How to Use Efficiency Mode in Microsoft Edge?

Microsoft Edge is based out of the source Chromium code from Google. However, Microsoft revamped their browser in recent days to add plenty of additional features which are not available in Google. High use of CPU and RAM is one of the big problems for those used to work with multiple open tabs in Edge. To resolve this problem Edge has a new efficiency mode and, in this article, we will explain how to use efficiency mode in Microsoft Edge. Note that Edge also offers few other special modes like Kids mode which you can use for managing kids while using the browser.

Efficiency Mode in Microsoft Edge

Efficiency mode functionality comes into play in Microsoft Edge when you want to boost the browser’s performance and the device in use. It can help to improve the followings:

• It plays a role that ensures battery life extension.
• Resource usage reduction.
• Power usage minimization. 

Edge does this through modifying activities of tabs not currently in use and putting to sleep in less or at most five minutes inactive ones in the background.

Enable Microsoft Edge Efficiency Mode through its Settings

It’s easy to enable efficiency mode in Edge from the settings page.

• Open Microsoft Edge app and click on the three-dots icon at the top right representing the “Settings and more” menu.
• Click “Settings” option from the list of items to go to Edge’s settings page.
• Click the “System and Performance” sidebar menu afterwards.

• Under the “Optimize Performance” title, you would see the “Turn on efficiency mode when” and its associated dropdown.
• Click on the dropdown menu to choose the “Always” out of the remaining ones like ‘Unplugged, low battery’, ‘Unplugged’ and ‘Never’ as it supersedes and puts the efficiency mode to full use.

Now that you have enabled efficiency mode in Edge, you can also make use of other features in “Performance Optimization” section. For example, you can enable “Save resources with sleeping tabs” and “Fade sleeping tabs” to save system resource consumption. When you enable “Always” option for efficiency mode, Edge will automatically put the inactive tabs into sleep after 5 minutes of inactivity. You should disable efficiency mode by selecting “Never” option to change this option anything other than 5 minutes.

Enable Efficiency Mode Icon in Edge Toolbar

If you want to quickly toggle the efficiency mode frequently, then the best option is to add the shortcut icon in the toolbar.

• When you are in Edge settings page, click the “Appearance” menu from the sidebar.
• Move down the page to locate “Select which buttons to show on the toolbar:” section and turn on the “Performance button” option.
• This will activate the efficiency mode icon on the Microsoft Edge toolbar which will appears as a pulsating heart icon.
• You can anytime click on the icon and toggle the efficiency mode to one of the options from the dropdown.

Using Efficiency Mode in Edge Mac Version

Edge Mac version exactly has the similar efficiency mode features like Windows version. You can enable it from the settings page and add the icon in toolbar from “Appearance” section.

Final Note

If this feature isn’t yet available or visible on your browser, you have to try updating your Microsoft Edge. Launch the App, click the three-dotted toolbar, then the “Settings” option, and click the “About Microsoft Edge” sidebar menu to follow suit in updating to the latest version before relaunching it.

Also, if using this feature and finding it disruptive in your workflows, reverse the activating process as shown to deactivate, and you can re-enable it some other time. Perhaps you can consider changing the performance action plan from “Always” to other ones that meet your need.