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How to save battery automatically when the laptop is unplugged

Use KeyRoutines' Plugged in or unplugged trigger set to either, and an If with Plugged in or on battery. On battery, Set power mode picks best power efficiency, Set brightness dims the screen and Wi-Fi or Bluetooth on/off turns Bluetooth off; on the charger, they switch back.

Steps

  1. 1

    Watch the charger

    Add Plugged in or unplugged with On set to either.

  2. 2

    Which way?

    Add an If with Plugged in or on battery set to on battery.

  3. 3

    On battery

    Add Set power mode with best power efficiency, Set brightness at 50 and Wi-Fi or Bluetooth on/off with Bluetooth off.

  4. 4

    Plugged in

    In the Else branch, set the power mode to best performance, brightness to 90 and Bluetooth back on.

Tips

  • Windows' own Energy Saver also kicks in at a battery level; this routine applies your own settings the moment you unplug.

Questions

Can it lower the refresh rate on battery too?
Yes, with KeyRoutines Pro's Set display mode step.
Is it free?
Yes. All the blocks used here are free.

Blocks this routine uses

Trigger · SystemFree

Plugged in or unplugged

Plugged in or unplugged starts a routine when the charger is connected, removed, or either. It's the trigger for laptops that should behave differently at the desk and on the go.

Condition · SystemFree

Plugged in or on battery

Plugged in or on battery checks whether the PC is running on mains power or on its battery right now. It lets one routine choose between a full-power and a battery-saving setup.

Step · SystemFree

Set power mode

Set power mode changes the Windows 11 power mode you find under Settings, System, Power: best power efficiency, balanced or best performance. Gamers flip it to performance for a session and back afterwards.

Step · DisplayFree

Set brightness

Set brightness changes how bright a screen is, from 0 to 100. It works with laptop and tablet panels and with external monitors that accept brightness commands, so you can dim everything at night or brighten up for daytime work.

Step · DevicesFree

Wi-Fi or Bluetooth on/off

Wi-Fi or Bluetooth on/off switches one of your PC's radios, just like the buttons in Quick Settings. It's handy for focus time, saving battery, or making sure Bluetooth is ready for your headphones.

More how-to guides

Build this routine in KeyRoutines

Free from the Microsoft Store for Windows 11 and 10. Pro is a one-time upgrade.

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