15 Jun How to Turn Off Efficiency Mode Windows 11: Methods, Settings, and Troubleshooting Tips

Windows 11 includes Efficiency Mode to reduce CPU priority and improve power efficiency for selected processes. It can help laptops last longer and keep background apps from consuming too many resources, but it can also make demanding applications feel slow, unresponsive, or inconsistent. If a program you rely on is being throttled, turning off Efficiency Mode can restore performance and make troubleshooting easier.

TLDR: You can turn off Efficiency Mode in Windows 11 from Task Manager by right-clicking the affected process and clearing Efficiency mode. Some apps, especially browsers like Microsoft Edge, also have their own efficiency or sleeping tab settings that must be disabled separately. If the option is greyed out or keeps returning, check app-specific settings, restart the process, update Windows, and confirm you are not trying to change protected system processes.

What Efficiency Mode Does in Windows 11

Efficiency Mode is a Windows 11 feature designed to make background processes less demanding. When enabled, Windows may lower the process priority and apply power-saving behavior so the process uses fewer system resources. In Task Manager, affected processes often display a green leaf icon, which indicates that Windows is treating them as efficiency-focused tasks.

This is useful for applications that do not need maximum CPU performance at all times. For example, a background updater, a browser tab that is not active, or a utility running minimized may not need full system priority. However, Efficiency Mode can be undesirable for apps such as video editors, games, development tools, virtual machines, recording software, data analysis programs, and other performance-sensitive workloads.

Important: Efficiency Mode is not the same as Battery Saver, Power Mode, or Sleep. Those are broader Windows power features. Efficiency Mode is usually applied at the process level, although some applications manage similar behavior internally.

Method 1: Turn Off Efficiency Mode in Task Manager

The most direct way to disable Efficiency Mode is through Task Manager. This method works when Windows allows the specific process to be changed manually.

1. Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager.
2. If Task Manager opens in a simplified view, click More details.
3. Go to the Processes tab.
4. Find the app or background process showing the green leaf icon.
5. Click the small arrow next to the app name if it contains multiple child processes.
6. Right-click the specific process using Efficiency Mode.
7. Select Efficiency mode to remove the check mark.
8. Confirm the prompt if Windows asks whether you want to disable it.

After you disable it, the green leaf icon should disappear for that process. If the app has several child processes, you may need to repeat the steps for each one. This is common with browsers, communication apps, and software that uses multiple background services.

If you do not see the Efficiency Mode option, or if it is unavailable, the process may be protected, managed by the application itself, or controlled by Windows. In that case, continue with the additional methods below.

Method 2: Disable Efficiency Features in Microsoft Edge

Microsoft Edge uses its own performance and power-saving features, including Efficiency mode and Sleeping tabs. Even if you disable Efficiency Mode in Task Manager, Edge may reapply similar behavior automatically unless you change its internal settings.

1. Open Microsoft Edge.
2. Click the three-dot menu in the upper-right corner.
3. Select Settings.
4. Choose System and performance from the left menu.
5. Find Optimize Performance.
6. Turn off Efficiency mode, if shown.
7. Review Sleeping tabs and disable it if you do not want inactive tabs to be suspended.

Edge may also enable efficiency behavior when your laptop is unplugged or when the battery is low. If you want consistent performance, review any option that says it saves resources, extends battery life, or puts tabs to sleep.

Method 3: Check Google Chrome and Other Browsers

Google Chrome, Brave, Opera, and other Chromium-based browsers have performance settings that can behave similarly to Windows Efficiency Mode. Chrome, for example, includes Memory Saver and Energy Saver. These features do not always appear as “Efficiency Mode” inside Windows, but they can still reduce responsiveness or pause background activity.

In Google Chrome:

1. Open Chrome.
2. Click the three-dot menu.
3. Go to Settings.
4. Select Performance.
5. Turn off Memory Saver or Energy Saver if they interfere with your work.

This is especially important if you use browser-based tools for meetings, dashboards, trading platforms, cloud applications, or media playback. Browser energy-saving features can reduce background tab activity, delay notifications, or suspend pages you expect to remain active.

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Method 4: Adjust Windows Power Mode

Windows power settings do not directly disable Efficiency Mode for every process, but they can influence how aggressively Windows saves power. If your computer is set to prioritize battery life, you may see more power-saving behavior across the system.

1. Open Settings by pressing Windows + I.
2. Go to System.
3. Select Power & battery.
4. Under Power mode, choose Best performance if you want maximum responsiveness.
5. If you are using a laptop, check whether Battery saver is enabled and turn it off if appropriate.

