Microsoft has just introduced a subtle change to how the battery level is shown in the Windows 11 taskbar. It’s a really useful change because it introduces color and percentage options.
Battery anxiety is a commonplace ill of modern times, even if some recent hardware releases have seen significant improvements. So, glancing at the battery icon on your PC (or phone, iPad, watch or camera) is something many people do. And if you don’t, you’re probably lying.
In the Windows taskbar, the visual indicator has been of limited help. A black-and-white battery with white bar indicating battery strength isn’t easy to read. Glancing back at it after half an hour and it can be difficult to spot if it’s changed much — until it suddenly plummets.
A percentage indicator helps, which Microsoft has now offered as an option. I’d argue that color helps more for that quick reveal of how things are going.
“Up until now, Windows 11 taskbar’s battery icon has been static white, but with a colourful icon, Microsoft wants it to communicate,” explains Mayank Parmar at Windows Latest. “The Windows 11 taskbar was not exactly useful when it shipped in 2021, but it has come a long way, and it’s now getting two new features. The first feature is a colorful battery, which means the icon would now be green when it’s charging and red when you’re about to run out of battery. You can also turn on battery percentage.”
That’s very helpful, and it’ll arrive when you update. It will come with the Patch Tuesday coming on Nov. 11, though is available before then in an optional update if you just can’t wait.
“After the update, you will notice that when the device is charging, the color changes to green with a bolt indicator. And if you turn on battery saver, it turns to orange (when not plugged in),” Parmar adds.
Personally, I’d call that yellow rather than orange, but potato-potarto.
Show battery percentage is an option found in Settings, in Power & battery in the System section.
