Windows 10 comes with three preset power profiles. Switching between them is not complicated but it would certainly be more comfortable if we could change the power plan directly from the system tray in Windows 10.
The three available power profiles are as follows: High performance, which favors your system’s performance although it requires the highest amount of energy; Balanced which is less energy demanding but does lower the system performance to a certain degree; Power saver – this plan sacrifices a great deal of your computer’s performance in order to cut back on energy consumption for a longer-lasting battery.
Each of these plans can be useful depending on the situation. Normally, if you want to switch between power profiles, you need to right-click on the system tray battery icon, select Power Options and then select the power plan from Control Panel’s dedicated menu.
Alternatively, you could do the same from the Windows Mobility Center, but there are still plenty of mouse clicks involved in the process.
How to change the power plan directly from the system tray in Windows 10
Until an update brings a faster way to change the current power plan, a neat little Universal App called PowerPlanSwitcher enables us to change the power plan directly from the system tray in Windows 10.
You can install PowerPlanSwitcher for free from the Microsoft Store. Simply click on the link below to get the app.
Download PowerPlanSwitcher (Microsoft Store)
Launch PowerPlanSwitcher after it finishes installing. It will add a power plug icon in the system tray. To switch between power profiles, click the icon and select the new power plan.
If you right-click on the app’s icon, a context menu will be displayed, from where you can also change the current power plan. On top of that, it gives you access to a Settings menu. From there, you can set PowerPlanSwitcher to automatically switch the power plan when you are on AC or DC.
As you can see, PowerPlanSwitcher makes it possible to change the power plan directly from the system tray in Windows 10, but it can also automatically switch to the power profile of your choice depending on whether your computer is plugged in or on battery.
The app is very straightforward and definitely worth having in your arsenal if you switch between power plans often.
