Surface Battery Tips and Tricks - 2021 Update!

The Surface Pro, Laptop, Book, and Go are all amazing productivity tools. But running the full windows desktop experience in such a small form factor can be a disadvantage when it comes to battery life. If you aren't satisfied with the battery life or your Surface, or just want to get more out of it, then you are in the right place!
Battery Apps for Windows:
Battery Bar Pro: bit.ly/3xdjKVx
PassMark BatteryMon: bit.ly/3v5P8DF
Battery Optimizer: bit.ly/2QcK1D4
BATExpert: bit.ly/3eymHI7
Microsys Smarter Battery: bit.ly/3grJCar
More Battery Life Tips:
Part 1: • Surface Battery Tips a...
Part 2: • Surface Battery Tips a...
Microsoft: bit.ly/3v4qAei
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[@gyozakeynsianism]

This is a great set of recommendations and tips. One thing I would add is that Microsoft recommends draining the battery to under 20% at least once a month to keep the battery fresh. I'm not sure about the science/engineering behind it but as a road warrior (during non-pandemic times) I can tell you it does help in the long run. Another thing I would say is if the battery is behaving badly (for example, if battery charge capacity has worn down very quickly in recent days or weeks and you can't figure out why) don't hesitate to talk to Microsoft about it. I had a Surface Pro (2017) that had battery issues and MS gave me a free replacement after I provided them with all the details they asked for (including a battery report). It looks like it was a problem with that specific device. My replacement had no issues. Well done Brett! Thanks for the video.

[@gyozakeynsianism]

By the way, I've started to use Pure Battery Analytics, an app in the Store. Maybe something for you to check out, Brett.

[@bosekaspathy]

Surface Pro loses battery power even when it is switched off. After switching off at 94% for two days it loses 50% (down to 44%)...THis is the bad quality of the batteries despite the high price of Microsoft Surfaces. There is no fix. I am selling mine.

[@rayroche94]

Thanks for another good video. I install the Microsoft Surface Diagnostic Toolkit on all of my Surface fleet, and that app shows the battery wear, charge cycles, etc, and a tidier format than the command line tool. I also recommend cycling the battery at least once a week if the device is used long term on the dock or charger.

[@oztabletpc]

Great tip, thanks for sharing!

[@msp5138]

I use Microsoft Surface Diagnostic Toolkit and have never seen the information you listed. Please share where to find it. I have gone to "Power Supply & Battery" page, unplugged the device and nothing happens has ever appeared on the screen?

[@rayroche94]

@@msp5138 After you open the app and run through the system tests, the battery information icon on the left side of the screen shows battery wear, charging cycles, current charge and a capacity history graph. You can run the battery and charging tests then skip the rest to make the process faster, although the other tests do give a good picture of how your Surface is doing.

[@jimfitch]

How do I “cycle the battery”?

[@oztabletpc]

It means run it flat and charge it again. That's a full charge cycle.

[@ALxdCr4ftPlays]

I have the official ice blue type cover to the Surface Pro 7. I usually leave mine on standby overnight. But if you do this, best to leave it on Battery Saver mode, otherwise it will eat up more battery power. Or you can shut down (which I'm too lazy to do). May also pay to switch to airplane mode while on standby, that way those apps which love to communicate online in the background, can't do that, and thus, consume also less battery. I love the portability and sleek and versatile of Surface, better than HP. It's like a portable thin gaming PC, with a quad core 10th gen Intel Core i7 CPU that can turbo boost to 3.9Ghz.

[@KLiNoTweet]

The old Edge used far less power, I liked it better than the chromium based edge.

[@alvree01]

Great video! I bought the surface pro 7 a few months ago and love it. I keep it plugged into the docking station most of time, I will have to remember to unplug occasionally and let the battery diminish some.

[@1stPrinciples455]

Playing KZbin from browser, it drains very fast even when first time use and start playing from 100% fully charged. Very disappointing. The specs says can run for 11hrs. But I think if it can last 2 hrs of video play i will be lucky. Suspect that Microsoft is made in China and the factory or reseller may have used lousy or less capacity battery

[@oztabletpc]

Your problem is with chrome. Try Edge and optimise for battery performance.

