Heres some info about charging your Surface and what Microsoft-licensed power supplies are available for Surface.
For Surface Studio power information, see Troubleshoot power problems with Surface Studio models.
Having issues charging your Surface, or other battery related issues? See Surface Battery wont charge or Surface wont run on battery.
Connect your charger
To begin charging your Surface, connect the power supply that came with your Surfaceto a power source such as a wall outlet, power strip, or surge protector.
You can plug the charging connector into the charging port on your Surface in either direction.
When the power supply is connected to your Surface, connected to a power source, and your Surface is receiving power, the LED indicator on the tip of the power supply's charging connector will be lit.
If the LED indicator is not lit, you may have an issue with your power supply. For more info, see What to do if your Surface power supply or charger doesn't work.
We strongly recommend that you use only a genuine Microsoft or Microsoft-licensed power supply, one that either came with your Surface or was purchased separately, to charge the battery. You can purchase Microsoft-licensed power supplies from the Microsoft Store.
Important: Third-party compatibility
Some third-party accessories may be incompatible with your device or are potentially counterfeit, so we strongly recommend that you purchase and use original Microsoft or Microsoft-licensed devices or accessories only. Use of incompatible or counterfeit accessories, batteries, and charging devices could result in damage to your device and pose a possible risk of fire, explosion, or battery failure leading to serious injuries, or other serious hazards. Damage caused by use with products, not manufactured, licensed, or supplied by Microsoft is not covered under the hardware warranty.
For devices using USB-C
For Surface devices that have a USB-C port, you can choose to charge your device using that. If you choose to do so, keep these things in mind:
-
For best performance, we recommend using a USB-C charger that provides at least the same wattageas the power supply that was included with your Surface. For more info about Surface power supplies, seeSurface power supplies and charging requirements.
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If you connect a lower-voltage charger or a USB-A charger with a USB-A-to-USB-C cable, your device may charge slowly. Please connect a recommended charger instead.
-
If the battery is drained, and the charger youre using uses 60 watts or more, your Surface will instantly turn on when you plug it in. If youre using a charger that uses less than 60 watts, your Surface must charge to 10% before it will turn on.
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You won't be able to charge your Surface with a Surface Connect charger and USB-C charger at the same time. If both are connected, your Surface will only charge from the Surface Connect charger.
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Surface Studio 2 has a USB-C port, but it doesn't have a battery and doesn't receive inbound power through USB-C. You should use the power cord that came with your Surface Studio 2 for power.
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If you experience charging issues when using a USB-C port, seeFix USB-C problems.
Frequently asked questions
How much battery charge is left?
The battery status appears in several places:
-
Lock screen: When you wake your Surface, the battery icon appears in the lower-right corner of the lock screen.
-
Desktop taskbar: Battery status appears at the right side of the taskbar. Select the battery icon for info about the charging and battery status, including the percentage of power and time remaining.
Your Surface alerts you when the battery is getting low. If you dont recharge the battery when you get this alert, your Surface will eventually save your work and shut down.
How can you tell if your Surface is charging?
While your Surface is charging, the LED indicator on the tip of the power supply's charging connector is lit to show your Surface is getting power, and the battery icon will show an electrical plug. Select the Battery iconto see an estimate of how long it should take until the device is fully charged. It might take a minute for that estimate to appear.
If the LED indicator isn't lit or the battery icon doesnt show that the battery is charging [you dont see the electrical plug on the icon], see Surface Battery wont charge or Surface wont run on battery.
Check to make sure that the LED indicator on the tip of the power supply's charging connector is lit. If it's not, you may have an issue with your power supply. For more info, see What to do if your Surface power supply or charger doesn't work.
How long does it take to charge a Surface?
It can take a few hours to fully charge the battery when its empty. It can take longer if youre using your Surface for power-intensive activities like gaming or video streaming while youre charging it. To see the estimated time remaining to fully charge the battery, select the battery icon on the right side of the taskbar.
Additional charging information for Surface Book
The batteries in Surface Book may also charge at different rates, depending on the power state of each battery. Whichever battery has less than 20% charge will be charged first. After both batteries have been charged to 20%, both are charged at the same time.
