You may have noticed that after the Creators Update released in October of 2018, you can no longer see the estimated remaining battery time in Windows 10. If you hover over the battery icon on your screen, you will see a percentage indicating your computer’s battery life — but not a time. While this is still a clear and reliable indication of how much battery life you have left, you may find the time battery indicator more convenient.

Fortunately, there is a way to bring it back.

From this article, you will learn how to bring back the ‘time remaining’ indicator for your Windows 10 computer.

But first, let’s find out why Microsoft has chosen to remove the time battery indicator in the first place.

Why did Microsoft hide the battery life estimate?

The main reason behind the decision is that the information displayed was just a rough estimate. As we well know, the time that your computer’s battery can last for depends on the programs you are running, display brightness settings, Wi-Fi connection status, outside temperature conditions, etc. The system was, thus, making an informed guess about how much longer your battery would last — but it was still just a guess that could significantly differ from reality. As stated earlier, your computer’s remaining battery time can fluctuate a lot.

How to enable battery time remaining on Windows 10?

If you still prefer to have the time estimate option as you hover over the battery icon, there is a way to bring it back. All you need is to make a few changes to the Windows Registry.

Attention! Even though the changes to the Windows Registry explained in this article are quite simple, if you are unfamiliar with the Registry Editor or will be using it for the first time, it is highly recommended that you read about how the Windows Registry works before proceeding. Note that the Registry Editor can make substantial changes to your system and using it incorrectly can lead to your PC becoming inoperable. Thus, make sure to back up your computer and the Registry itself before making any alterations.

So, how do you bring back battery time remaining in Windows?

  • Start by opening Registry Editor: go to Start and type “regedit” in the search bar. Press Enter and allow the tool to make changes to your system.
  • Launch the Registry Editor.
  • In the app, navigate to the following address or type it into the address bar:

Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Power

  • Here, you will need to delete several entries: namely EnergyEstimationDisabled and UserBatteryDischargeEstimator .

Right-click the UserBatteryDischargeEstimator value in the right pane and click Delete. Press Yes to confirm.

  • You will need to repeat the same for the EnergyEstimationDisabled value.
  • Next, in the left pane, right-click the Power key and navigate to New > DWORD (32-bit) Value.
  • Give the new value a name: EnergyEstimationEnabled.
  • Double-click the new value and check if the“Value Data” field is set to 1. Press OK to confirm.

That should do it. You can now close the Registry Editor and restart your computer to implement the changes. Once your PC has restarted, hover your mouse cursor over the battery icon and see if the ‘time remaining’ indicator has returned.

To ensure this and other aspects of your Windows 10 system are running smoothly, consider installing a performance-enhancing program like Auslogics BoostSpeed. The software will run a complete check-up of your system, locate speed-reducing issues and eliminate them.

Do you find the “time remaining” battery indicator in Windows 10 helpful? Share in the comments below.