enablePowerLogging

enablePowerLogging is a configuration option used in software systems to activate the collection and recording of power-related data. When enabled, systems can log events such as battery level and charging state, power state transitions (sleep, wake, standby), processor and peripheral activity, screen usage, thermal readings, and wireless radio activity. The resulting data is typically stored in log files or transmitted to a telemetry or monitoring service for subsequent analysis.

Implementation and scope vary by platform, but the option is generally controlled by a boolean flag in a configuration file, an environment variable, or a command-line parameter. Common forms include enablePowerLogging = true in config files or a switch such as --enable-power-logging at startup. The collected data may be scoped to a single process, an application, or an entire system, and may be sampled at configurable intervals to balance detail against overhead.

Use cases for enablePowerLogging include debugging and profiling power consumption, identifying inefficient components or workflows, and supporting energy accounting in environments that track resource usage. It can aid developers and system administrators in optimizing performance, battery life, and thermal behavior, as well as in verifying that power-related policies are enforced correctly.

Privacy, security, and performance considerations are important. Power-logging data can contain sensitive usage information and device identifiers, so access controls, data minimization, anonymization, and secure transmission should be employed. Enabling power logging can introduce overhead, so it is typically recommended for development, testing, or short-term diagnostic sessions, and disabled in production unless explicitly required.

See also power management, telemetry, and logging.