Choosing Best performance can increase power use and fan noise, especially on laptops. For desktop systems, this is usually less of a concern. For laptops, consider using Best performance only when plugged in or when running demanding applications.

Method 5: Restart the Application After Changing Settings

Some applications do not immediately respond when you disable Efficiency Mode. If the green leaf icon remains or performance does not improve, close the app fully and reopen it. For browsers and collaboration tools, make sure all background processes are closed as well.

You can do this from Task Manager:

1. Open Task Manager.
2. Right-click the application.
3. Select End task.
4. Wait a few seconds.
5. Open the application again.

Be careful when ending tasks. Unsaved work may be lost if you force-close an application. Save open documents, project files, browser forms, or recordings before ending any process.

Why Efficiency Mode Keeps Turning Back On

If Efficiency Mode returns after you disable it, the cause is usually one of the following:

• The app controls it: Browsers and modern apps may re-enable power-saving features automatically.
• Windows is managing background tasks: Some system-managed processes are optimized automatically.
• The device is in Battery Saver: Low battery settings can encourage more aggressive resource saving.
• The process restarts: When an app updates, crashes, or relaunches, its processes may return to default behavior.
• Enterprise policy applies: Work or school devices may be managed by IT policies that restrict performance settings.

There is no reliable universal switch in Windows 11 that disables Efficiency Mode for every process permanently. The practical approach is to identify the affected application, disable Efficiency Mode manually, then change any related app-level and Windows power settings.

What to Do If the Efficiency Mode Option Is Greyed Out

A greyed-out Efficiency Mode option usually means Windows does not allow you to change that process. This can happen with system services, protected processes, security software, or processes running with different privileges.

Try the following troubleshooting steps:

• Run Task Manager as administrator: Open Start, type Task Manager, right-click it, and select Run as administrator.
• Expand the process group: Some apps show multiple child processes. You may need to right-click the individual child process rather than the main app group.
• Update Windows: Go to Settings > Windows Update and install available updates.
• Update the application: The app may have a newer performance setting or a fix for unwanted throttling.
• Avoid changing system processes: Windows may protect essential services to maintain stability and security.

If this is a company-owned device, contact your administrator before making performance changes. Managed devices may use policies that override local settings.

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When You Should Leave Efficiency Mode On

Although disabling Efficiency Mode can improve responsiveness, it is not always the best choice. Leaving it enabled may be beneficial for everyday tasks, especially on laptops, tablets, and compact PCs with limited cooling.

Consider leaving Efficiency Mode on for:

• Background update services
• Inactive browser tabs
• Cloud sync utilities that are not urgent
• Messaging apps running in the background
• Low-priority helper processes

Efficiency Mode can help reduce heat, extend battery life, and keep the system quieter. If you disable it for every possible process, your computer may consume more power and run hotter without a meaningful performance improvement.

When You Should Turn Efficiency Mode Off

Turning it off is reasonable when you can clearly connect it to a performance issue. For example, if a video editing program stutters, a game loses frames, or a data-processing tool takes much longer than expected while showing the green leaf icon, disabling Efficiency Mode is a sensible test.

You may also want to turn it off for:

• Creative software used for rendering, encoding, or audio production
• Development tools such as compilers, emulators, and local servers
• Virtual machines that need stable CPU access
• Streaming and recording software where delays or dropped frames matter
• Business-critical apps that must remain responsive in the background

Additional Troubleshooting Tips

If turning off Efficiency Mode does not solve the issue, investigate other performance factors. A slow app may be affected by insufficient memory, disk activity, outdated graphics drivers, thermal throttling, or network delays.

• Check the Performance tab in Task Manager for high CPU, memory, disk, or GPU usage.
• Restart the computer to clear stuck background processes.
• Install updated chipset, graphics, and storage drivers from trusted sources.
• Scan for malware if unknown processes are consuming resources.
• Make sure the device is adequately cooled and vents are not blocked.

For recurring problems, document which app is affected, whether it shows the green leaf icon, what power mode Windows is using, and whether the issue happens on battery or while plugged in. This information is useful if you need to contact the software vendor or your IT support team.

Conclusion

To turn off Efficiency Mode in Windows 11, start with Task Manager: right-click the affected process and uncheck Efficiency mode. If the behavior returns, review browser performance settings, Windows power mode, Battery Saver, and application-specific options. Efficiency Mode is useful, but it should not interfere with workloads that require consistent performance. A careful, targeted approach gives you the best balance between speed, stability, and power efficiency.