Windows 11"s built-in battery saver will soon be able to squeeze a few more minutes of work for your device when running out of juice. The latest Windows 11 Canary build 26002 introduces energy-saving improvements to extend battery life by "trading off some system performance." A low battery situation is not a good scenario for benchmarking or pushing those FPS, so Microsoft is willing to sacrifice and throttle some performance in favor of standby time.
Another important change in Windows 11 build 26002 is that energy saver is now available when plugged in and on desktop computers that do not rely on batteries. Although it is optimized to stretch the battery life as far as possible, Microsoft says the updated energy saver will help you conserve energy a little more:
While optimized to extend battery life, energy saver will be available when PCs are plugged in (this includes desktop PCs) for those aiming to conserve energy all the time.
You can turn on energy saver in Windows 11 by pressing Win + A and clicking the "Energy saver" button. Alternatively, head to Settings > System > Power and toggle on the "Always use energy saver" option. Tablet and laptop users can also specify at what battery level the operating system should automatically turn on battery saver.
Microsoft does not say what battery performance users can expect. The exact improvement will depend on your device configuration, workflow, environment, and other variables. We are conducting a small experiment to see how the updated battery saver compares to the one we have in the stable Windows 11 23H2, and we will soon share the results.
Other changes introduced in the update include a Wi-Fi refresh button (finally!), performance improvements for Quick Settings (double-finally!), fixes for some known issues, and more. You can learn more about build 26002 in our dedicated coverage.