The Apple Watch has risen to incredible popularity ever since the first version came out. It is packed with a long list of features that allow you to use your phone easily. Since it connects directly to your iPhone, there’s so much that you can do without having to take out your phone. Plus, the Apple Watch battery lasts long, up to a good 18 hours initially.
It’s no wonder that people rushed to get their own Apple Watch. However, after extended usage, an issue that many users faced was the battery life. Although it was sufficient, many wanted it to make the Apple Watch's Battery last longer. We'll review some tips and tricks to help you maximize your Apple Watch battery life.
To find out more about Apple watches, check out our other articles that explain how to set up an Apple Watch and how to connect your Apple Watch to Android. If you’re interested in everything about Apple, here’s what we know about the iPhone 15.
How long does the Apple Watch battery last?
For various users, the battery time may vary depending on the use of the product. For example, workouts or GPS tracking drain the battery faster, while checking it rarely can make it last all day. Apple states that the battery of the Apple Watch Series 8 and older lasts an average of 18 hours after a full charge. The Apple Watch Ultra, however, lasts up to 36 hours.
Apple estimates 90 time-checks, 90 notifications, 45 minutes of application use, and an hour of workout with music played over Bluetooth.
Charging the watch is also relatively simple. All you need to do is plug the magnetic charging cable into a wall socket and place your Apple Watch face on the charging puck. Once your watch displays a green lightning bolt, it has begun charging. Within 70 to 90 minutes, you’ll be able to get a full charge.
What features drain the Apple Watch battery faster?
Here are some things to watch out for if you intend to maximize battery life. This list may also help you identify why your Apple Watch's battery drains faster than others.
- The Always on Display feature
- Long periods of GPS tracking
- LTE support (especially calls)
- Long workouts
- Extended calls via Bluetooth
How to make the Apple Watch battery last longer
In order to enhance battery life, you can try the following methods:
Use Low Power mode
Using Low Power mode increases the battery life from 18 to 36 hours. It works on all Apple Watches that have watchOS 9 and above, but there is a drawback. Keeping it on at all times prevents you from using various features that the watch comes with; it disables the Wi-Fi, the heart rate monitor turns off, and notifications are fetched once an hour.
To turn on this feature, go to your watch settings and toggle “Low Power Mode.” It will stay on until turned off manually or if your watch battery reaches 80% or higher.
Turn off Optimized Battery Charging
Optimized battery charging attempts to maximize battery life by deciding the best time to fully charge your Apple Watch. It does so based on your habits and usage but only charges your watch to 80% in other cases. Turning this off may solve the problem. To do so, go to battery health in the battery settings of your Apple Watch and turn off “Optimized Battery Charging.”
Turn off the Always On Display and Raise to Wake
When your display remains on at all times, it will definitely reduce battery life faster. Moreover, raise to wake turns the display on every time you raise your hand, so even if you raise it without the intention of viewing your watch, the battery is consumed.
Turning these features off will allow you to view the display only when you want to. You can find the ALways on Display option in the “Display & Brightness” option in your settings, while Raise to Wake is available in “General.” Do bear in mind that you will have to tap your watch screen or press a button every time you want to view the display.
Reduce motion
WatchOS comes with various graphical features and animation. If you think you can work without them, it could greatly help your battery. You can turn them off in the Accessibility menu in the Watch app.
Turn off the Heart Rate Monitor
One of the many features of the Apple Watch is its ability to determine your heart rate. If this is something that you aren’t interested in, it is best to turn it off. Since it is constantly checking your pulse, it takes away a significant amount of battery life.
With these tips, you’ll definitely be able to make your Apple Watch’s battery last longer. If you want to find out more about your Apple Watch, we can help. You can discover more about the Apple Watch’s charge time or what to do if it is stuck on an update. You can even check out the pros and cons of upgrading to iOS 15.