Microsoft Develops Battery Widget for Windows 11 Lock Screen and Peripherals

Microsoft is developing a new battery monitoring feature for Windows 11. Code in the latest test build indicates that the system plans to add a dedicated battery widget to the lock screen and the native widgets panel, displaying the power status of the computer and its peripheral devices.

Previously, Windows 11 laptop and tablet users could only see the time, date, and basic weather or notification summaries on the lock screen. To check remaining battery life, they had to wake and unlock the screen, or hover over the battery icon in the taskbar after reaching the desktop.

The widget also supports integration with the connected peripheral ecosystem. According to the code-level feature demonstration, it can monitor not only the Windows 11 device itself but also read and display battery data from various wireless accessories connected via Bluetooth, including wireless mice, keyboards, digital styluses, and Bluetooth earbuds.

In terms of visual presentation and interaction, the new widget follows Windows 11's Fluent design language, supports adaptive switching between dark and light modes, and can blend with the lock screen's frosted glass visual effect. Within the system widgets panel, it supports switching between different card sizes, allowing users to choose a compact display showing only the main device's battery bar or expand to a large card with a detailed battery list for multiple peripherals, depending on their desktop layout needs.