BatteryNotifier

The most lightweight Windows tray application for charging notifications. It notifies you when your laptop battery reaches user-defined thresholds for connecting or disconnecting the charger to prolong battery life. Uses under 1 MB of RAM in most cases!

Features

• Tiny footprint: Written in C++ with raw Win32 APIs, typically under 1 MB memory use.
• Simple config: Set thresholds in an .ini file. The app reloads it on-the-fly every 30 seconds.
• Balloon notifications: Displays balloon tips (legacy Windows style) by default, which may appear in Action Center on Windows 10/11.
• Enhanced notification control: Notifications are now configurable based on time intervals or percentage changes.
• User-configured thresholds display: Initial balloon tip shows user-configured charging thresholds for quick reference.

Configuration

Create or edit a .ini file named BatteryNotifier.ini in the same folder as the .exe. Example:

[Settings]
UnplugThreshold=80
PlugThreshold=35
NoRecurringBelow=true
NotificationTimeout=30
NotificationIntervalType=time
NotificationIntervalValue=5

Note: Please restart application after making changes (right-click tray icon).

Explanation:

• UnplugThreshold: If battery >= this value and you’re on AC, you’ll see an "unplug" balloon.
• PlugThreshold: If battery <= this value and you’re on battery, you’ll see a "plug in" balloon.
• NoRecurringBelow: true or false. If true, only one "below threshold" balloon until you plug in again.
• NotificationTimeout: Time (in seconds) to request the balloon stay on screen (Windows may ignore or clamp it).
• NotificationIntervalType: time or percentage. Determines how notification frequency is calculated.
  • time: Notifications are shown at intervals defined by NotificationIntervalValue (in minutes).
  • percentage: Notifications are shown only if the battery percentage changes by the specified amount.
• NotificationIntervalValue: Time in minutes (if NotificationIntervalType is time) or percentage points.

Setup & Usage

Either download the compiled x64 version from releases or follow the steps below. Keep .exe (app) and .ini (config file) in the same folder.

1. Compile the application in Visual Studio (with the "Desktop development with C++" workload) or using the MSVC command line.
2. Place BatteryNotifier.exe and BatteryNotifier.ini in the same folder.
3. Run the .exe. A tray icon will appear (hover text: "BatteryNotifier").
4. Right-click the tray icon and select "Exit" to quit the application.

Improvements in the Latest Version

• Refactored code: Improved readability and maintainability by organizing configuration loading and state tracking.
• New configuration options: Added NotificationIntervalType and NotificationIntervalValue for greater control over notification intervals.
• Notification management: Introduced the CanShowNotification function to control notification frequency.
• Enhanced initial balloon tip: Displays user-configured thresholds for quick reference.
• Updated logic: Modified CheckBattery to reset notification states and integrate the CanShowNotification function.
• State variables: Added g_aboveShown and g_lastNotifyBattery for advanced notification tracking.
• Improved messages: Notifications are now more descriptive and informative.
• Graceful handling: Ensures application stability with invalid or missing configuration values.

Notes

• Windows 10/11 might show balloon tips briefly or in the Action Center, ignoring long timeouts.
• Notifications may not always appear in the Notification Center or Action Center due to how Windows handles legacy balloon notifications.
• For truly persistent notifications requiring user dismissal, you would need modern Windows Toast notifications (more resource heavy).

To-Do

• Check for duplicate processes on start: Currently multiple processes will start when opening the app with existing process running (can currently be closed manually by right-clicking tray icon or task manager)