“Battery Limit” removed from UEFI, but now only charges up to 50%

Philippe 235 Reputation points
2025-08-09T05:16:07.6366667+00:00

“Battery Limit” mode has been removed from the UEFI on my Surface Pro (11th edition) and it still only charges up to 50 %. It seems last week there was an update (firmware update?) and the system still seems to be enforcing the 50 % limit automatically based on firmware behavior—even without a visible toggle.

I downloaded the firmeware, but this did not help: Download Surface Pro 11th Edition Drivers and Firmware from Official Microsoft Download Center

Can anyone help?

Philippe

Surface | Surface Pro | Power and battery

16 answers

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  1. Alstershipper 175 Reputation points
    2025-08-19T16:59:54.84+00:00

    Hi, returning the devices is possible at any time, as all Pro 11 / Laptop 7 units are still under warranty and no longer guarantee a key feature—namely, mobile usability. However, I’m also reluctant to invest a great deal of time and effort into setting up a new device again, especially when I’m not at fault. Unfortunately, the error reports submitted via the Feedback Hub don’t seem to prompt any action from MSFT. I believe that only public exposure of Microsoft’s current conduct might have an impact. See example from the German forum: Fehler im Firmware-Update: Surface Laptop 7 und Surface Pro 11 laden nur noch bis 50% - Update - Dr. Windows

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  2. Ben Caldwell 0 Reputation points
    2025-08-19T10:36:38.74+00:00

    This behavior on the Surface Pro (11th edition) is actually expected after recent firmware changes. Microsoft removed the manual Battery Limit toggle from UEFI, but the feature itself hasn’t disappeared—it is now managed automatically by firmware and Windows based on usage patterns.

    A few things you can try:

    Check Surface App (Windows Store)

    Open the Surface app and go to Device Information → Battery Settings.

      On newer models, the 50% charge cap is shown there as *“Battery Smart Charging”*. You should be able to turn it off manually.

  
  **Turn off Smart Charging**

  
     If the Surface app shows *“Battery Smart Charging”*, disable it.

     
        Sometimes you may need to plug in the device, leave it idle, and then toggle the setting for it to take effect.

        
        **Update Windows & Surface drivers**

        
           Ensure you’ve installed all updates via **Windows Update** (not just the firmware package from Microsoft’s site).

           
              Often, driver + firmware + OS updates must match to expose the correct UI options.

              
              **Reset Embedded Controller (EC)**

              
                 Shut down your Surface completely.

                 
                    Hold **Volume Up + Power** for about 15 seconds until the UEFI menu opens.

                    
                       Exit without changing anything. This forces the EC to reset and can clear odd charging limits.

                       
                       **If nothing helps**

                       
                          Unfortunately, if the firmware is enforcing the 50% cap, and the Surface app doesn’t let you toggle it, this may be by design in the latest update (to extend battery health). In that case, you may need to wait for a Microsoft patch or contact Surface Support.
```---
We deal with technology in a different way—**signage, digital displays, and graphics** also rely heavily on correct power management and reliable hardware. <removed advertising for a business>

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  3. Frank 165 Reputation points
    2025-08-16T10:08:38.42+00:00

    I’d like to add my experience to this thread regarding the removal of the 50% "Battery Limit" toggle on the Surface Laptop 7th Edition.

    Yesterday, I spoke with Microsoft’s support team to escalate the issue. I explained that the “Battery Limit” toggle had disappeared from the UEFI following a recent firmware update, and despite multiple troubleshooting steps, the device remains capped at 50% charge. The support agent confirmed that this behavior is now firmware-enforced and acknowledged the toggle's removal, but they were unable to offer a workaround or timeline for resolution. They simply stated that they are working to resolve the issue.

    I will submit a Feedback Hub report and encourage others to do the same. Microsoft needs to hear from more affected users to prioritise a fix. If anyone has received different guidance or found a workaround, please share.

    Frankly, I’m surprised by the lack of urgency around what feels like a glaring and crippling technical misstep.

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    4 people found this answer helpful.
  4. T J 85 Reputation points
    2025-08-14T10:03:21.4066667+00:00

    I have exactly the same issue as well, 50% uefi limit was on, now the toggle is gone and I cannot get the device to charge past 50%.

    I have raised something in feedback hub:

    https://aka.ms/AAxlagu

    This is a serious problem introduced by MS, and renders our laptops near un-usable on the go, which is the whole reason for getting them in the first place! MS has been very slow in fixing this, pretty unacceptable.

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    7 people found this answer helpful.
  5. Jeremy (MSFT) 105 Reputation points Microsoft Employee
    2025-08-12T17:42:43.5833333+00:00

    Updated 9/17/2025

    Thank you for reporting this issue. A software fix that restores the Battery Limit setting to the UEFI is available for Surface Pro (11th Edition) and Surface Laptop (7th Edition) through Windows Update. For more information about how to get updates for your Surface through Windows Update, go to Surface Pro (11th Edition) update history or Surface Laptop (7th Edition).

    Learn more about the Battery Limit setting.

    Smart charging is also available to manage battery life on devices that do not need to use the Battery Limit feature.

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    20+ people found this answer helpful.

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