my battery life on my surface 3 is bad

If the check and setup did not give a positive result, then you should contact the service center to diagnose the laptop (not only the batteries). There may be hardware malfunctions of the power controller on the motherboard or the battery charge controller.

Hello, Cole Bylsma.

To increase battery life, follow the recommendations from this Microsoft Knowledge Base article.: https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/surface/maximize-your-surface-battery-life-45479867-a7fa-33dd-fc4d-6762e9b3b11a

Also check if the "smart charging" mode is enabled and switch to the "Charge to 100%" mode to check https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/surface/smart-charging-on-surface-dda48e48-950b-421c-a436-c48c55e158c4

Surface battery life estimates are based on specific test conditions and represent “up to” values, not guaranteed runtime. For Surface Laptop 3 13.5" Intel Core i5/i7, the 11.5 hours figure comes from controlled tests with specific workloads, brightness, and settings. Actual battery life can vary significantly depending on usage, configuration, and battery aging.

Key points from the documentation:

1. Battery life estimates vs. real-world use
   • Testing for Surface devices uses a mix of web browsing, Office apps, and idle time, with screen brightness at 150 nits, Wi‑Fi on, and default settings.
   • Battery life “varies significantly with settings, usage and other factors,” including which apps are running, background activity, and network conditions.
   • An 85% health reading means some capacity loss is expected, but heavy workloads, high brightness, or background apps can still reduce runtime to several hours.
2. Check which apps are draining the battery
   • Open detailed battery usage:
     1. Select Start > Settings > System > Power & battery.
     2. Expand Battery usage.
     3. Under Battery levels, choose Last 24 hours, then select an hour with high usage.
   • Look for apps using a lot of power. Close any apps not actively in use.
   • If apps start automatically, open Task Manager, go to Startup apps, and Disable apps that do not need to start with Windows. For more details, see Change which apps run automatically at startup in Windows.
   • For apps known to use a lot of power (e.g., heavy web browsing with many tabs, video, development tools), plug in the device while using them to reduce battery stress.
3. Make sure firmware and drivers are up to date
   • Use the Surface app to check device health and updates:
     1. Open the Surface app.
     2. Expand Help & support to see update status.
     3. If updates are available, select Check for updates to open Windows Update and install them.
   • Keeping drivers and firmware current helps preserve battery reliability and longevity.
4. Practices to help preserve and improve effective battery life
   • Let the battery regularly drain below 50% before charging again, instead of many short, shallow cycles.
   • Avoid keeping the device plugged in at 100% for long periods. If it must stay on AC power, use features like Battery Limit Mode where available (described in Caring for your Surface battery).
   • Avoid high temperatures; Surface devices are designed to operate between 32°F and 95°F (0°C–35°C). Heat accelerates battery aging and reduces capacity.
5. When expectations vs. reality differ
   • Documentation notes that lithium‑ion batteries are consumables that age and deteriorate over time, and that users will see changes in battery life.
   • If battery runtime remains unusually low after:
     • Checking and reducing high-usage apps,
     • Installing all Surface and Windows updates,
     • Using recommended charging practices, then the device may be experiencing more significant battery degradation than normal.

In that case, use the Surface app’s Get help option under Help & support to run checks and contact support for further diagnostics or repair options.

References:

• Surface battery testing and estimated performance
• Surface Laptop 3 specs and features
• Maximize your Surface battery life
• Caring for your Surface battery