How to change Active Hours setting on Xbox Series X, S

Xbox Active Hours feature works automatically, but you can adjust the settings manually, and here's how.

Avatar for Mauro Huculak
@Pureinfotech
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Xbox Series X vs. S / Image: Microsoft
Xbox Series X vs. S / Image: Microsoft

Xbox Series X and S have a new “Active Hours” feature that allows the console to start quickly during certain hours of the day, and in this guide, you will learn the steps to adjust this setting.

In an effort to save energy and lower carbon emissions, the power system on Xbox consoles now uses the “energy-saving” mode by default instead of the “instant on.” This means that Xbox will now only draw 0.5 watts when it is completely shut down instead of the up to 15 watts when in standby mode. However, since this change will affect the console’s ability to start and resume games quickly, the April 2023 update introduces a new Active Hours feature.

Similar to Active Hours on Windows 11, the feature Active Hours for Xbox has been designed to determine when to turn on or off the console based on your behavior automatically, allowing you to resume your Xbox faster while keeping the console powered off outside the hours you won’t be playing. The feature can determine when to turn on or off the console based on your behavior automatically, but you can also adjust the settings manually from Settings.

This guide will teach you the steps to adjust the Active Hours on your Xbox game console.

Change Active Hours on Xbox

To adjust the Active Hours setting on Xbox, use these steps:

  1. Open Settings on Xbox.

  2. Click on General.

  3. Click on Power Options.

  4. Click the “Adjust active hours” setting.

  5. Choose the Manually option in the “Adjust active hours” setting.

    Xbox active hours
    Xbox active hours / Image: Microsoft

  6. Specify when the Active Hours should start.

  7. Specify when the power-saving feature should end.

Once you complete the steps, your Xbox Series X or S will stay on standby to resume quickly during the Active Hours time range you specified manually. Outside the time range, the console will have to perform a full startup, causing delays until you can start a game.

If you can’t find the option, it’s because you don’t have the latest update that enables it. The Xbox April 2023 update is rolling out during the second week of the month to every console worldwide. However, if you can’t wait until it’s available to you automatically, you can force the update on Settings > System > Updates > Update console and tap the Start update button.

About the author
Avatar for Mauro Huculak

Mauro Huculak is a Windows How-To Expert who started Pureinfotech in 2010 as an independent online publication. He has also been a Windows Central contributor for nearly a decade. Mauro has over 14 years of experience writing comprehensive guides and creating professional videos about Windows and software, including Android and Linux. Before becoming a technology writer, he was an IT administrator for seven years. In total, Mauro has over 20 years of combined experience in technology. Throughout his career, he achieved different professional certifications from Microsoft (MSCA), Cisco (CCNP), VMware (VCP), and CompTIA (A+ and Network+), and he has been recognized as a Microsoft MVP for many years. You can follow him on X (Twitter), YouTube, LinkedIn and About.me. Email him at [email protected].