The Apple Watch is a stellar smartwatch, seamlessly melding style with functionality. While the newer models feature faster charging capabilities, one mark against the entire series remains the weak battery life. Apple claims that the watches should go for 18 hours between charges, but what should you do if your Apple Watch drains its battery too fast? We’ve got some answers below.
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There could be multiple reasons why your Apple Watch is dying so fast. If it's an older model, it may be due to the age of its components. Newer models could have a pairing or software update issue. Adjusting your settings can extend your Apple Watch's battery life.
The Apple Watch is by no means the longest-lasting smartwatch, but if it drains within hours, bigger problems are at play. There’s no single answer to this, but these problems are usually simple.
Software update
Apple suggests checking for new software upgrades regularly. I’d recommend only upgrading to the latest software a few days after release once it’s clear that it is mainly bug-free. Keep abreast of software updates and the changelog for battery and efficiency improvements.
Pairing issues
Believe it or not, your Apple Watch will require more power if it struggles to hold a connection or is disconnected from your iPhone. Try re-pairing the watch with your phone if this seems to be an issue. Additionally, be sure to keep Bluetooth activated on your iPhone.
Age
New devices don’t perform as well as when fresh out of the box. This is especially true for batteries. Depending on your Apple Watch’s age, the device’s battery might be nearing the end of its useful life. You can likely have it replaced by Apple, but upgrading to a newer Apple Watch is arguably more viable.
Atmospheric conditions
Batteries don’t operate well when they’re too hot or too cold. If you’re in a particularly frigid or hot region or keep your watch in direct sunlight, your climactic conditions could decrease your Apple Watch’s battery life. Apple suggests keeping the watch “in ambient temperatures between 32°F to 95°F (0°C and 35°C).”
Tips to get the most out of your Apple Watch’s battery
The Apple Watch can’t compete on the battery life front compared to its Fitbit and Garmin rivals. Your watch should last for at least a day between charges. There are ways to extend this battery life. Find a few tips to maximize your Apple Watch’s battery life below.
Apple suggests switching off the heart rate monitor during workouts to maximize battery life. It’s an odd suggestion and will reduce the accuracy of your calorie counts, but it’s worth considering if you struggle to make it through a jog.
Open the Watch app on your iPhone, head to My Watch > Privacy > Motion and Fitness > toggle off Heart Rate.
The display is among the biggest battery drains on modern devices, and that’s no less true on the Apple Watch. Consider decreasing the display’s brightness, disabling the always-on display, and decreasing the wake screen time.
You can find all three by heading to Settings > Brightness & Display on your Apple Watch.
Additionally, disabling the wrist-wake gesture will ensure your Apple Watch’s screen doesn’t randomly light up when unneeded.
On your iPhone, open the Watch app > My Watch > General > Wake Screen > toggle off Wake Screen on Wrist Raise. Once complete, restart your Apple Watch and iPhone.
On older watches, you should consider disabling watchOS animations. This will remove some eye candy but will put less stress on the watch’s hardware and battery.
Head to the Watch app on your iPhone > My Watch > General > Accessibility > toggle on Reduce Motion.
You can also disable apps from running in the background to reduce power usage further.
Press the side button on the Apple Watch, then use the digital crown to scroll through apps. Select an app to close by swiping on it from right to left and hitting the red close button to kill it.
If none of these solutions fix your problem, your battery issue could be a symptom of a bigger hardware problem. Consider contacting Apple directly. We list other Apple Watch problems and solutions in our dedicated guide.
FAQs
Apple Watch battery drain could be down to several factors. These may include the age of the device, the atmospheric conditions, the software your watch is running, and the activated settings.
You can check the overall health of your Apple Watch battery by opening the Settings app on your watch, selecting Battery, then tapping Battery Health.
If you own the Apple Watch Series 7, 8, 9, or Apple Watch SE 2, your battery should last for at least 18 hours between charges. The Apple Watch Ultra anmd Ultra 2 can go up to 36 hours on a single charge.
