How to fix battery drain issue in Microsoft Edge on Windows 11?

Since the launch of Windows 11, the popularity of Microsoft Edge has been slowly growing. According to recent reports, Edge is currently the second most widely used desktop browser in the world, and if all goes according to Microsoft's plan, it could soon be the best.

With the release of Windows 11, Microsoft began bundling Edge’s update client with the operating system to allow the browser to automatically update to the latest version when needed. Sadly, this also means that the latest version with bugs can severely impact your system.

The latest version of Microsoft Edge is causing excessive battery drain on many laptops, and if you're in the same boat, here's everything you need to know.

Why does Edge cause excessive battery consumption?

Microsoft Edge causing battery drain is not a new problem. This has been an issue with chromium-based browsers since the early days of Google Chrome. High battery usage of Microsoft Edge is mainly caused by excessive RAM usage.

This may be due to a malfunctioning tab, a bug in the application, or an outdated driver. In addition, outdated Microsoft services and outdated Microsoft Edge versions have been known to cause excessive battery drain on some devices.

In addition to this, hardware scheduling and Edge's new power saving features can also cause battery drain on some systems. This is primarily due to some systems using outdated drivers for thermal, power, and RAM management, for which Edge has not yet been optimized.

You can fix all these issues and more with the fixes listed below. This should help you easily fix battery drain caused by Microsoft Edge on your device.

12 Ways to Fix Excessive Battery Usage in Microsoft Edge

There are many fixes that can try to reduce excessive battery usage in Microsoft Edge. We recommend that you start with the first fix and work your way through the list until you manage to resolve your issue. If none of the fixes end up working for you, you can try using a different browser until a Microsoft Edge update is released, which may resolve the excessive battery drain issue on your system. Here's how you can get started.

Method 1: Switch Hardware Acceleration

Hardware acceleration is a feature in Microsoft Edge that allows your browser to use your system's GPU instead of the CPU to perform graphics tasks. This includes rendering images, text, video, etc. Ideally this helps free up resources, but if you're running a portable system it can cause excessive battery drain due to the GPU's higher power consumption. You can turn it off, which will force the browser to use your CPU for graphics tasks.

If you have hardware acceleration turned on, we recommend that you try turning it off and vice versa. Toggle this option seems to help Edge perform better on many systems. The issue appears to be due to a persistent background bug in Edge that causes the browser to not respect your current battery plan and hardware acceleration settings. Here's how to switch hardware acceleration in Microsoft Edge.

Open Edge and enter the following in the address bar and press Enter.

edge://settings/system

You will now automatically be directed to System and Performance in Edge Settings page. Click the Use hardware acceleration when available toggle switch.

#You will now be prompted to restart Edge. Even without prompts, we recommend doing this as early as possible.

#You can now check battery consumption when using Edge with third-party apps. If your power consumption returns to normal, hardware acceleration may be the cause of your issue.

Method 2: Enable sleep tabs

Are you someone who browses many tabs at the same time? Every tab in Microsoft Edge consumes CPU and RAM resources. Depending on the content and services of the page, resource consumption may increase significantly, which may cause your PC to consume excessive power.

We recommend that you try enabling the Sleep tab feature in Microsoft Edge. This feature automatically releases resources by putting unused tabs to sleep and loading them only when needed. This in turn helps prevent excessive resource usage and power consumption on your PC. Use the following steps to help you enable sleep tabs for Edge.

Open Edge and visit the following URL in a new tab.

edge://settings/system

Now scroll down to the Optimize Performance section and enable the Use sleep tags to save resources toggle.

Open Fade in and out sleep label switching.

Now click the drop-down menu next to Put inactive tags to sleep after specified time: Then select the sleep you want Label time.

You can also whitelist certain web pages that you don’t want to go to sleep, no matter how many tabs are open in Edge. You can click Add next to Never put these sites to sleep and add the desired sites to your whitelist.

Once completed, we recommend that you restart Edge. If you disable the sleep tab, you should now reduce the battery drain caused by Edge on your system.

Method 3: Repair Microsoft Edge

You can also try to repair the application using the built-in Microsoft Edge settings. This will fix application permissions and replace any corrupted or missing files for Microsoft Edge. If background permission conflicts or missing files are causing excessive drain on the system, then using the repair option will help you fix the same. Please follow the steps below to help you through the process.

Press Windows i keyboard and click Apps.

Select Installed Application.

Scroll through the list to find Microsoft Edge and click the 3 dot menu icon next to it.

Select to modify.

Click to fix.

# Wait for the process to complete and then restart the system.

You can now launch Edge and keep an eye on its power consumption. If everything works fine, then the Microsoft Edge installation on your system may have malfunctioned and it should be fixed by now.

Method 4: Turn on Efficiency Mode

Efficiency Mode automatically manages the power consumption of Microsoft Edge based on your current workflow, power plan, and battery status. It also automatically manages your sleep tabs and helps reduce the power Microsoft Edge uses on your system. Follow the steps below to turn on Productivity Mode in Microsoft Edge.

Open Edge and visit the following URL.

edge://settings/system

Scroll down on the right to the Optimize performance section and click Click to open the drop-down menu next to Productivity Mode.

Choose one of the options below based on your preference.

• Unplugged, low battery: When your device is unplugged from the wall and the battery is low, Microsoft Edge will turn on its productivity mode.
• Unplugged: Microsoft Edge will run in productivity mode as long as your device is unplugged from the wall.
• Always: Microsoft Edge will always run in productivity mode.

Method 5: Disable background activity

You might think that once you close Microsoft Edge, it will stop running on your system, but unfortunately that’s not the case . Edge runs in the background of your system, checking for updates and in some cases even allowing extensions to run in the background.

