Note: If you are on a Surface device, you can find more detailed information at Smart charging on Surface.
Lithium-ion batteries wear out over time, which can result in a battery not holding a charge for as long as it did when it was new. Keeping the battery charged to 100% all the time can cause it to deteriorate faster. To help with this problem, some device manufacturers turn on Smart charging in Windows 11. With Smart charging, you don’t need to worry about unplugging your device to keep it from staying charged to 100% for longer periods of time—Smart charging handles charging for you.
If your device has Smart charging turned on, the battery level will be set to a lower level that's better for the battery overall. Your device may not charge to 100%, which helps keep your battery healthier in the long run.
When Smart charging is on, you’ll see a heart on the Battery icon in the following places—on the right side of the taskbar and in Power & battery settings. When your hover over the Battery icon with your mouse, it says “Fully Smart charged” and means the battery isn’t charging even though your device is still plugged in. In this case, the battery level may be lower than 100%. This is intentional and helps protect your battery.
How Smart charging works
Every device manufacturer implements Smart charging in a slightly different way that’s optimized for their specific device. For more detailed info about how Smart charging works on your device, visit the device manufacturer’s website.
Why turn off Smart charging?
If your device has Smart charging turned on, you should keep it on if you don't think you’ll need to have your battery fully charged soon. For example, if you’ll be sitting at your desk with your device plugged in.
Here’s when you might want to turn off Smart charging:
-
When traveling.
-
When working for longer amounts of time in places where you might not be near a power outlet.
-
When you think you may need the full capacity of your battery.
How to turn off Smart charging
Because each device manufacturer implements Smart charging in slightly ways, visit your device manufacturer’s website to learn how to turn it off for your device.
