Browsers and Mail Turn On or Off Efficiency mode in Microsoft Edge


  • Staff
Microsoft_Edge_banner.png

This tutorial will show you how to turn on or off Efficiency mode in Microsoft Edge for your account or all users in Windows 10 and Windows 11.

The Microsoft Edge web browser is based on Chromium and was released on January 15, 2020. It is compatible with all supported versions of Windows, and macOS. With speed, performance, best in class compatibility for websites and extensions, and built-in privacy and security features, it's the only browser you'll ever need.

Efficiency mode is designed to help extend battery life. It minimizes power usage by reducing resource usage (CPU usage) through modifying certain tab activity on tabs you’re not interacting with and putting inactive background tabs to sleep after 5 minutes or less. Benefits may vary depending on your device, applications, and individual browser habits.

Efficiency mode will become active when your device is unplugged and will remain active until your device is connected to power or your laptop runs out of battery.

Although efficiency mode has advantages for battery-powered devices, it can also benefit desktop computers. Efficiency mode minimizes browser resource usage so the operating system can focus its resources on other running apps. However, if you enable efficiency mode, you may experience some visible slowdowns when you browse.

How it works
  • Puts background tabs to sleep after 5 minutes of inactivity, if sleeping tabs is on
  • May cause videos to be less smooth, animations to slow down when you're not interacting with the browser
You can select to use Balanced Savings or Maximum Savings for efficiency mode:
  • Balanced Savings is the option that we recommend. It helps extend your battery life by saving computer resources. When your device is unplugged, moderate steps are taken to save your battery. You should experience no or minor slowdowns when you browse. When your device reaches low battery and enters battery saver mode, additional steps are taken to save your battery. With these additional steps, you may experience some visible slowdowns when you browse. For example, it may cause videos to be less smooth. To indicate that these additional steps are being taken, a filled heart pulse icon will appear in your browser’s toolbar.
  • Maximum Savings is a good option when you can’t be connected to power for an extended period and need to conserve more battery life. With this setting, a filled heart pulse icon will appear on the Edge toolbar for the entire time that you are unplugged, additional steps are taken to save your battery. The changes being made to your browser will be the same as when additional steps are taken in Balanced Savings while on low battery. You may experience some visible slowdowns when you browse.
Reference:


Contents

  • Option One: Turn On or Off Efficiency mode in Microsoft Edge for Current User from Performance icon on Toolbar
  • Option Two: Turn On or Off Efficiency mode in Microsoft Edge for Current User from Settings
  • Option Three: Enable or Disable Efficiency mode in Microsoft Edge for All Users




Option One

Turn On or Off Efficiency mode in Microsoft Edge from Performance icon on Toolbar


1 Open Microsoft Edge.

2 Perform one of the following available actions: (see screenshot below)
  • Click/tap on the Performance (filled heart pulse) icon on the toolbar.
  • Click/tap on the Settings and more (3 dots) button, and click/tap on Performance.
Microsoft_Edge_efficiency_mode-1.png

3 Turn On (default) or Off Efficiency mode for what you want in the Performance menu. (see screenshot below)

Microsoft_Edge_efficiency_mode-2.png




Option Two

Turn On or Off Efficiency mode in Microsoft Edge from Settings


1 Open Microsoft Edge.

2 Click/tap on the Settings and more (3 dots) button, and click/tap on Settings. (see screenshots below)

Microsoft_Edge_efficiency_mode-3.png

3 Do step 4 (on) or step 5 (off) below for what you want.

4 Turn On Efficiency mode in Microsoft Edge

This is the default setting.


A) Click/tap on System and performance in the left pane. (see screenshot below)​

B) Turn on Efficiency mode.​

C) Select Balanced Savings (default) or Maximum Savings for what you want.​

D) Turn On or Off (default) Turn on efficiency mode when connected to power for what you want.​

Microsoft_Edge_efficiency_mode-5.png

5 Turn Off Efficiency mode in Microsoft Edge

A) Click/tap on System and performance in the left pane. (see screenshot below)​

B) Turn off Efficiency mode.​

Microsoft_Edge_efficiency_mode-4.png




Option Three

Enable or Disable Efficiency mode in Microsoft Edge for All Users


You must be signed in as an administrator to use this option.

This option uses the EfficiencyModeEnabled policy for Microsoft Edge.


1 Do step 2 (enable), step 3 (disable), or step 4 (default) below for what you want.

2 Enable Efficiency mode in Microsoft Edge for All Users

This will override and gray out Option One and Option Two.


