Efficiency Mode is a feature in Windows 11 that helps reduce process interference and improve energy efficiency. In this article, I will show you how to enable or disable the efficiency mode on Windows 11.
The Task Manager Efficiency mode reduces possible performance problems by conserving resources like your CPU, battery, and bandwidth. It should be activated for any eligible process that is using a significant amount of CPU or battery life on your PC or laptop running Windows 11.
For those of you who don’t know, the efficiency mode was first introduced in Windows 11 version 22H2 and this feature is much improved in the latest Windows 11 24H2 update. Windows 10 users cannot use this feature and must upgrade to Windows 11 to use it.
How to Turn on Efficiency Mode on Windows 11
The procedure to turn on the efficiency mode for a program or process in task manager is as follows:
- Launch the Task Manager by holding the Ctrl + Shift + Esc keys.
- Switch to the processes tab.
- Right-click or select the process you want to change and select Efficiency mode to turn it on.
In the below screenshot, I am enabling the efficiency mode for the Microsoft Outlook application.
A message box appears on the screen with the following notice: Efficiency mode will lower process priority and improve power efficiency but may cause instability for certain processes. Do you want to continue?. Click OK to enable it.
After completing the above steps, notice that the Microsoft Outlook application is enabled with efficiency mode. The status of this app in the task manager now shows a green double leaf icon indicating that this app is running in efficiency mode.
Identify the processes enabled with efficiency mode
You can identify processes that have efficiency mode enabled by looking for a green double-leaf icon next to the process in the status column of the Windows Task Manager.
For instance, in the below screenshot, you can see the Google Chrome app has a green double-leaf icon in the status column. When you hover over this icon, it reads, “This process group is in efficiency mode to limit resources used by the process.“
Note: Browser apps such as Google Chrome, Firefox, and Microsoft Edge have the option to manage the efficiency mode within the browser settings. That’s the reason why you cannot manage the efficiency mode for browsers in the task manager.
Turn off efficiency mode for a process in Task Manager
If a process is causing problems or instability after the efficiency mode has been enabled, you can disable it by following these steps:
Launch the task manager app and switch to the Processes tab. Locate the process and either right-click or select and hold the process in the Name column and select Efficiency mode from the menu.
The efficiency mode for the selected process is disabled. To confirm this, look at the Status column next to the Process and you’ll notice that the double-leaf icon is removed.
Task Manager Efficiency Mode is Greyed Out
If you’re wondering why can’t I put certain tasks on efficiency mode in task manager, then the answer is that not all processes support the efficiency mode. Microsoft excludes some processes from using the efficiency mode as it may cause instability issues.
For instance, the efficiency mode can’t be turned on or off for most process groups, such as the Windows Explorer process group, system process, etc. As a result, you’ll notice that the option is greyed out for some process in the task manager.
Edge Browser Efficiency Mode
The efficiency mode is also available in the Microsoft Edge browser. This mode puts background tabs to sleep after a period of inactivity. You can identify when this mode is on by the filled heart pulse icon in the browser’s toolbar. You can also select the icon to see the current status of the mode in the Performance menu. For more information, refer to the guide on how to turn on or off efficiency mode in Microsoft Edge.
Conclusion
The Task Manager Efficiency Mode in Windows 11 significantly improves the battery life of your device by ensuring certain running processes won’t stress the CPU out, leading to faster foreground responsiveness and better energy efficiency. However, one should exercise caution when enabling the efficiency mode because it may cause program instability.
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