To determine if you can upgrade your Surface Book 2 to Windows 11, see Which Surface devices can be upgraded to Windows 11?
Surface power supplies and charging requirements
To find the power supply and charging requirements for your Surface device, see Surface power supplies and charging requirements.
For info on how to properly care for the power cord and power supply, see Clean and care for your Surface.
What is Fast Charging?
Some Surface devices support Fast Charging, which lets you charge your device more quickly. For more info about Fast Charging and the power requirements for it, see Fast Charging for Surface devices.
What is touch current?
Touch current, or tingle current, may be detected by some device users when a minute, non-hazardous amount of residual electrical current passes through the user when touching a device. The sensation caused by touch current can range from a sensation of vibration, toa slight tingleor mild pinpricks.
Touch current may be detected when a device is plugged into wall [mains] power.Normally, electricity runs from the wall outlet, through the device, and back to the wall outlet in a short, closed-loop system. Touch current may be noticed if a tiny fraction of the electrical current passes through a user rather than returning to the wall outlet. Good device design and electrical safety hazard tests ensure that any touch current passing through a person is insignificant and non-hazardous.
Touch current does not occur when operating a device on battery power because the devices power source [the battery] and its power system are contained completely inside the device.
Microsofts internal standards for touch current, which are stricter than the applicable regulatory standards, are designed to minimize the perception for touch current.
Safety and regulatory information
To view the safety and regulatory information for Surface and Surface power supplies, including shipping information and AC power cord safety, see Safety Information for Microsoft Devices.
Buy a power supply
If youre interested in purchasing an additional power supply, or upgrading your power supply, see Microsoft Surface power supplies at the Microsoft Store.
Surface power supplies are designed to work with Surface. We strongly recommend only using a genuine Microsoft or Microsoft-licensed power supply, one that either came with your Surface or was purchased separately, to charge the battery.
Related topics
-
Surface Battery wont charge or Surface wont run on battery
-
Surface won't turn on or wake from sleep
-
Surface power states
-
Caring for your Surface battery
Heres some info about charging your Surface and what Microsoft-licensed power supplies are available for Surface.
For Surface Studio power information, see Troubleshoot power problems with Surface Studio models.
Having issues charging your Surface, or other battery related issues? See Surface Battery wont charge or Surface wont run on battery.
Connect your charger
To begin charging your Surface, connect the power supply that came with your Surfaceto a power source such as a wall outlet, power strip, or surge protector.
You can plug the charging connector into the charging port on your Surface in either direction, except on Surface 3 where the charging connector must be plugged in with cable extending down and the LED indicator facing you.
When the power supply is connected to your Surface, connected to a power source, and your Surface is receiving power, the LED indicator on the tip of the power supply's charging connector will be lit.
If the LED indicator is not lit, you may have an issue with your power supply. For more info, see What to do if your Surface power supply or charger doesn't work.
We strongly recommend that you use only a genuine Microsoft or Microsoft-licensed power supply, one that either came with your Surface or was purchased separately, to charge the battery. You can purchase Microsoft-licensed power supplies from the Microsoft Store.
Important: Third-party compatibility
Some third-party accessories may be incompatible with your device or are potentially counterfeit, so we strongly recommend that you purchase and use original Microsoft or Microsoft-licensed devices or accessories only. Use of incompatible or counterfeit accessories, batteries, and charging devices could result in damage to your device and pose a possible risk of fire, explosion, or battery failure leading to serious injuries, or other serious hazards. Damage caused by use with products, not manufactured, licensed, or supplied by Microsoft is not covered under the hardware warranty.
For devices using USB-C
For Surface devices that have a USB-C port, you can choose to charge your device using that. If you choose to do so, keep these things in mind:
-
For best performance, we recommend using a USB-C charger that provides at least the same wattageas the power supply that was included with your Surface. For more info about Surface power supplies, see Surface power supplies and charging requirements.
-
If you connect a lower-voltage charger or a USB-A charger with a USB-A-to-USB-C cable, your device may charge slowly or you may receive a PC isnt charging error. Please connect a recommended charger instead.