A) Click/tap on the Download button below to download the REG file below, and go to step 5 below.​

Enable_effiency_mode_in_Microsoft_Edge_for_all_users.reg


(Contents of REG file for reference)
Code:
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Edge]
"EfficiencyModeEnabled"=dword:00000001

3 Disable Efficiency mode in Microsoft Edge for All Users

This will override and gray out Option One and Option Two.


A) Click/tap on the Download button below to download the REG file below, and go to step 5 below.​

Disable_effiency_mode_in_Microsoft_Edge_for_all_users.reg


(Contents of REG file for reference)
Code:
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Edge]
"EfficiencyModeEnabled"=dword:00000000

4 Default User Choice to Turn On or Off Efficiency mode in Microsoft Edge

This is the default setting to allow using Option One and Option Two.


A) Click/tap on the Download button below to download the REG file below, and go to step 5 below.​

Default_user_choice_effiency_mode_in_Microsoft_Edge.reg


(Contents of REG file for reference)
Code:
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Edge]
"EfficiencyModeEnabled"=-

5 Save the .reg file to your desktop.

6 Double click/tap on the downloaded .reg file to merge it.

7 When prompted, click/tap on Run, Yes (UAC), Yes, and OK to approve the merge.

8 You can now delete the downloaded .reg file if you like.


That's it,
Shawn Brink


 

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Last edited:
Never_turn_on_effiency_mode_in_Microsoft_Edge
"EfficiencyMode"=dword:00000002

Always_turn_on_effiency_mode_in_Microsoft_Edge
"EfficiencyMode"=dword:00000001

can there be a mistake on this values? according to my test
0 sets it to Always
1 sets to Never
2 sets to Unplugged
3 sets to Unplugged, low battery
interestingly, 4 also sets it to Never .... :) tested on Edge 103.0.1264.44
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11
can there be a mistake on this values? according to my test
0 sets it to Always
1 sets to Never
2 sets to Unplugged
3 sets to Unplugged, low battery
interestingly, 4 also sets it to Never .... :) tested on Edge 103.0.1264.44
Thank you. Not sure how they got mixed up like that, but now corrected. :unsure:
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro for Workstations
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Custom self build
    CPU
    Intel i7-8700K 5 GHz
    Motherboard
    ASUS ROG Maximus XI Formula Z390
    Memory
    64 GB (4x16GB) G.SKILL TridentZ RGB DDR4 3600 MHz (F4-3600C18D-32GTZR)
    Graphics Card(s)
    ASUS ROG-STRIX-GTX1080TI-O11G-GAMING (11GB GDDR5X)
    Sound Card
    Integrated Digital Audio (S/PDIF)
    Monitor(s) Displays
    2 x Samsung Odyssey G75 27"
    Screen Resolution
    2560x1440
    Hard Drives
    1TB Samsung 990 PRO M.2,
    4TB Samsung 990 PRO M.2,
    8TB WD MyCloudEX2Ultra NAS
    PSU
    Seasonic Prime Titanium 850W
    Case
    Thermaltake Core P3 wall mounted
    Cooling
    Corsair Hydro H115i
    Keyboard
    Logitech wireless K800
    Mouse
    Logitech MX Master 3
    Internet Speed
    1 Gbps Download and 35 Mbps Upload
    Browser
    Google Chrome
    Antivirus
    Microsoft Defender and Malwarebytes Premium
    Other Info
    Logitech Z625 speaker system,
    Logitech BRIO 4K Pro webcam,
    HP Color LaserJet Pro MFP M477fdn,
    APC SMART-UPS RT 1000 XL - SURT1000XLI,
    Galaxy S23 Plus phone
  • Operating System
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    HP Spectre x360 2in1 14-eu0098nr (2024)
    CPU
    Intel Core Ultra 7 155H 4.8 GHz
    Memory
    16 GB LPDDR5x-7467 MHz
    Graphics card(s)
    Integrated Intel Arc
    Sound Card
    Poly Studio
    Monitor(s) Displays
    14" 2.8K OLED multitouch
    Screen Resolution
    2880 x 1800
    Hard Drives
    2 TB PCIe NVMe M.2 SSD
    Internet Speed
    Intel Wi-Fi 7 BE200 (2x2) and Bluetooth 5.4
    Browser
    Chrome and Edge
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender and Malwarebytes Premium
apparently this stuff got updated

