chrome you have, click the three-dot “…” menu on the Chrome toolbar, then go to Help > About Chrome.

Chrome should update automatically, but if it doesn’t, you can click “Update Google Chrome” to force the update or “Restart Chrome” to apply any pending updates that have been downloaded.

How to set energy saving in Chrome

Click on the three dots icon on the Chrome toolbar and then go to Settings > Performance. Here you can turn Power Saver on or off and choose what turns it on.

Here are two options for when Chrome turns on Power Saver: when your laptop’s battery is at 20% or less, or when your computer is offline. Choose the former to limit the function when your laptop is about to run out of battery or the latter if you want to maximize its runtime while running on battery.

Combine Energy Saver with other battery saving tips

Chrome is a thirsty browser, but if you must use it, power saving mode will certainly help. If energy efficiency is your top priority, you’ll want to switch to Edge on Windows or Safari on macOS.

There are many other things Windows users can do to increase laptop battery life. These include enabling battery saver mode and adjusting screen brightness.

If you have a MacBook, there are many reasons why your battery could be draining quickly. Maintaining a healthy MacBook battery can help delay any MacBook battery replacement you may need in the future.

Even Chromebook owners can extend their computer’s battery life with a few simple tips.