Why does the battery icon show charging when it's unplugged?

There isn’t a normal setting that makes an unplugged laptop charge. First, disconnect any USB-C dock or monitor too—those can supply power even without the usual charger.

If nothing is supplying power, hover over the battery icon and check Settings > System > Power & battery. If only the taskbar icon is wrong, restart Windows Explorer from Task Manager. If Settings also says it’s charging, save your work and use Restart, rather than just closing the lid.

If it persists, run your laptop manufacturer’s battery diagnostics and check for model-specific firmware and power-management updates. A battery percentage that steadily falls while “charging” is displayed suggests incorrect status reporting, not actual charging.

Avoid generic battery-removal or controller-reset instructions until you’ve checked the manufacturer’s procedure for your model.