Here’s how to take care of your laptop’s battery to make it last longer

Has your laptop ever died on you unexpectedly? Maybe it’s time to replace your battery. You see, laptop batteries deteriorate over time and last for about two to three years—four, if you’re lucky. But there are ways you can properly take care of your laptop battery and extend its life.

It is important to note, though, that the tips we’ll be sharing here apply to lithium-ion batteries, which are commonly used in mobile devices today. Lithium-ion batteries are more durable and lighter than their predecessors. And unlike some battery types, they don’t need to be completely discharged before recharging them. 

Here’s how you can take care of your laptop’s battery and make it last longer.

Keep it cool

Too much heat can damage your laptop’s battery and speed up its deterioration. Note that the temperature inside the laptop is certainly hotter than the air outside. So whenever you do any power-intensive work on your laptop, always keep the temperature in check and keep it ventilated. It is also best to store your laptop away from high temperatures, sunlight, or heating vents to keep it cool even when you’re not using it.

Don’t let your battery level drop to 0%

Battery charge cycles lower battery capacity over time. Charge cycles pertain to the number of times a battery is discharged to 0% and then recharged to 100%. Each charge cycle inevitably decreases the battery’s capacity, and a full recharge from 0% to 100% causes undue stress to the battery. That means, the more you drain your battery’s power, the shorter it’ll last.

It is then advisable to keep the 40/80 rule, which means keeping your battery level between 40% and 80%. While this may be difficult to keep for people who are always on the go or overloaded, it is still a great guideline to follow to prolong your battery’s life.  

Enable battery-conscious settings

Activating the battery-saving mode on your laptop can help keep your battery from completely draining out. This is the easiest way to manage your device’s energy usage and extend its battery life, especially when you’re about to run out of juice and you don’t have a charger handy. Also, enabling adaptive brightness or dark mode can help you prolong battery run time when working in a well-lit environment. 

Update your operating system

When was the last time you updated your OS? Believe it or not, you can extend your battery’s life by simply keeping up with the latest OS updates. This is because those updates from the manufacturer can help programs run more efficiently, thus conserving battery power. So, be sure to get those updates to experience better power management from the latest patches and keep your device healthy in the long run.

Replace your battery when its health gets below 80%

An aging battery can cause several issues, such as your device running for less time than it used to on a full charge or suddenly shutting down. Generally, if your battery’s health falls below 80%, it’s time to get a new battery. On a Dell device, you can check the battery health status in BIOS, SupportAssist, or Dell Power Manager.

Now some batteries are not user-removable, so be sure to contact a professional technician or the Dell Support team if you believe you need to replace your battery.

Did you know?

Dell provides Dell Notebook Battery Warranty Support in the unfortunate occurrence of a battery failure. There’s also Dell Extended Battery Service*, which allows for one battery replacement within three years. And to keep your Dell device in tip-top shape, our highly skilled technicians under our Dell On-Site Service are always ready to do on-site diagnosis, troubleshooting, or repair to address any technical issues with your device.

*Available for selected products only