The Windows Insider program has always been a bit of a double-edged sword. On the one hand, it’s an exciting way to stay ahead of the curve and preview new features Microsoft is working on. On the other hand, it often teases updates that take a long time to materialize—or sometimes don’t make it at all.
Microsoft’s slow pace of development with Windows is a well-known frustration, but occasionally, Insider builds highlight meaningful improvements. One recent example is a long-awaited fix related to battery information, addressing an issue users have been waiting on for quite some time.
Windows 11 will indicate the battery percentage in the taskbar
For those more experienced with Windows, it’s no secret that you can easily check the battery percentage by hovering over the battery icon, clicking on it, or using the Windows + A shortcut to pull up the Action Center. However, despite these existing methods, Microsoft has acknowledged that users have been requesting a more prominent and intuitive way to access this information for a while.
In the Dev channel, users testing the feature via ViveTool have spotted a revamped battery icon. This update introduces a fresh color scheme, displays the percentage directly on the icon, and updates the overall iconography. These changes extend to other areas where the battery icon appears, providing a consistent and visually enhanced experience.
It will be interesting to see if this design update spreads to other parts of the operating system, potentially adding more vibrant touches and modernizing areas that have felt neglected. As Windows 11 matures, Microsoft can’t afford to let its flagship OS fall behind, especially with hardware advancements from companies like Qualcomm, NVIDIA, AMD, and Intel enabling more powerful and capable PCs, including those designed for AI-enhanced features like Copilot.
The challenge for Microsoft is clear: pairing these hardware innovations with an operating system that matches and exceeds user expectations. With 2025 on the horizon, let’s hope the Redmond giant rises to the occasion.