[@1stPrinciples455]

@@oztabletpc I am using Edge. No chrome installed. Based on battery use chart, when it reached 60%, I was playing the video for 3hrs

[@oztabletpc]

@@1stPrinciples455 OK, then change the performance settings in Edge to optimize for battery life. Turn off background activity and optimize for battery. The chromium browser engine is a resource hog, but fortunately in Edge you can trim it back. Made a huge difference to my Pro 8.

[@oztabletpc]

Also, if this is your first use there could be setup and windows update activity running that will kill power. Check that too.

[@1stPrinciples455]

@@oztabletpc is it true that we cannot run as admin the cmd.exe unless win 11 is out of S Mode which is an irreversible move? I will try the settings and monitor the performance. But what will answer my question on battery health is if there is a tool to see how many charge cycles has the battery gone through. This can allow a buyer to know if the battery is brand new. Cos when I first unboxed it , there was no power to boot up.

[@danhex]

My job requires me to be at my desk then at the blink of an eye away from my desk and I still need to have my pc with me. Pro 7 is perfect. Love it. Wish I would of got the pro 7 plus though. I'm still in return period I may do so

[@ZekeTheMandolinMan]

I love these videos. I use my surface almost entirely outside of work (except for some light note-taking at work) and it is great to see productivity boosting videos catered toward the device. Keep it up!

[@bosekaspathy]

However you try there is no improvement. All Surface Pro models are shite battery life! I will never buy one again.

[@youdipstick]

My Surface Pro 4 drains my battery when turned off,It drains about 2 percent an hour,does anyone have a fix for that or is it bin time....thanks

[@oztabletpc]

Shut it down or use hibernate. No battery drain then... Intel chips use more power in standby.

[@aofddofa6661]

THAT IS A GREAT VIDEO.. I LEARNED A LOT, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR SHARING INFO

[@kam1354]

Hi. My Surface PRO charger does not work sometimes and I could not charge my Surface PRO . After Some plug in and Plug out AC input or charger port on the Surface PRO, it take charge and it happen when Surface PRO on or off. How can I solve this ? 🌹🌹

[@MrKoolBreeze22]

My battery life has only been lasting 3 hours on my SP7

[@oztabletpc]

Did you follow the tips?

[@MrLausell]

Excellent tutorial. Very practical and useful.

[@oztabletpc]

Glad it was helpful!

[@kerenbeniegas3948]

Wooww! I saw on your video that you have JW Library app.

[@oztabletpc]

Sure do. 😁

[@LL-be5fz]

Great tips! Do you recommend draining the battery once in a while?

[@oztabletpc]

Yes, I think that's a good idea.

[@gyozakeynsianism]

Yes! Microsoft themselves recommend it in the packaging for their consumer Surface devices. For the last Surface device I've bought, it said that whether or not you use it on battery often, once a month run it down to about 20%. I have found this to help.

[@danhex]

Always once a week

[@smileyjinju3431]

When should we plug out, 100% or less?

[@efficaciousuave]

Wow...wow..wow....I have so much to say so I'll list it out for clarity:- 1. I only learnt two new things. 2. I knew every other thing already. I use edge for pdf too. It does all I need. And I use the same battery bar program too. I actually bought the software too, it cost very small amount I don't recall exactly how much. I've set it to show time remaining rather than battery remaining. I think that's more helpful to me to estimate weather I should hurry up or not. 3. First new thing was that the SP7+i7 had the worst surface battery. 4. Let the surface cool before you charge it again- that was the second new thing. 5. The fact that I knew so much about surface they things you talked about hereeven though I'm just a surface fan, and don't even have any surface yet, (I plan to buy one soon--not just excited--pumped 😉) I feel so proud. I'm not even in college! Woah!! The power of internet and passion👍👍👍 6. Very helpful video overall, as is usual with all your work. Thanks. 7. One question-- I have asked this on many other video comments as well but no response yet, I know you're busy but I'm hoping you could answer this---which will consume more battery-- SP7+i7/16gb at full power or SP7+i5LTE/16GB at full power and LTE on all time??? Both devices running exact same softwares for the comparison. 8. Like I said, I don't have a surface yet. I'm still researching since it's a lot of money. I plan to use this as my only computer for the next 5 years of my college, which I hope I'll be joining soon. My user case include lots of note taking, pdfs, ebooks, regular photo editing in affinity photo, occasional 4k /30fps video editing, occasional steam games most of them from 2013 or before---i love playing old games. So which device should I go for? SP7+i5LTE or SP7+i7??? 9. Thank you so much if you read this whole comment and even more thanks in advance of you can help me out. Great and helpful video. Keep up the good work. 👍👍👍

[@oztabletpc]

For occasional 4K video editing the i7 is the best option. It does consume more power than the i5 LTE model.

