Battery icon missing on Windows 10? Here’s how to restore it

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Like every other Windows version, Windows 10 has a battery icon in the taskbar that shows the current battery percentage. However, many Windows 10 users have reported a missing battery icon on their laptop from time to time. This can be due to several reasons, such as an update, minor malfunction in Windows and more. However, you can easily restore the Windows 10 battery icon with the help of the tricks detailed below.

Check the notification area carefully

If you notice a missing battery icon on Windows 10, the first thing you should do is search for it in the notification area. The battery icon might have moved from the taskbar or notification area to the notification area overflow pane or the area that houses the other icons.

To pull up the overflow pane, click on the up arrow, which is to the left of the notification icons on the taskbar. If the battery icon is there, just drag it into the taskbar. If not, then try the next trick.

Scan for hardware changes to ensure that everything is okay. To scan for hardware changes, follow these steps:

  1. Open the Windows Device Manager.
  2. Click on the Action menu and then select “Scan for hardware changes.”
  3. Expand the Batteries section and check if “Microsoft AC Adapter” and “Microsoft ACPI-Compliant Control Method Battery” are displayed.
  4. Now check the taskbar again for the battery icon. If it is still not there, then proceed to the next trick.

How to restore the Windows 10 battery icon

If the battery icon is still missing after scanning for hardware changes, follow these steps:

  1. Right-click on the unused area of the taskbar to get the menu and select “Taskbar settings. Alternatively, you can go to Settings > Personalization > Taskbar.
  2. Now scroll down to the Notification area and click on “Select which icons appear on the taskbar.”
  3. Look for the battery icon called “Power” on the list. If the toggle switch next to it is off, then turn it on.

The battery icon should now show up on the taskbar. If the battery icon isn’t there in the list of icons under “Select which icons appear on the taskbar,” it means you will have to restore the Windows 10 battery icon. To do so, follow these steps:

  1. Go to the Taskbar settings using the methods mentioned above.
  2. Go to the Notification area and select “Turn system icons on or off.”
  3. Search for the battery icon (Power) and turn it on. If the Power icon is grayed out, it means Windows 10 thinks you are using the device without a battery. It is possible to use devices without a battery if they are plugged in, but if you do have the battery in, then that’s a whole other problem (see below).

Hopefully, the battery icon will now show up in the taskbar. If not, it is possible that it is hidden in the notification area overflow pane. Use the first method described above to restore the Windows 10 battery icon.

Re-enable from Windows Device Manager

If you still don’t have the battery icon, it means you will have to re-enable it from the battery hardware in the Windows Device Manager. Follow these steps to do so:

  1. Press the Windows key + X to get the Quick Access Menu. Now select the Device Manager.
  2. From the Device Manager, click the Batteries category to expand it.
  3. The expanded list will have two options: “Microsoft AC Adapter” and “Microsoft ACPI-Compliant Control Method Battery.” Right-click on the first one (Microsoft AC Adapter) and then select “Disable device.”
  4. A warning box will now appear, asking you to confirm your decision. Choose “Yes.”
  5. Now repeat the same steps with the Microsoft ACPI-Compliant Control Method Battery.
  6. Now you will have to re-enable the devices that you disabled in the above steps. To do so, right-click on each (Microsoft AC Adapter and Microsoft ACPI-Compliant Control Method Battery) and then select “Enable device.”
  7. Restart the device, and you should now see the battery icon in the taskbar.

Update BIOS and fix corrupt system files

If the above methods didn’t work, another trick that you can try to restore the Windows 10 battery icon is to update the BIOS on your system. To do so, check your laptop manufacturer’s website for the updated BIOS version and follow the steps provided on the site to download and install the update.

Sometimes corrupt Windows system files could also result in such issues. If you remember the day when you first faced the missing battery icon issue, then you can restore Windows back to the date before the issue appeared. This will restore the corrupt Windows file, and hopefully, it will bring back the missing Windows 10 icon.

If none of these tricks worked, then your last option is to contact the support team.

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