Policy options mapping:
  • AlwaysActive (0) = Efficiency mode is always active
  • NeverActive (1) = Efficiency mode is never active
  • ActiveWhenUnplugged (2) = Efficiency mode is active when the device is unplugged
  • ActiveWhenUnpluggedBatteryLow (3) = Efficiency mode is active when the device is unplugged and the battery is low
  • BalancedSavings (4) = When the device is unplugged, efficiency mode takes moderate steps to save battery. When the device is unplugged and the battery is low, efficiency mode takes additional steps to save battery.
  • MaximumSavings (5) = When the device is unplugged or unplugged and the battery is low, efficiency mode takes additional steps to save battery.
and addressing my previous comment
interestingly, 4 also sets it to Never .... :) tested on Edge 103.0.1264.44
it no longer does that :)

Source: Microsoft Edge Browser Policy Documentation
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11

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  • capture_05272023_153952.jpg
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    196.5 KB · Views: 52

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11 Home
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    CPU
    AMD Ryzen 5 3600 & No fTPM (07/19)
    Motherboard
    MSI B450 TOMAHAWK 7C02v1E & IFX TPM (07/19)
    Memory
    4x 8GB ADATA XPG GAMMIX D10 DDR4 3200MHz CL16
    Graphics Card(s)
    MSI Radeon RX 580 ARMOR 8G OC @48FPS (08/19)
    Sound Card
    Creative Sound Blaster Z (11/16)
    Monitor(s) Displays
    24" AOC G2460VQ6 (01/19)
    Screen Resolution
    1920×1080@75Hz & FreeSync (DisplayPort)
    Hard Drives
    ADATA XPG GAMMIX S11 Pro SSD 512GB (07/19)
    PSU
    Seasonic M12II-520 80 Plus Bronze (11/16)
    Case
    Lian Li PC-7NB & 3x Noctua NF-S12A FLX@700rpm (11/16)
    Cooling
    CPU Cooler Noctua NH-U12S@700rpm (07/19)
    Keyboard
    HP Wired Desktop 320K + Rabalux 76017 Parker (01/24)
    Mouse
    Logitech M330 Silent Plus (04/23)
    Internet Speed
    400/40 Mbps via RouterOS (05/21) & TCP Optimizer
    Browser
    Edge (No FB/Google) & Brave for YouTube & LibreWolf for FB
    Antivirus
    NoAV & Binisoft WFC & NextDNS
    Other Info
    Headphones: Sennheiser RS170 (09/10)
    Phone: Samsung Galaxy Xcover 7 (02/24)

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro for Workstations
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Custom self build
    CPU
    Intel i7-8700K 5 GHz
    Motherboard
    ASUS ROG Maximus XI Formula Z390
    Memory
    64 GB (4x16GB) G.SKILL TridentZ RGB DDR4 3600 MHz (F4-3600C18D-32GTZR)
    Graphics Card(s)
    ASUS ROG-STRIX-GTX1080TI-O11G-GAMING (11GB GDDR5X)
    Sound Card
    Integrated Digital Audio (S/PDIF)
    Monitor(s) Displays
    2 x Samsung Odyssey G75 27"
    Screen Resolution
    2560x1440
    Hard Drives
    1TB Samsung 990 PRO M.2,
    4TB Samsung 990 PRO M.2,
    8TB WD MyCloudEX2Ultra NAS
    PSU
    Seasonic Prime Titanium 850W
    Case
    Thermaltake Core P3 wall mounted
    Cooling
    Corsair Hydro H115i
    Keyboard
    Logitech wireless K800
    Mouse
    Logitech MX Master 3
    Internet Speed
    1 Gbps Download and 35 Mbps Upload
    Browser
    Google Chrome
    Antivirus
    Microsoft Defender and Malwarebytes Premium
    Other Info
    Logitech Z625 speaker system,
    Logitech BRIO 4K Pro webcam,
    HP Color LaserJet Pro MFP M477fdn,
    APC SMART-UPS RT 1000 XL - SURT1000XLI,
    Galaxy S23 Plus phone
  • Operating System
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    HP Spectre x360 2in1 14-eu0098nr (2024)
    CPU
    Intel Core Ultra 7 155H 4.8 GHz
    Memory
    16 GB LPDDR5x-7467 MHz
    Graphics card(s)
    Integrated Intel Arc
    Sound Card
    Poly Studio
    Monitor(s) Displays
    14" 2.8K OLED multitouch
    Screen Resolution
    2880 x 1800
    Hard Drives
    2 TB PCIe NVMe M.2 SSD
    Internet Speed
    Intel Wi-Fi 7 BE200 (2x2) and Bluetooth 5.4
    Browser
    Chrome and Edge
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender and Malwarebytes Premium

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