[@efficaciousuave]

@@oztabletpc so I'll definitely go with i7. Because I need the power, and it wil be my only computer. Thanks a bunch. You're the first one here to reply.🙏

[@joelkim_dayoff]

Hi! Thanks for the tips. BTW I'm a SPX user and I noticed a video-audio sync problem especially on JW Library app. Do you know how to fix it? Thanks in advance!

[@oztabletpc]

Hey, great to hear from you 😁. I haven't noticed the issue, but I'll check it out!

[@joelkim_dayoff]

@@oztabletpc thanks!

[@brendadodd1075]

Great video! I don't use my surface pro. With all thus info. Should I keep it plugged in all the time?

[@oztabletpc]

I think it's good to run it on battery occasionally - for you and the computer!

[@brendadodd1075]

@@oztabletpc Thank you

[@_Digitalguy]

enable battery life extender from the bios, it will on charge to 50% to preserve the battery

[@koalamusik]

Words I learned today: conjuming

[@jefferynordgulen4436]

I checked my battery usage stats because of this video. I see Garmin express using 32 % battery just under Google chrome at 35%. I never use or load Garmin express. It was a one time download for getting a map update for my car! This company needs a metaphorical spanking!

[@mh7711]

Never charge to 100%, that is the most degrading factor, only charging to 85% will give you 5-time-bigger cycles.

[@darwinmcquerter7463]

Another "Great Video!" few videos having me stopping and getting my two devices in front of me. Checked both my Pro7 & Go. Made some adjustments as recommended. Confident it will help. Thanks for sharing such great content. I'

[@oztabletpc]

Glad to help

[@72rexyroo]

I have a SPX has anybody had any success in printing and scanning?

[@oztabletpc]

This thread might help. www.reddit.com/r/surfaceprox/comments/hg0fpp/list_of_printers_that_play_nice_with_surface_pro_x/

[@mahnoristic]

please csn you guide me what does battery circle means..and mwh what is it i am now to this

[@skyline490x]

Both my wife and I own surface pro 7 and we love them. Keep up the great videos and tips 😀

[@nessell6731]

Great video, thank you! I would be interested to know how the use of the dock impacts battery. Does using the surface on the dock at 100% charge for long periods impact battery life? How often should it be taken off the dock and allowed to drain to optimise battery life?

[@oztabletpc]

Ray Roche suggested in a comment here to let it run on battery once a week. I think that's a good suggestion for you and the computer! It's hard to remember sometimes to detach and work somewhere different...

[@darwinmcquerter7463]

@@oztabletpc I read a Mircosoft written tip this week to let your Surface run past 50% once a week. Your thoughts?

[@shoaibnazir9772]

i have a huge battery drain problem in my surface 4 pro do you have any solution

[@oztabletpc]

Have you checked the battery tab in settings yet? What is using your battery?

[@NicholasPOGM]

I just bought the surface pro 7 with an i7 new 3 days ago and the full charge capacity is 45.440 . Is this normal? I thought it was supposed to be 50.04.

[@oztabletpc]

I have an i5, my design capacity is 48,870 mWh. First charge was up to 49,780mWh, but current full charge varies between 48,310 and 46,510 mWh. I guess this depends on several factors including battery wear, but you can keep an eye on it via the battery report command - Powercfg /batteryreport.

[@NicholasPOGM]

@@oztabletpc Yes, I understand wear and tear, but this thing is brand new and I only charged it one time. It seems the battery may be old.

[@hundeyinoluwatosin3511]

I love this video very much. great recommended and explanation. Thank you very much.

[@duchenedesignsolutions7036]

Very nice thorough video with all the angles to help battery life! What monitor is that and how is it with your surface? Does the surface heat up and fans run or is it pretty quiet. I am looking for a good ultra wide for my SL4 and I love LG. Thanks!

