Colorful Battery Icons Coming to Windows 11

You can now readily identify their laptop's battery status, including charging, low battery, and power-saving modes.

A look at Windows 11's redesigned battery icons. Image: Microsoft

Windows users, rejoice! Microsoft is introducing a welcome visual upgrade to its latest operating system: colorful battery icons in Windows 11. For years, the operating system giant has stuck with a simple black battery icon, which, let's be honest, could feel a bit bland for those who appreciate a more modern aesthetic. But this isn't just about aesthetics; it's also about improving usability, making it easier for users to quickly understand their battery status at a glance, whether it's charging, full, or low. Thanks to Microsoft, Windows 11 users will soon benefit from these more informative and visually appealing battery icons.

A Splash of Color for Battery Monitoring

In a recent Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26120.3000 (KB5050103) update, Microsoft rolled out these updated battery icons to Dev Channel users. These color enhancements include green for charging, yellow for power-saving mode, and red for critically low battery levels. This color coding provides a much clearer indication of battery status than the previous single-color icon. As Microsoft explained in a blog post, "These icons have been designed to communicate the battery status of your PC with just a quick glance. Key changes include colored icons to indicate charging states, simplified overlays that don’t block the progress bar, and an option to turn on battery percentage."

Where You'll See the New Icons

These new colored battery icons will appear in the same locations as the original icon: on the taskbar, in the Quick Settings flyout, and within the Settings app. In a future build, Microsoft plans to extend this visual refresh to the lock screen. Similarly, Microsoft recently introduced a new Modern UI for Windows Hello in Windows 11.

User Feedback Drives Key Improvements

Microsoft has clearly listened to user feedback. In addition to the color upgrade, two other frequently requested features are included: the much-desired battery percentage display next to the icon. This new Windows 11 Preview build now allows users to easily enable this feature within the Settings app. Once activated, the battery percentage will be shown directly next to the battery icon in the Quick Settings flyout. Another small but practical visual tweak is that the lightning bolt icon, which previously appeared on the left side of the battery icon, is now centered.

Availability for Windows Users

As Microsoft has stated, this upgrade is currently exclusive to Windows Insiders in the Dev Channel. Other Insiders won't have access to it just yet. The company explained that this staged rollout allows them to "monitor feedback" before a wider release. For the general public, you'll need to wait a little longer, as this feature will be included in a future Windows 11 update.