How to charge the Microsoft Band 2

Inside the box, the Microsoft Band 2 comes with a USB charging cable. To charge the Microsoft Band 2, plug the USB end of the cable into a powered USB port (USB 2.0 or greater) and connect the magnetic charging connector on the USB charging cable to the charging port on the clasp of your Band. The battery on the Microsoft Band 2 can reach 80 percent after charging for just 20 minutes.

Finding powered USB ports isn't hard. You can connect the USB end of the charging cable to a USB port on your laptop or your phone's AC adapter. If I need to charge at the office, I connect my Microsoft Band 2's charging cable to the Anker PowerPort 6 USB Charging Hub.

How to check the Microsoft Band 2 battery status

There are several ways to check the battery status on your Microsoft Band 2. From your band, swipe right from the Me tile. You'll see the battery indicator on the lower left corner.

You can also see it on your phone from the Microsoft Health app. From the hamburger menu on the top left corner, select My Microsoft Band. The battery indicator is shown on top of the page.

If you want to see the battery percentage on the Microsoft Band 2, connect it to the charger and press the power button. You'll see the percentage of remaining battery power along with the time and date against a dark background.

Notes

Charging the Microsoft Band 2 is pretty straightforward, however, here are some helpful notes:

  • Even though the battery may reach 80 percent after charging for 20 minutes, it can take two or more hours to charge it to 100 percent. This is normal for lithium-polymer batteries.
  • Make sure the charging port on your Band and the magnetic charging connector on the USB charging cable are clean and dry.
  • If you're having problems charging your Microsoft Band 2, try restarting it. Press and hold the power button and the action button on your Band at the same time until the screen flashes red and then your Band turns off. Press the power button again to restart

Also, make sure to read our Microsoft Band 2 battery tips to get more juice out of it. Did you get the Microsoft Band 2 yet? Are you still on the fence? Share your thoughts in the comments!

Mark Guim

Mark Guim is Video Editor at Windows Central. He switched to Windows because the MacBook Pro isn't Pro enough. You can follow him on Twitter at @markguim.