Joan ePaper badges have a built-in rechargeable battery and charge on any Qi wireless charger. This article applies to visitor, employee and event badges.

**In this article**

- [How long does a badge last on one charge?](#how-long-does-a-badge-last-on-one-charge)
- [How do I charge a badge?](#how-do-i-charge-a-badge)
- [How do I charge many badges at once?](#how-do-i-charge-many-badges-at-once)
- [How do I check the battery level?](#how-do-i-check-the-battery-level)
- [What happens when the battery is empty?](#what-happens-when-the-battery-is-empty)

## How long does a badge last on one charge?

A fully charged badge lasts about 7 weeks: about 49 days if its content doesn't change, and about 38 days if it changes 20 times a day. Most of the battery goes to Bluetooth, which keeps the badge ready to be found and updated, so how often the content changes makes only a small difference.

A badge also uses its battery while it's stored and unused. A badge that has been in a drawer for several weeks may need charging before you use it.

For the full battery table, see [Joan Badge: NFC, Bluetooth and technical prerequisites](/help/visitor-management/joan-badge-nfc-bluetooth-and-technical-prerequisites).

## How do I charge a badge?

Place the badge on any Qi-compatible wireless charger.

| Item | Value |
| --- | --- |
| From empty to full | about 2.5 hours |
| From about 20% to full | about 2 hours |
| Charger power | Any Qi charger. A 10 W or 15 W charger doesn't charge faster than a 5 W one, because the badge always charges at the same rate. |

You can leave a badge on the charger for days or weeks. Charging stops automatically when the battery is full.

## How do I charge many badges at once?

Every badge takes about the same time to charge, whatever the charger, so the number of charging spots decides how quickly you can charge a fleet.

**Chargers we recommend**

- **Multiple badges:** the [Zens Quattro Charger Pro 4](https://zens.tech/products/quattro-charger-pro-4) charges up to 4 badges at the same time.
- **Single badges:** any Qi charger works, for example [GEJIN wireless chargers](https://www.amazon.de/dp/B0F62TLP7M), sold on Amazon as a 2-pack of single chargers.

**Example: 300 badges before an event**

- With 75 four-badge chargers (300 spots), all badges charge in one round of about 2.5 hours.
- With 20 four-badge chargers (80 spots), you need 4 rounds, about 10 hours in total.

**Tips**

- Charge badges a day or more before an event. A full charge lasts several weeks, so badges charged early are still full on the day.
- Recharge badges that have been stored for a few weeks before you hand them out.
- Keep chargers where badges are returned, for example next to the reception tablet, so returned badges go straight back on charge.

## How do I check the battery level?

- **On the badge:** press and hold the button on the back for about 4 seconds. The badge shows its battery percentage and MAC address.
- **Visitor badges in MyJoan:** go to **Settings -> Visitor -> Devices**. The battery level is read each time the Visitor Management tablet updates the badge over Bluetooth, so it shows the reading from the badge's last update.
- **Employee badges:** admins and office managers can see the battery level in the Joan Workplace mobile app when the badge is in Bluetooth range. The MyJoan web portal doesn't show battery levels for employee badges. See [Employee badge battery and charging](/help/employee-badges/employee-badge-battery-and-charging).

## What happens when the battery is empty?

An empty badge shows a red battery icon at the bottom centre of the display. The rest of the content stays on screen, because an e-paper display keeps its last image without power. The badge can't be updated until it's charged again.

If you need help, contact us through the [support form](https://getjoan.com/help/contact).