Where to find and disable Smart Charging
Smart Charging in Windows 11 limits your battery to 80 percent when plugged in for long periods, which slows battery wear over time. If you want your device to charge to 100 percent instead, you can turn it off in Settings in about one minute.
Open Settings by pressing Windows key + I. Go to System in the left menu, then select Battery. Under the Battery section, you will see Charging. Click on it to expand the options.
You will see a toggle for Limit charging to extend battery life. This is Smart Charging. Click the toggle to turn it off. Your device will now charge to 100 percent when plugged in.
Key Takeaways
- Smart Charging caps your battery at 80 percent when plugged in continuously, which extends the lifespan of your battery over years of use.
- You can disable Smart Charging in Settings > System > Battery > Charging with a single toggle switch.
- Turning off Smart Charging means your battery will charge fully to 100 percent, but the battery may wear out faster with daily use.
- Smart Charging turns back on automatically after a Windows update, so you may need to disable it again if you notice your device stops charging past 80 percent.
Why Smart Charging exists and what it does
Lithium batteries — the kind in laptops, tablets, and phones — degrade faster when held at high charge levels for long periods. If your device sits plugged in at 100 percent for eight hours a day, the battery loses capacity more quickly than if it stayed at 80 percent. Smart Charging solves this by stopping the charge early when Windows detects that your device is plugged in and not moving.
The trade-off is that you lose 20 percent of your usable battery capacity while plugged in. If you unplug your device and use it on battery power, it will still charge to 100 percent the next time you plug it in — Smart Charging only limits the charge when your device is stationary and plugged in for hours at a time.
When to turn Smart Charging off
Turn off Smart Charging if you need the full battery capacity regularly. This includes people who travel frequently, work away from outlets, or use their device unplugged for most of the day. If you charge your device overnight and unplug it in the morning, you will want the full 100 percent available.
Keep Smart Charging on if your device stays plugged in most of the time — at a desk, in a docking station, or in a car with a charger. The battery will last longer before it needs replacement, which saves money over three to five years.
Smart Charging and Windows updates
Windows updates sometimes reset Smart Charging back to on, even if you turned it off. After a major update, check your Battery settings to see if the toggle has switched back. This is not a bug; it is how Windows handles settings during system updates.
If you turn Smart Charging off and it turns back on after an update, you can disable it again using the same steps. There is no permanent way to lock it off, but the toggle will stay off until the next major Windows update.
How to check if Smart Charging is working
If Smart Charging is on, your battery will stop charging at 80 percent when your device is plugged in and idle. To see this happen, plug in your device and leave it for 30 minutes without using it. Open Settings > System > Battery and look at the battery percentage shown in the Battery health section.
If the percentage stays at 80 percent or below while plugged in, Smart Charging is active. If it climbs to 100 percent, either Smart Charging is off or your device is not idle enough for Windows to set up the feature. Windows requires the device to be plugged in and unused for a certain period before Smart Charging kicks in.
Other battery settings that affect charging
Windows 11 has other battery features that work alongside Smart Charging. Battery Saver reduces performance and background activity when your battery is low — this is different from Smart Charging and does not affect how high your battery charges. You can turn Battery Saver on or off in the same Battery settings menu.
Battery health information is also shown in Settings > System > Battery. This tells you the current health of your battery as a percentage of its original capacity. A new battery shows 100 percent; as it ages, this number drops. Smart Charging slows this decline, but turning it off will not damage your battery when ready — it just speeds up the natural wear that happens with all rechargeable batteries.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will turning off Smart Charging damage my battery?
No, but it will cause your battery to wear out faster over time. Lithium batteries naturally degrade with use and charging cycles. Keeping your battery at 80 percent slows this process, but charging to 100 percent does not harm the battery — it just reduces its lifespan by months or years depending on how often you charge.
Can I set Smart Charging to a different percentage, like 90 percent?
Windows 11 does not offer a custom percentage option. Smart Charging is either on (80 percent limit) or off (100 percent). If you need a different threshold, you may find options in your device manufacturer's battery software, but Windows itself only has the on/off toggle.
Does Smart Charging work when my device is in sleep mode?
Yes. Smart Charging activates when your device is plugged in and not actively in use, including sleep mode. The device does not need to be completely shut down — just idle and connected to power.
What happens to my battery percentage if I turn off Smart Charging while plugged in?
Your battery will resume charging to 100 percent. If it was stopped at 80 percent, it will climb to 100 percent over the next few minutes or hours depending on your charger and device. There is no delay or waiting period.
Do other Windows devices like tablets have Smart Charging?
Smart Charging is available on Windows 11 devices with supported batteries, including laptops and some tablets. Older Windows 10 devices do not have this feature. Check your device's Battery settings to see if the option appears — if it is not there, your device does not support Smart Charging.