Batteries don't operate well when they're too hot or too cold. If you're in a particularly frigid or hot region or keep your watch in direct sunlight, your climactic conditions could decrease your Apple Watch's battery life. Apple suggests keeping the watch “in ambient temperatures between 32°F to 95°F (0°C and 35°C).”
Things You Should Know. Disable features like "Always On", "Hey Siri", "Wake on Wrist Raise," and other features to save battery life. If your Apple Watch is an older model, the battery may have deteriorated due to age. Low battery life could also be due to software update issues or pairing problems.
If your iPhone no longer holds a charge, certain settings could be to blame. Screen brightness, Bluetooth®, GPS, or even your Wi-Fi connection settings can drain your battery when these features are turned on. Life is short.
Check the charging cable for damage. for 5-10 seconds. If the device powers on, but doesn't hold a charge, power cycle the device then charge fully and re-test. Ensure a manufacturer-approved charging cable is used to avoid extended charging times or other charging issues.
Apple Watch is so capable you'll want to wear it all day long. So we made sure we gave it a battery that lasts all day, too. Our goal for battery life is 18 hours after an overnight charge, factoring in things like checking the time, receiving notifications, using apps, and doing a 60-minute workout.
We can service the battery in your Apple Watch for a fee. Our warranty doesn't cover batteries that wear down from normal use. Your product is eligible for battery service at no additional cost if you have AppleCare+ and your product's battery holds less than 80% of its original capacity.
If your phone's battery is draining faster than usual, it either means you're using a lot of energy or your phone is not using energy efficiently. This could mean you're overworking your phone by running too many applications, or something is physically wrong with the phone battery itself.
There are two simple ways you can preserve battery life — no matter how you use your device: adjust your screen brightness and use Wi‑Fi. Dim the screen or turn on Auto-Brightness to extend battery life. To dim, open Control Centre and drag the Brightness slider to the bottom.
Screen use uses more battery power than virtually anything else depending on your brightness setting. Another possibility: There might have been an app or two (or 20) running in the background and using processing power.
If your battery is running out faster than it should, it's possible that there's something wrong with how your watch and phone are paired. You can resolve a lot of issues by un-pairing your watch and then re-pairing it as a new watch, which should wipe out any of the corruption that caused the battery glitch.
You can find out the capacity of your Apple Watch battery relative to when it was new. Open the Settings app on your Apple Watch. Tap Battery, then tap Battery Health.
It is also important to note that an Apple Watch doesn't show which apps use the most battery. However, users can view a breakdown of their Apple Watch's battery usage by opening the “Settings” app and tapping “Battery”.
Low Power Mode prolongs battery life by turning off always-on display, limiting the cellular and Wi-Fi connections of your Apple Watch, and disabling background sensor readings including heart rate measurements, high and low heart rate notifications, and irregular rhythm notifications.
Regardless of how you use your Apple Watch, the battery life will deplete slightly after every charging cycle. Apple defines a charging cycle as every 100% battery capacity discharged. There's no indication from Apple that charging overnight affects battery health.
When batteries chemically age. All rechargeable batteries are consumable components that become less effective as they chemically age. As lithium-ion batteries chemically age, the amount of charge they can hold diminishes, resulting in shorter amounts of time before a device needs to be recharged.
You can find out the capacity of your Apple Watch battery relative to when it was new. Open the Settings app on your Apple Watch. Tap Battery, then tap Battery Health.
Why Won't My Apple Watch Turn On? The most common reason for the Apple Watch display to go dark and become unresponsive is a battery issue. Unless you've been wearing the Apple Watch all day and depleted the battery, the first troubleshooting step you should perform is a forced restart.
If your Apple Watch dies during a workout, don't stress, you can manually add the workout data to the Health app by referring to your previous workout history. This allows you to estimate the calories burned and other important metrics for the entire workout.
Introduction: My name is Twana Towne Ret, I am a famous, talented, joyous, perfect, powerful, inquisitive, lovely person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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