1. Prerequisites
Before you start:
- Platform: Windows 10/11 devices enrolled in Intune (MDM-managed).
- Browser: Microsoft Edge (Chromium) up to date.
- Permissions: Intune role with rights to create and assign configuration profiles.
- Targeting: Entra ID groups for:
- Standard users (laptops/desktops)
- Frontline/kiosk devices
- Special cases (contact center, real-time apps)
Key Edge policies:
EfficiencyModeEnabledEfficiencyModeEfficiencyModeOnPowerEnabled
These are exposed in Intune via Settings Catalog and Administrative Templates.
2. Configure Efficiency Mode via Settings Catalog (Recommended)
2.1 Create the profile
- Go to Intune Admin Center:
https://intune.microsoft.com. - Navigate to Devices > Windows > Configuration profiles.
- Select + Create > New policy.
- Platform: Windows 10 and later.
Profile type: Settings catalog. - Click Create.
- Name the profile, e.g.
Edge – Efficiency Mode (Settings Catalog)
Optionally add a description and click Next.
2.2 Add Microsoft Edge Efficiency settings
- On Configuration settings, click + Add settings.
- In Settings picker, search for Microsoft Edge.
- Expand Microsoft Edge > Performance.
- Select these settings:
- Efficiency mode enabled
- Configure when efficiency mode should become active
- Enable efficiency mode when the device is connected to a power source
- Click Next to return to the main configuration view.
2.3 Set policy values
Typical configurations:
A. Balanced for normal laptops
- Efficiency mode enabled: Enabled
- Configure when efficiency mode should become active:
- Set to Active when device is unplugged and battery is low (wording may vary slightly).
- Enable efficiency mode when the device is connected to a power source: Disabled
This provides power savings only when the user is on low battery.
B. Aggressive savings for frontline / kiosk
- Efficiency mode enabled: Enabled
- Configure when efficiency mode should become active:
- Always active
- Enable efficiency mode when the device is connected to a power source: Enabled
Use this for devices running simple web apps where performance demands are low.
C. Disabled for compatibility-sensitive endpoints
- Efficiency mode enabled: Disabled
- Leave the other two settings Not configured or aligned (they have no effect if the main switch is off).
Apply this to contact-center PCs, trading stations, monitoring dashboards, or any workflow where tab throttling causes issues.
3. Configure via Administrative Templates (Alternative)
If your organization prefers GPO-style configuration, use Administrative Templates instead of Settings Catalog.
3.1 Create the profile
- In Intune Admin Center, go to Devices > Windows > Configuration profiles.
- Click + Create profile.
- Platform: Windows 10 and later.
Profile type: Templates > Administrative Templates. - Name it, e.g.
Edge – Efficiency Mode (ADMX)and click Next.
3.2 Configure Edge policies
- On the Configuration settings page, use the search field to look for Efficiency or Microsoft Edge.
- Expand Microsoft Edge > Performance.
- Configure:
- Efficiency mode enabled → Enabled or Disabled.
- Configure when efficiency mode should become active → choose from:
- Always active
- Never active
- Active when unplugged
- Active when unplugged and battery is low
- Enable efficiency mode when the device is connected to a power source → Enabled or Disabled.
- Click Next, then complete the wizard.
Use the same value patterns as in the Settings Catalog method; the underlying policies are identical.
4. Assignment Strategy
Design separate profiles or use one profile with scoped assignments:
- Profile 1 – Balanced laptops
- Assign to a device group containing standard corporate laptops (e.g. dynamic group filtered by device model or OS).
- Profile 2 – Frontline / kiosk
- Assign to a group for shared/kiosk/frontline devices.
- Profile 3 – No Efficiency Mode
- Assign to a group containing endpoints for real-time or latency-sensitive workloads.
Guidelines:
- Prefer device groups over user groups for performance-related settings.
- Avoid overlapping profiles that configure the same Edge settings for the same devices; if overlap is unavoidable, document which profile is authoritative.
- Use Filters (e.g. “Device type = Desktop/Laptop”) to refine assignments when using broad groups.
5. Verification on the Client (edge://policy)
After deployment, verify that policy is applied.
5.1 Check Intune status
On a test device:
- Open Settings > Accounts > Access work or school.
- Select the connected work account → Info → click Sync to force an MDM sync.
- In Intune Admin Center, open Devices > Windows > [Device] > Configuration profiles and confirm the profile shows Succeeded.
5.2 Validate inside Microsoft Edge
- Open Edge.
- In the address bar, go to:
edge://policy - Look for these entries:
EfficiencyModeEnabledEfficiencyModeEfficiencyModeOnPowerEnabled
- Confirm:
- Source is
CloudPolicyorMDM(not “Platform default”). - Values match your design:
true/falseforEfficiencyModeEnabled- A string such as
AlwaysActive,NeverActive,ActiveWhenUnpluggedBatteryLowforEfficiencyMode true/falseforEfficiencyModeOnPowerEnabled
- Source is
If values are missing or incorrect:
- Re-check group membership and assignment.
- Confirm there’s no competing profile or on-prem GPO overriding the same Edge policies.
- Re-sync the device and confirm it’s online.
6. Recommended Baseline Configurations
For most environments:
- Knowledge workers / standard laptops
- Enable Efficiency Mode.
- Activate only when unplugged with low battery.
- Disabled when plugged in.
- Consider URL exclusions for critical web apps that must not be throttled.
- Frontline / kiosks / shared carts
- Efficiency Mode always active.
- Enabled on battery and power.
- Pair with aggressive sleeping-tab settings for maximum battery life.
- Contact center / real-time devices
- Disable Efficiency Mode completely.
- Optionally manage sleeping tabs so specific URLs never sleep.
Document these patterns as part of your Edge baseline so that future admins understand why certain groups have stricter or looser performance settings.
