Surface enthusiasts have once again filled a gap left by Microsoft, though this time on the software side of things rather than 3D-printing an accessory. A new third-party app called Surface Charging Tray makes it easier to switch between charging modes on Surface devices.
Surface Charging Tray is a system tray app that you can summon with a click or configurable keyboard shortcuts. It can switch between Surface charging modes and adjust Windows Power mode options.
The app is made by developer "keyokku" who detailed Surface Charging Tray on both GitHub and Reddit. The first version of the app shipped on May 9, 2026, and it has since received a few small updates.
You can download the app through its release page on GitHub. One package is for Snapdragon X-powered Surface devices, while the other is for Surface devices with Intel processors.
The app is still in its early stages. At the moment, it appears to have some issues with Surface devices with Snapdragon X processors. Hopefully, those will be ironed out in the future.
Here are the key features of the app, as outlined by its developer:
- Tray icon and live status
- Tray menu or configurable keyboard shortcuts
- Quick-change Surface charging modes (Adaptive, 80%, 100%)
- Schedule a charge-mode change during "sleep" (e.g. flip 80% → 100% in the morning)
- Quick-change Windows Power mode (Performance, Balanced, Efficiency)
- Run at Windows login
- Auto-detects your language localization, Surface app UI, and current charging mode
- Hides the Surface app during operation
- Persistent error log next to the .exe
- Surface charging modes cannot be changed while the device is asleep / locked — see the scheduler below for the workaround
Smart charging protects the battery of your Surface. It's on by default and limits the maximum charge of your PC's battery to 80%.
The purpose of the app is to avoid conditions that would accelerate the deterioration of your battery. Smart charging turns on automatically if your device is plugged in for an extended period or when your device is at a higher temperature than normal.
But there are times when it's worth pausing Smart Charging, such as when you are going to be away from a plug for several hours. If you need to squeeze all the battery out of your Surface, pausing the feature will get you extra time on your device.
Normally, you have to jump into the Surface app to pause Smart Charging. Surface Charging Tray saves you a few steps, especially since gaining a built-in scheduler in a recent update.
This is the type of app that Microsoft should probably make itself. Alternatively, features like keyboard shortcuts and system tray access could be integrated into the Surface app. Until or unless it happens, it's nice to have a quick way to adjust the power and battery settings of Surface PCs.
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