Edge will automatically enable Efficiency Mode when you turn on the battery saver

In a recent update to Edge Canary, Microsoft renamed Performance Mode to Efficiency Mode. Following that change, the company revealed more information on how Efficiency Mode works in Microsoft Edge.

According to Microsoft, Efficiency Mode in the Edge browser will help users extend battery life and reallocate CPU/RAM resources to other tasks on less powerful computers, hence the Efficiency Mode name. The browser achieves the desired result by modifying certain activities on tabs, thus reducing CPU and RAM usage. Also, Edge automatically turns on sleeping tabs with timeout set to 5 minutes.

While we already knew how the former Performance Mode works, what is new is that it will automatically kick in when your laptop or tablet enables battery saver mode. When that happens, you will see a new button on the toolbar with a pulsing heart icon. Clicking that icon will reveal the current status of Efficiency Mode.

Moreover, laptop and tablet users will have an option to customize when the browser enables Efficiency Mode. You can click the pulsing heart icon and select the preferred option from a drop-down menu. Also, you can do the same from edge://settings/system. Microsoft Edge offers three options to choose from: always active, always active when unplugged, and always active when unplugged and low battery.

Microsoft warns users that enabling Efficiency Mode in the Edge browser may affect their browsing experience and cause some video and animation stutters. If you do not like how Efficiency Mode works in Microsoft Edge, you can disable it at any time in Settings > System > Optimize Performance.

Do note that Microsoft is currently rolling out the new Efficiency Mode for Dev and Canary users. Expect wide rollout in August 2021, when Microsoft expects to ship Edge 93 Stable to all users. You can also manually enable Efficiency Mode in Microsoft Edge using our dedicated guide.