Wireless devices are on trend these days and they are holding a significant space in the tech world. You can witness wired headphones going out of trend and similarly wired mouse and keyboards. So, it will be better to know all the aspects of such devices to use them more efficiently.
Most laptop users will seek a separate mouse since it can be quite difficult to use the trackpad for all tasks. Whether wired or wireless, devices connected to the laptop drain its battery. A laptop uses a battery backup to power all the hardware within it and devices connected to it will consume power from it.
So, we shall discuss whether a Bluetooth mouse will consume the laptop battery and drain it. If so, how much does it consume? Let us know such things from this article.
Does Bluetooth mouse drain laptop battery?
A Bluetooth mouse connected to the laptop will drain its battery since the Bluetooth card of the laptop will be working to connect both devices. Let us have a look at how Bluetooth mouse works to understand this better.
Working of Bluetooth Mouse
A Bluetooth mouse uses radio frequency to communicate with other devices. It receives and sends data through this RF technology.
This mouse will have a transmitter with which it can send signals to the connected device. Similarly, every laptop will have a Wi-Fi card and a Bluetooth card which will act as the receiver to get signals from the paired devices.
When the devices are paired, they start to communicate with each other. If the mouse is moved, it sends a signal, and the device will display the pointer being moved. Similarly, if a click is made, it will perform the click and you can witness it from the display.
This constant communication is a result of an established connection between the devices, and this is a potential consumer of power. This is how a Bluetooth mouse works. Now we know the working of a mouse, let us understand what happens in the laptop.
As for the laptop, it has a Bluetooth card in-built. They can be turned on or off from the system. When they are turned on, they constantly search for potential connections around the area. When a connection is found, it will show the available devices and you can connect them.
This constant searching will also consume power from the laptop battery and when a contact is made, it works to keep the connection alive. So, battery drain is imminent with a Bluetooth connection whether it is a mouse or keyboard.
As we mentioned earlier, the laptop sends and receives data to the mouse using Bluetooth and this consumes power. But this drain in laptop power is only due to the connection established and the constant receiving of signals from the mouse.
The mouse is powered separately with batteries of its own. The range of connectivity from the mouse is governed by its power source and the technology used.
So, the mouse can be powered on its own but when a connection is established both the mouse and laptop will lose their battery backup to keep the connection alive and transmit the signals.
Therefore, if you are concerned about battery life in your laptop, then you can try to use a wired mouse or a trackpad. But if you are more into portability and wireless usage, then you can go with the Bluetooth mouse.
Also Read: Why does my mouse randomly stop moving?
Power consumption of Bluetooth Mouse
Power consumed by Bluetooth mouse differs according to the Bluetooth technology used and the range it works with. Typically, a mouse used within a 10m range can consume up to 2.5 mW of power. This can vary according to the size, technology, and total operating range of the mouse.
Also, the power consumed during idle conditions is less. When the mouse is actively used, you can see a bit more consumption. But overall, a Bluetooth mouse doesn’t take up more power from the laptop and when you compare it with a wired mouse, it isn’t a significant difference. You can get a total of 20 to 50 seconds of extra battery life with a wired mouse and this difference is negligible.
But if you want to use the Bluetooth mouse more power efficiently, then try to switch off the Bluetooth connectivity in your laptop when you don’t need it. Also, if you reduce the number of devices connected through Bluetooth, you can get more battery life in your laptop.
Try to turn off the mouse when you don’t need it and you can save the battery life of the mouse itself. You don’t have to change the batteries often if you follow this method.
FAQs
How do you connect a Bluetooth Mouse to your laptop?
- Turn on Bluetooth connectivity in your laptop. To do this, go to settings and search for Bluetooth. Toggle the on button and your laptop is ready to receive signals from external devices.
- Now turn on your mouse. Then you must find the pairing button for the mouse. Hold the button for a while and the lights may start to blink differently.
- Go to your laptop and click on Add new devices in the Bluetooth settings. Click on Bluetooth devices and wait for the system to recognize the mouse.
- When you find the mouse’s name on the list of available devices, click on it and it will be immediately paired.
- Once the pairing is done, you don’t have to do it again. Whenever you turn on the laptop and mouse, they will automatically connect and start working.
What is the difference between a wireless mouse and a Bluetooth mouse?
A wireless mouse requires a separate USB receiver dongle which must be connected to the laptop and only then you will be able to communicate with the device. It doesn’t need pairing. Just by connecting the receiver dongle to the laptop, your mouse will start to work.
Whereas a Bluetooth mouse doesn’t need any extra devices. Rather, it uses the Bluetooth card in the laptop and the transmitter from the mouse to communicate and establish a connection.
Conclusion
Wireless technology has improved a lot. You can find a lot of devices that use Bluetooth technology to get connected. The use of Bluetooth mouse has its advantages. But you don’t have to worry about power consumption because it isn’t a lot.
