Disable – AI Bloatware to Save Battery Life on Windows 12
Hey everyone! Welcome back to Technical Kachhua. So, we are officially in 2026, and Windows 12 is finally on most of our laptops. It looks beautiful, right? But there is a big problem that nobody told you about—Battery Life. You buy a new laptop promising 15 hours of battery, but in reality, it barely lasts 6 hours. Why? Because Windows 12 is full of “AI Bloatware.” From Windows Recall taking snapshots every second to Copilot constantly listening in the background, your CPU and NPU are working 24/7. This is great for features, but it’s a nightmare for your battery.
I have been testing Windows 12 for a few months now, and I found that by disabling some “AI junk,” you can actually get 2-3 hours of extra battery life. Today, I will show you how to do it safely.
What is AI Bloatware exactly?
In Windows 12, Microsoft has added many AI features that run even when you don’t use them.
Recall: It records everything you do.
Studio Effects: AI camera and mic cleaning.
Live Captions: Real-time AI translation.
Copilot+ Services: Background AI indexing.
While these are “smart,” they eat power. If you are traveling or working in a cafe without a charger, you need to turn these OFF!
Step 1: Kill the Recall Snapshots
Recall is the biggest battery eater. It takes a screenshot every few seconds and uses the NPU to analyze it. Even if you aren’t searching for anything, it’s working.
How to stop it:
Go to Settings > Privacy & security.
Click on Recall & snapshots.
Toggle the “Save snapshots” switch to Off.
If you want to be extra safe, click on “Delete all snapshots” to free up some space too.
Step 2: Disable Copilot from Taskbar
Copilot is always “ready” to help you. But that readiness requires background processes.
Right-click on your Taskbar and select Taskbar settings.
Find Copilot (preview) and turn the switch to Off.
This won’t uninstall it, but it will stop it from pre-loading every time you start your PC.
Step 3: Turn Off AI Studio Effects
Do you use your webcam all day? If not, why is the AI “Eye Contact” and “Background Blur” service running?
Go to Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Cameras.
Select your main camera.
Look for Windows Studio Effects.
Turn off Automatic Framing and Eye Contact. These two use a lot of NPU power which drains battery fast.
Step 4: Stop AI Search Indexing
Windows 12 uses AI to understand your files. It doesn’t just look for names; it looks for “meaning.” This is called Semantic Search. It’s cool, but it keeps your SSD and CPU busy.
Open Settings > Privacy & security > Searching Windows.
Find “Enhanced indexing” and switch back to “Classic”.
You can also disable “Find my files using AI” if you see that option in your build.
Step 5: Use the New "Energy Saver" Mode
Windows 12 has a new “Energy Saver” that is smarter than the old “Battery Saver.”
Go to Settings > System > Power & battery.
Turn on Energy saver.
Click on it to expand settings and make sure “Limit background AI processing” is checked. This is a life saver!
Pro Tip: The "Human" Way to Handle Updates
One thing I noticed is that every time Windows 12 gets a big update, it “helpfully” turns all these AI features back ON. Microsoft really wants you to use them! So, after every update, make sure to spend 2 minutes checking these settings again. I know it’s a bit annoying, but it’s the only way to keep your battery healthy.
Conclusion
Windows 12 is a powerful OS, but it’s very “hungry” for power. You don’t have to keep everything on all the time. By disabling this AI bloatware, you aren’t making your PC “dumb”—you are making it efficient.
If you followed these steps, tell me in the comments: How much battery life did you gain? For me, it was almost 3 hours extra on my Dell XPS!
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