Microsoft has officially revealed key improvements to the battery iconography in Windows 11. The changes were disclosed in a recent Windows blog post, timed to coincide with the release of Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26120.3000 (KB5050103) to the Dev Channel. The redesigned battery icons deliver clearer information at a glance, using color to represent the battery’s status.
Green indicates the battery is charging and in a good state. Yellow means the PC is using battery in energy-saving mode. Red signals a critically low battery that needs a charger.
Black shows the PC is using battery but hasn’t drained enough to trigger energy-saving mode or enter critical low battery territory. These new battery colors will be visible in the Windows 11 taskbar, quick settings flyout, and Settings. Microsoft plans to extend this iconography to the Lock screen in a future update.
battery icon updates in Windows 11
Another notable change is the enhancement of the battery icon’s “glanceability” by using more pixels to make it clearer. Windows 11 users now have the option to display a battery percentage figure next to the icon in Settings.
This feature aims to alleviate battery anxiety, particularly for users of energy-efficient laptops. Windows Insiders are also experimenting with a new Gamepad keyboard layout for the touch keyboard in Windows 11 and new functions for the Narrator. Alongside these updates, a set of File Explorer fixes has been introduced.
Despite these improvements, numerous known issues remain to be addressed. Alvar “Miles” Udell commented on the forums, “Typical Microsoft, do something that’s probably #9000 on the list of requested features.”
Mama Changa added, “What I’d like to see most is the ability to limit charge to 80% or 90%. This would require collaboration between the manufacturer, particularly between the firmware and the OS.
After three years on my XPS 13 9310, the battery only has about 60% capacity. Fortunately, it’s not too hard to replace the battery.”