[@oztabletpc]

I've had this LG Widescreen for a few years now. We did a review of it here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/fIOlhJure8mBbdE My Pro X and Pro 7+ (i5/256 LTE) don't have fans at all, so they never run! The Pro X never really gets warm, but the Pro 7+ gets mildly warm under load. They both handle that monitor with ease, and it charges them via USB-C PD charging while it's connected too. No dock necessary with that monitor.

[@duchenedesignsolutions7036]

@@oztabletpc Oh man I completely forgot I watched that video! Thanks a lot for the message. I’m gonna grab one today using your link. Have a great rest of the week and keep the videos coming. They are always easy to follow.

[@oztabletpc]

Thanks. Not sure if it's a current model anymore, but there will be a similar version available. Great display.

[@duchenedesignsolutions7036]

@@oztabletpc the new one is basically the same but is 144hz so I need to see how my SL4 will handle that refresh rate and is a lot more money than the previous version now!

[@oztabletpc]

@@duchenedesignsolutions7036 previous one I have was around $1k USD.

[@puppersissage8640]

I hope this video helps according to the internet it’s menta last 15 hours Mine lasts 3 hours

[@michelebianchi7861]

just got my surface pro 9, is the battery really this shit?

[@oztabletpc]

Tips from 2021. Did you watch or just snipe?

[@farrukhiqbal360]

surface pro 6 battery draining faster than usual, might need a fix, if anyone having same issues

[@eevvxx80]

hi I have Surface pro 3 and 5 on 3 I use Throttlestop to undervoltage both CPU and gpu. maximum 4 hour. on 5 the CPU and gpu locked but I can disable turbo, enable speedshift. tell is 7 or 8 unlocked?

[@eevvxx80]

you can use group policy, local security policy and register to tweak windows. disable automaton.

[@crispyshaman4937]

What also helps go the advanced battery settings in energie management. And go to power plan go to maximum processor state and lower it to around 50% and go to minimum processor state and lower it to 1 % on battery power this means it wil use much les of its processor on battery power while doing light tasks

[@sultanabran1]

surface pro. 4 hours max.

[@goodorbabmemories]

Why my Microsoft surface pro 8 is only 50% charge never full no mater how long I charge it.

[@oztabletpc]

Contact Microsoft or your place of purchase for support.

[@KiLLJOY1056]

Bought a Surface Pro 4 last week that said "Less than 100 Battery Cycles".. Yet it doesnt even last for a Full Hour. I am so dissapointed. This was going to be my dream computer. I love everything about it so much. I just dont have the money to buy a Surface Pro 7. So now im stuck with my power banks every where i go with it :/

[@freedonx]

Well duh... That's what you get for buying a used model. Batteries would be used

[@andyH_England]

I do not know the quality of the batteries used in the Surface Pro but I have seen some horror stories as to their long-term performance and that getting them replaced is difficult and expensive. I saw your SP6 with only 437 cycle count and already 18% loss, which is pretty bad. Apple and Samsung give 1000 cycle counts to reach 20% battery capacity loss! Another issue with Surface devices, unlike LG, Samsung and others are that they do not have battery software to enable longevity. On my Samsung, I can stop charging at 85% (LG 80%) so if you keep it on the charger it is doing much less damage. Apple uses a different technique using AI. This cannot help preserve the Surface battery longevity. For basic tasks like web and media, I use power-saving mode which seems to add 2h on my Samsung Flex. On the 10th gen chip, there is no performance hit. Though on my 8th gen LG Gram (i5) performance suffers on this level, so I cannot use this setting. Cheers!

[@oztabletpc]

Battery life is very subjective. You can't begin to suggest that only Surface has battery issues. It's the chemistry, not the brand. And most people don't know how best to preserve a battery either, so mileage varies wildly. 437 cycles, sure... But what kind of cycles? What discharge rates, environment, heat, chargers were used. It's incredibly variable. And as for Apple's "AI"... Sounds like more Apple marketing drivel to me. They might as well call it liquid-retina-power-pixel-magical-battery-intelligence. Sounds more plausible. "Batterygate" anyone? But hey, I'm completely against the "glue it in" manufacturing techniques that Apple pioneered for the technology industry. Surface, and everyone else should do better.

