PC is charging slowly or discharging while it’s plugged in : Windows 10 and 11
PC is charging slowly or discharging while it’s plugged in : Windows 10 and 11
Windows 10
When your PC is plugged in, you might see a status message that says your PC is charging slowly or discharging when you hover over or select the Battery icon on the taskbar. This might happen if you’re using a charger that didn’t come with your device. To speed up charging, use the charger and cable that came with your device.
Possible causes | Solutions to try |
---|---|
|
|
Windows 11
Use battery saver
When battery saver is on, your PC temporarily turns off some things that use a lot of power, like automatic email and calendar syncing, live tile updates, and apps you’re not actively using. Using battery saver is the easiest way to extend battery life.
Select Start > Settings > System > Power & battery. If you want battery saver to turn on whenever the battery falls below a certain level, select Battery saver, then choose the battery level you’d like. To turn on battery saver now and leave it on until the next time you plug in your PC, select Turn on now in Power & battery settings, or select the Battery icon in the notification area, then select the Battery saver quick setting
Change display settings
Adjust some of your PC’s display settings to help extend battery life. For example:
Set a shorter duration for an active display. | Select Start > Settings > System > Power & battery > Screen and sleep. For On battery power, turn off my screen after, pick a shorter duration. |
Reduce your display’s brightness. | Select Start > Settings> System > Display > Brightness. Clear the Change brightness automatically when lighting changes check box (if it appears), and then use the Change brightness slider to set the brightness level you want. |
Reduce the screen refresh rate. | A higher refresh rate will provide smoother motion on your display, but it also uses more power. If you want to lower the screen refresh rate, select Start > Settings > System > Display > Advanced display. For Choose a refresh rate, select a lower rate. |
Choose custom graphics options for an app. | Select Start > Settings > System > Display > Graphics. Under Custom options for apps, select an app, select Options, then choose Power saving. |
Use a dark background. | Select Start > Settings > Personalization > Background, and then choose a dark picture or dark solid color. |
Use a dark theme. | Select Start > Settings > Personalization > Themes > Current theme, and then choose a dark theme. |
Change power settings
Adjust some of your PC’s power settings to help extend battery life. For example:
Let Windows change some power settings for you automatically. | Select Start > Settings > System > Troubleshoot > Other troubleshooters, then select Run next to Power. |
Set a shorter duration for when your PC sleeps. | Select Start > Settings > System > Power & battery > Screen and sleep. For On battery power, put my device to sleep after, choose a shorter duration. |
Change the background activity setting for some apps. | Some apps let you manage background activity. If you find that an app is using a lot of battery when running in the background, you can change the setting for apps that allow it. Select Start > Settings > System > Power & battery > Battery usage. Under Battery usage per app, see which apps might be using more battery in the background. For an app that let you manage the background activity, select More options (three vertical dots) > Manage background activity. On the settings page for that app, change the setting for Let this app run in the background. |
Put a lid on it. | Most laptops can go to sleep automatically by closing the lid. To set this, select Search on the taskbar, enter Control Panel, then select it in the list of results. In Control Panel, select Power options > Choose what closing the lid does. |
Choose a more efficient power mode. | Select Start > Settings > System > Power & battery. For Power mode, choose a power mode that’s more efficient. This option isn’t available on all PCs and depends on your PC hardware and manufacturer. |
Just press a power button. | Most PCs let you turn off your display, shut down, sleep, or hibernate with a press of the Power button. To choose what the power buttons do, select Search on the taskbar, enter Control Panel, then select it from the list of results. In Control Panel, select Power options, and then Choose what the power buttons do. |
Choose different battery options for playing videos on battery. | Select Start > Settings > Apps > Video playback. For Battery options, select Optimize for battery life. To help save more battery, select the Play video at a lower resolution when on battery check box. |