This may result in excessive resource usage, resulting in higher power consumption on the device. You can disable Edge’s background activity to reduce the activity of the same and save your device’s battery power. Please follow the steps below to help you through the process.

Open Edge on your PC and visit the following address.

edge://settings/system

Disable now Keep background extensions and apps running when Microsoft Edge is closed Program switching.

# Restarting Edge and background activities should now be disabled for your browser. If background power consumption is causing excessive drain on your PC, now is the time to fix it on your system.

Method 6: Run the Power Troubleshooter

The Windows troubleshooter has improved a lot over the past few years, and we recommend that you run the Power Troubleshooter to try to resolve your issue. Please follow the steps below to get started.

Press Windows ikeyboard and click Troubleshooter.

Click Other troubleshooters.

Now click Run next to Power .

#If any issues are found, the troubleshooter will automatically recommend a fix for your PC. Click Apply this fix to proceed with this recommendation.

After the troubleshooting is completed, click Close.

Restart your PC for good measure, the overall power consumption of your entire system should now improve slightly. Keep an eye on Edge, if misconfigured power settings are causing excessive drain on your PC, it's time to fix it.

Method 7: Check for and Remove Misbehaving Extensions

Extensions are the number one cause of problems in Chromium browsers, including Microsoft Edge. If you have recently installed a third-party extension and your battery is draining too much, this is most likely your problem.

You can solve the same problem by removing extensions one by one until you find the culprit. You can then restore other deleted extensions and troubleshoot the culprit if necessary.

Open Edge and visit the following address.

edge://extensions

You will now have a list of all extensions currently installed in Microsoft Edge. Click Remove under the extension you suspect is causing the problem.

Click Delete again to confirm your choice.

Restart Edge and use a third-party app to check your power consumption. If everything looks fine, you've found the culprit. If Edge still seems to be using too much battery, continue removing extensions until you find the culprit.

Once you discover a misbehaving extension, we recommend that you replace it with an alternative or wait for an update to the extension that fixes the high power consumption bug.

Method 8: Repair Windows System Files

At this point, if you are still facing excessive battery consumption due to Edge, then we may need to repair your system files. Edge not only serves as your web browser, but also as a web engine for displaying search results, widgets, and more.

Therefore, corrupted system files may cause these features to use a lot of resources, resulting in excessive battery drain. Use the following commands to help repair corrupted system files on your system.

Press Windows R, enter the following, and then press Ctrl Shift Enter on your keyboard.

cmd

Type the following commands and execute them one by one.

• sfc /scannow

• ##DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image / RestoreHealth

After completion, restart the system. If corrupted system files are the cause of your system draining battery power excessively, you should fix it now.

Method 9: Reset Edge Settings

Edge also lets you reset its application settings. This helps fix misconfigured features and bugs that may cause your system to drain battery power excessively. Use the following steps to help you reset Microsoft Edge on Windows 11.

Open Edge and visit the following address.

edge://settings/reset

Click

to restore the settings to their default values.

Click

Reset to confirm your choice.

Your browser settings will now be reset. You will be prompted to restart Edge, and we recommend doing so as soon as possible. If you are not prompted to restart your browser, we recommend that you restart it manually.

Configure your browser after restarting, then watch your power consumption. If misconfigured settings were the cause of your issue, then the excessive battery drain issue should have been fixed on your PC by now.

Method 10: Customize Microsoft Sync

Microsoft Sync allows you to sync data across all your devices. This includes passwords, saved tags, bookmarks, favorites, and more. However, constantly synchronizing your projects may result in higher bandwidth and resource usage, which in turn can lead to excessive battery consumption.

We recommend that you only sync essential items to minimize the battery consumption of Microsoft Edge. Please follow the tutorial below to help you customize your sync project.

Open Edge and visit the following address.

edge://settings/profiles/sync

Now turn off the toggle for items you don’t want to sync.

#Once completed, restart the browser and the selected items will no longer sync, slightly reducing Edge's battery usage.

Method 11: Update your SSD and Storage Controller Drivers

This may sound counterintuitive, but updated SSD and Storage Controller drivers are known to fix issues caused by Microsoft Edge high battery consumption. This especially applies to systems using SSDs from third-party manufacturers such as Samsung, Crucial, Kingston, Intel, and others.

We recommend that you check your SSD manufacturer's website for any updated drivers that may be available for your SSD. Additionally, we recommend that you check your device's OEM support site for updated storage controller drivers. After installing the necessary drivers, Microsoft Edge's battery consumption should be significantly reduced.

Method 12: Last resort: Switch to a different browser

At this time, Microsoft Edge may be facing a temporary error that is specific to your system configuration. In this case, you can wait for future updates and switch to a different browser in the meantime.

While not ideal, you may end up finding something new that better fits your workflow while reducing resource usage and power consumption on your PC. We recommend you check out the following browsers, which are known to be efficient when it comes to battery consumption on Windows 11 devices.

FAQ

Here are some common issues regarding Microsoft Edge on Windows 11 that cause excessive battery drain.

Will hardware failure cause excessive battery consumption?

Yes, hardware failure does cause your device's battery usage to be high. If you suspect a hardware failure, we recommend that you contact your OEM's certified technician at the earliest opportunity. This will help prevent further damage to your device and further reduce the risk of fire caused by battery failure.

How is the battery affected when multiple tabs are open?

Each tab uses a certain amount of RAM, depending on what content is displayed and rendered. Opening it multiple times increases the amount of RAM used on the device, thereby increasing battery consumption.

Therefore, the amount of battery consumed is directly proportional to the number of tabs open in the browser. Features like Sleeping Tabs in Microsoft Edge help prevent this by putting your tabs to sleep when not in use.

Can low RAM cause high battery usage?

No, insufficient system memory will not affect battery usage.

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