-
If the battery is drained, and the charger youre using uses 60 watts or more, your Surface will instantly turn on when you plug it in. If youre using a charger that uses less than 60 watts, your Surface must charge to 10% before it will turn on.
-
You won't be able to charge your Surface with a Surface Connect charger and USB-C charger at the same time. If both are connected, your Surface will only charge from the Surface Connect charger.
-
Surface Studio 2 has a USB-C port, but it doesn't have a battery and doesn't receive inbound power through USB-C. You should use the power cord that came with your Surface Studio 2 for power.
-
If you experience charging issues when using a USB-C port, seeFix USB-C problems.
Frequently asked questions
How much battery charge is left?
The battery status appears in several places:
-
Lock screen: When you wake your Surface, the battery icon appears in the lower-right corner of the lock screen.
-
Desktop taskbar: Battery status appears at the right side of the taskbar. Select the battery icon for info about the charging and battery status, including the percentage of power and time remaining.
Your Surface alerts you when the battery is getting low. If you dont recharge the battery when you get this alert, your Surface will eventually save your work and shut down.
How can you tell if your Surface is charging?
While your Surface is charging, the LED indicator on the tip of the power supply's charging connector is lit to show your Surface is getting power, and the battery icon will show an electrical plug. Select the battery iconto see an estimate of how long it should take until the device is fully charged. It might take a minute for that estimate to appear.
If the LED indicator isn't lit or the battery icon doesnt show that the battery is charging [you dont see the electrical plug on the icon], See Surface Battery wont charge or Surface wont run on battery.
How can you tell if your Surface isn't charging?
If your Surface isn't charging properly, a "PC isn't charging" alert will appear on your device [shown below in English].
Check to make sure that the LED indicator on the tip of the power supply's charging connector is lit. If it's not, you may have an issue with your power supply. For more info, see What to do if your Surface power supply or charger doesn't work.
How long does it take to charge a Surface?
It can take a few hours to fully charge the battery when its empty. It can take longer if youre using your Surface for power-intensive activities like gaming or video streaming while youre charging it. To see the estimated time remaining to fully charge the battery, select the battery icon on the right side of the taskbar.
Additional charging information for Surface Book
The batteries in Surface Book may also charge at different rates, depending on the power state of each battery. Whichever battery has less than 20% charge will be charged first. After both batteries have been charged to 20%, both are charged at the same time.
Surface power supplies and charging requirements
To find the power supply and charging requirements for your Surface device, see Surface power supplies and charging requirements.
For info on how to properly care for the power cord and power supply, see Clean and care for your Surface.
What is Fast Charging?
Some Surface devices support Fast Charging, which lets you charge your device more quickly. For more info about Fast Charging and the power requirements for it, see Fast Charging for Surface devices.
What is touch current?
Touch current, or tingle current, may be detected by some device users when a minute, non-hazardous amount of residual electrical current passes through the user when touching a device. The sensation caused by touch current can range from a sensation of vibration, toa slight tingleor mild pinpricks.
Touch current may be detected when a device is plugged into wall [mains] power.Normally, electricity runs from the wall outlet, through the device, and back to the wall outlet in a short, closed-loop system. Touch current may be noticed if a tiny fraction of the electrical current passes through a user rather than returning to the wall outlet. Good device design and electrical safety hazard tests ensure that any touch current passing through a person is insignificant and non-hazardous.
Touch current does not occur when operating a device on battery power because the devices power source [the battery] and its power system are contained completely inside the device.
Microsofts internal standards for touch current, which are stricter than the applicable regulatory standards, are designed to minimize the perception for touch current.
Safety and regulatory information
To view the safety and regulatory information for Surface and Surface power supplies, including shipping information and AC power cord safety, see Safety Information for Microsoft Devices.
Buy a power supply
If youre interested in purchasing an additional power supply, or upgrading your power supply, see Microsoft Surface power supplies at the Microsoft Store.
Surface power supplies are designed to work with Surface. We strongly recommend only using a genuine Microsoft or Microsoft-licensed power supply, one that either came with your Surface or was purchased separately, to charge the battery.
Related topics
-
Surface Battery wont charge or Surface wont run on battery
-
Surface won't turn on or wake from sleep
-
Surface power states
-
Caring for your Surface battery