[@oztabletpc]

Sorry... just my usual salty-ness because you mention the A-word. ;-)

[@andyH_England]

@@oztabletpc Yes, sorry, as well, should have not mentioned the “A” word! I mentioned these things as I want MS to improve and they can with better battery tech and the appropriate software. If you are going to glue a battery in, at least you should give it the best lifespan in the here and now? I am not sure MS does that ATM? All the best!

[@oztabletpc]

Haha. I've survived another episode. Am in hearty agreement on improving the game. And no-one pushes them along like Apple... Guess I should be grateful!

[@_Digitalguy]

Andy Microsoft now has a battery life extedner for all surface devices, but it's not as convenient as Samsung or LG/HP etc. First, you can only enable from the bios, so you need to turn off the device each time you want to change. But the worst thing is that it's 50%, which means basically it's good if you have it plugged in all the time and you don't need the battery. I enabled it on my old surface pro 3 since I harly ever use it. But I don't on my Surface Book, since I want to take advantage of the battery...

[@arecineimportaciones]

Hi. My battery charging capacity is higher than the designated capacity, is it wrong?

[@oztabletpc]

Double check. Seems a bit odd.

[@andyboyize]

Well done mate, keep up the good work!

[@chickensalad69]

Could u help me? I let my surface charge all day and it only charged to 51! What should I do??

[@oztabletpc]

Start on the Surface support website. You can get there from the Surface app. You can check your battery condition using the Surface Diagnostic Toolkit too. support.microsoft.com/en-us/surface/fix-common-surface-problems-using-the-surface-diagnostic-toolkit-f61d8d18-37a9-863d-f8d0-1982eb16f7b5 Again, you can find that from the Surface app.

[@bummers]

Except that Surface tablets are not serviceable. Batteries are not replaceable without easily breaking the screen, tearing the wifi ribbon or breaking any of the other things glued to the screen.

[@oztabletpc]

Yep, this really needs to be addressed. Think Surface are slowly waking up to the fact that Apple's no service model is a bad idea for everyone. That said, 3rd party repairers can and do replace Surface batteries.

[@ricknaark]

Hello, First of all thanks for the vid ! Do you guys think it is better to charge a surface until it's full and then directly use it without the charger pluged in or is it better to let all the time on the charger when using it and once a week let it drain out ?

[@Hayan_Yeou]

I use Surface Book 2 and 3. Well, I've 'used' Book 2 and now I use 3 is probably more correct. What I've found is that Surface Books actually will last longer in the Tablet mode. My SB2 is a 2nd hand machine and it did have pretty good battery life. It'll typically last about 4 hours but with the Tablet mode on, it did last about an hour or two more, paired with Edge for web browsing. I've tried turning the dedicated GPU off from the UEFI (when you start your machine, you hold the volume up and power button until you see the Windows boot logo, then you let go of the power but hold onto the volume up button) but that didn't really affect much. I have also got the auto brightness set. I'm looking at around 6 to 7 hours of runtime (Steam on, web surfing on Firefox) without the tablet mode on on my SB3. But just in case, I've got my trusty Promate Capital-30 (30,000mAh 78W PD powerbank) to top up the juice and so far it works fine. It charges well with the portable solar panel I carry in my car so technically I have infinite source of power.

[@LvUhcX]

thats opposite for me! my surface book 1 dies in 2 hrs (tablet form)

[@anthonygoldie6961]

Your vidoes have taught me a lot and helped me pick the right surface pen I needed thank you:-)

[@drummingchef]

Won't leaving the surface charge OVERNIGHT constantly be bad for the battery life??? Just like it is for cell phones??

[@oztabletpc]

From Battery University: The question is asked, “Should I disconnect my laptop from the power grid when not in use?” Under normal circumstances this should not be necessary because charging stops when the Li-ion battery is full. A topping charge is only applied when the battery voltage drops to a certain level. Most users do not remove the AC power, and this practice is safe. batteryuniversity.com/index.php/learn/article/how_to_prolong_lithium_based_batteries

[@drummingchef]

@@oztabletpc Oh ok! Very interesting indeed! Thank you for the reply :)

[@reyhanmahmood9235]

Hi. Have you ever come across a crackling sound when connecting your surface charger on the SP7?

