These days, we’re all pretty reliant on the internet, and our browser is our gateway. That’s why it’s important that our browser runs as smoothly as possible. Microsoft Edge has a feature for that.
Edge’s Efficiency Mode helps you ensure the browser doesn’t slow you down. If you’re someone who juggles tons of open tabs, this mode can really lighten the load on your system and even save battery power.
What exactly is efficiency mode in Microsoft Edge?
Efficiency mode works by limiting how much CPU and RAM the browser uses. This frees up resources for other apps and reduces battery drain. It’s designed specifically to extend battery life by minimizing power consumption, putting inactive tabs to sleep after 5 minutes or less, regardless of your regular ‘Sleeping tabs’ settings.
Even if you usually have inactive tabs set to sleep after 2 hours, with Efficiency Mode on, they’ll doze off in 5 minutes or less. It’s a lifesaver when you’re running low on battery or if your device struggles with many open tabs.
While it’s particularly useful for laptops to save battery, you can use it on desktops too. Since it reduces CPU and RAM usage, it allows your resources to focus on other apps you have running.
Method 1: Quickly Toggle Efficiency Mode from the Toolbar
If you prefer to enable efficiency mode on your terms, you can add a toggle to the toolbar for quick access.
First, click the ‘ellipsis’ (three dots) icon, then select ‘Settings’.
Next, in the Settings menu, click ‘Appearance’ on the left sidebar.
Then, in the main window, find ‘Performance button’ and switch the toggle to the ‘On’ position.
Now, you’ll see a ‘Performance button’ on your toolbar. Click it to toggle Efficiency mode on or off whenever you need it.
Method 2: Turn on Efficiency Mode Automatically
The default setting for Efficiency Mode is to activate when your system’s Battery Saver is on. But you can easily customize this. Here’s how:
Open Microsoft Edge and click the ‘ellipsis’ icon (three horizontal dots), then choose ‘Settings.’
Next, in the settings, select ‘System and performance’ from the left sidebar.
Then, click the dropdown menu next to ‘Turn on efficiency mode when’, and choose your desired trigger. You can choose to turn it on when your device is ‘Unplugged and has low battery,’ or just when it has a ‘low battery.’ Alternatively, select ‘Always’ to keep it enabled until manually disabled, or ‘Never’ to disable the feature entirely.
If you choose an automatic trigger, the mode will turn off when those conditions are no longer met. For example, if you chose ‘low battery’ and you plug in your device, it’ll return to normal mode.