How to Turn On or Off HDR on Battery in Windows 11

What is HDR?

HDR, or High Dynamic Range, offers brighter colors and more detail than standard displays. It enhances images by providing vivid colors and sharper details across the full spectrum of light and dark areas, so nothing gets lost visually.

HDR shows a much wider range of colors and light. You can see details in both the bright and dark parts of an image. Colors look more vivid and real. Bright parts are brighter and dark parts are darker, without losing any details.

HDR and Battery Life

Using HDR on battery power uses more energy, which is why Windows 11 often turns it off automatically when your laptop isn’t plugged in to help save battery life. When you plug your laptop back in, Windows 11 will automatically turn HDR back on so you can enjoy a better picture. This setting helps balance picture quality with how long your battery lasts.

High Dynamic Range (HDR) video output in Windows 11 automatically turns off when a laptop disconnects from its power source. When the laptop reconnects to power, HDR video output automatically resumes.

Reference

HDR settings in Windows – Microsoft Support

Learn how to control HDR settings in Windows, turn on HDR, and fix common HDR display problems.

Option 1Use Settings

Turn On or Off HDR on Battery in Settings

1. Open Settings by pressing Win+I.
2. Click System on the left side, then click Display on the right side.
   

   You can control HDR on battery in Windows 11 through the Settings app to balance picture quality and battery life. To start, open Settings by pressing the Windows key and the 'I' key together. Then, click on System on the left side and select Display on the right side to find the HDR settings.

3. Click HDR or Use HDR on the right side.
4. Under Battery options, choose one of these:
   

   
   
   • Select Optimize for image quality from the drop-down menu.
   
   
   • Select Optimize for battery life (default) from the drop-down menu. Then check or uncheck Allow HDR games, videos, and apps on battery.

   
   

   ⚠️Warning

   If you uncheck Allow HDR games, videos, and apps on battery, the HDR toggle will turn off and become gray when on battery.

   
   

   Starting with Windows 11 build 25346 in the Canary Channel, build 26200.5581 (Dev) and build 26120.3950 (Beta 24H2), it is now easier to set up HDR when running on battery.
5. You can now close Settings.

Option 2Use Registry

Turn On Disable HDR on Battery

You'll need administrator privileges for this step.

reg add "HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\VideoSettings" /v DisableHDROnBattery /t REG_DWORD /d 1 /f

Turn Off Disable HDR on Battery

You'll need administrator privileges for this step. To disable HDR on battery, follow these registry edits. This is the default setting.

This is the default setting.

reg add "HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\VideoSettings" /v DisableHDROnBattery /t REG_DWORD /d 0 /f

Summary

Windows 11 lets you choose if HDR stays on or turns off when your laptop is on battery power, helping you manage battery life and picture quality.