[@oztabletpc]

No. I'd try the Surface reddit pages though as lots of issues get discussed there.

[@ozomedia99]

Loving your new look... Looks like you've been at gym during this lockdown... or a plethon.... think you need to do a video on this

[@oztabletpc]

Ha! Thanks. You're the first to say anything! I dropped 15kg in the last few months. Paying a bit more attention to physical health. 😉😁

[@jota8649]

Worked for me thank you!❤️

[@adamsacresfarm]

What kind of monitor are you using?

[@oztabletpc]

I use lots of different monitors. On a daily basis I use the Surface Studio with an Espresso USB-C Portable Display. kzbin.info/www/bejne/favOoqeOrbV4m9E (and second video on accessories kzbin.info/www/bejne/l36mmnaGbLGgkKs). I also use an LG Widescreen monitor with a Surface Dock for my Pro X, 7+ and Go 2. kzbin.info/www/bejne/fIOlhJure8mBbdE

[@morphuxxx]

I have a Surface Pro 5. The battery life even using all recommended low battery usage settings I still only get an hourish not video editing, just sketching in a sketch app. It's said to have many hours if battery usage on a full charge. FALSE. This is my second and possibly last time to buy a Surface Pro as the last one didn't hold a charge for more than 20 mins. The fan was faulty, buzzing and over heating constantly. Yes, I had a fan on it and cleaned out the vents. Still junk.

[@oztabletpc]

Surface Pro 2017 (aka 5) is now SIX years old! Lithium Polymer batteries have a limited number of potential charge and recharge cycles. On top of that heat, wear and tear mean that capacity is reduced significantly. Have you run the battery report? What is the wear condition of your battery?

[@allanthiel]

Thanks, great info and advise.

[@draganzlokas6259]

Is there a way to check a temperature of the battery?

[@oztabletpc]

There might be, but I don't know of one.

Great video. My only problem with my SP7 is that the full performance is only available when plugged in, which is kind of a bummer, but so far I was able to live with it.

[@AnupongT]

Just wish that there's a way to know how much, roughly, battery you have on your surface without turning the unit on. Like, a small 4 LED somewhere that can be activated to indicate level of battery.

[@oztabletpc]

That'd be cool!

[@AnupongT]

@@oztabletpc I used to have an old laptop with removable battery, and this type of indicator was on the battery. also, many powerbank these day have LED to indicate percentage.

[@ReneB099]

I've got a Samsung Galaxy Book12 (in addition to my SP7) that allows one to check battery status without turning it on by tapping on the power button (You need to hold the button down for a few seconds to actually start up the device). It's a bit of a pain to have to fire up the SP7 in order to check the battery status.

[@geapgr]

kudos!

[@shoaibnazir9772]

i have a huge battery drain problem in my surface 4 pro do anyone have any solution

[@oztabletpc]

What have you tried from the video? Have you checked to see what apps are using the most battery?

[@jepd5466]

Just buy an iPad they have the best battery life

[@oztabletpc]

You are a naughty boy, and you're grounded!

[@ahmedchampion3687]

good luck running mobile slim down version of your app

[@hotheadtxt]

Is it safe to use the surface while plugged in? Cause I find it hotter when I plugged in even when the battery is full. Btw great video. New sub!

[@oztabletpc]

Yes, it's safe to use plugged in.

[@gyozakeynsianism]

It sure is. I've done it for years, and doubly so since the pandemic. But as Microsoft recommends, try to drain the battery to under 20% about once a month to give the battery some exercise. I've found this to help keep the battery life long when you actually need it.

[@fayezfamfa]

Does keeping the surface pro cable plugged in would affect the lifetime of the battery ?

[@oztabletpc]

Yes and no. Heat and battery cycles will have the most impact in my view. If you're on Windows 11, there is a smart battery feature that will extend the battery life even further. See the settings app > Battery.

[@fayezfamfa]

Thank you Sir ​@oztabletpc Is surface pro 6 battery replaceable?

[@oztabletpc]

By a skilled technician with the right tools, yes. Not as easy as the latest models unfortunately.