As much as Apple Watch is prestigious, most people criticize it because of the poor battery life it offers. On a complete charge, Apple Watch is able to run for at least 18 hours. Anything less than 18 hours of operation means your Apple Watch is draining. But Why is your Apple Watch draining so fast?
Your Apple Watch is draining so fast because of the apps running in the background, the display is set to full brightness, too many activities are running, too much smart notifications, the Wear OS software is outdated, and unfavorable atmospheric conditions. In addition, the use of third-party watch faces can drain the Apple Watch battery so quickly.
To be clear:
You are the main reason why your Apple Watch is draining the battery tremendously fast. You know the activation of some features drains the battery but you still go ahead and activate them.
Fortunately, battery issues can be fixed on the newer Apple Watches i.e Apple Watch Series 3, Series 4, Series 5, Series 6, SE, Series 7, and the latest Apple Watch Series 8. Allow me to walk you through a couple of Apple Watch battery troubleshooting.
Related Post:
How to Fix Apple Watch Battery Draining Fast (7 Causes and Fixes)
1. Disable Background Apps
Like smartphones, apps will open and run in the background of your Apple Watch. This could be the reason why your Apple Watch isn’t keeping the charge for long.
To turn off background apps and conserve battery life on your Apple Watch disable background apps. Disabling the background app is easy, follow my lead:
- Open the Apple Watch app on your paired iPhone.
- Go to General.
- Select Background App Refresh.
- Toggle off all the switches corresponding to the apps you are not using to conserve your battery.
2. End Running Activities
Other times your Apple Watch might be running too many apps without you knowing and for that your Apple Watch is losing battery so fast.
An example of an App that will continue running is the Fitness App. Make sure you end an activity when each time you are done so that your battery isn’t used. See the image above to better understand what am trying to say.
3. Manage Your Notifications
Your Apple Watch is dying quickly because there are too many notifications. Remember, notifications trigger the watch display to turn on.
And in that case, if you have active apps you might get a lot of alerts that will keep waking your screen, and if it happens for long your battery life is compromised. To manage apps on Apple Watch follow my instructions:
- Head to My Watch tab.
- Select Notifications.
- Select apps you don’t want to get notifications from.
- Tap Notifications off to turn off notifications.
4. Adjust the Brightness
Why is your Apple Watch is draining so fast? The reason for the drain could be your screen is too bright.
Consider adjusting your brightness and maybe you could prolong your battery.
Here is how to adjust the brightness on Apple Watch:
- Open the Settings App.
- Select Display & Brightness.
- Then reduce the level of brightness.
- You can also toggle the Always-On button off to save battery.
5. Turn off the Wake on Wrist Raise Option
Apple Watch 5 and later will light up its display each time you raise your hand, which can be a possible reason why your Apple watch battery is dying too fast.
Luckily, Apple Watch includes a setting that can disable the operation to help conserve charge.
The fix is easy, follow the steps I provide below:
- Open the Settings App.
- Tap on General.
- Tap the Wake Screen option.
- Disable the Wake Screen on Wrist Raise option.
5. Enable Power Reserve Mode on the Apple Watch
The other possible reason why your Apple Watch is dying quickly is that you are not using the power-saving feature.
Consider improving your Apple Watch’s battery life by turning on the power reserve mode.
Allow me to walk you through the steps of turning on the power reserve mode on the Apple Watch:
- Swipe your Apple Watch screen going up to access the Control Center.
- Tap on Battery (indicated with a percentage).
- Slide the power reserve option.
That’s it, you have just prolonged your Watch battery life using the power reserve feature.
Even so, there is a downside to the power reserve feature, which is all other features are disabled except at the current time.
To turn off the power reserve on the Apple Watch press and hold the side button.
6. Atmospheric Conditions
Your Apple Watch might be draining too fast because of the atmospheric pressure.
In case you did not know batteries don’t work well when it is too cold or too hot.
So, when you are exposing your watch to direct heat from the sun you reduce the battery life.
Also, in case you visit a temperate destination like the poles, or when winter comes your Watch will drain too quickly.
According to Apple the Watch should be kept at temperatures between 0°C and 35°C which equals 32°F to 95°F.
7. Check the Software
Your Apple Watch is not serving the 18 hours because the WatchOS is obsolete.
Apple upgrades their software frequently and they suggest you check regularly so that you can update when a new upgrade is out.
The reason for this is the new version always tries to improve the battery log on Apple Watch and is also free from bugs.
Is your Watch having trouble charging? Click here to find out why the Apple Watch won’t charge.
Frequently Asked Questions
How Long Does the Apple Watch Battery Last?
Compared to smartwatches like Garmin, Fitbit, Samsung, Amazfit, etc. Apple Watch doesn’t have a strong battery and that’s why on average an Apple Watch will last for about 18 hours after a complete charge.
How Long Does an Apple Watch take to Charge?
It takes Apple Watches about 2 and a half hours to charge to the mark. This charging period is way too long considering the watch will only last for about 18 hours.
What Apple Watch has the Best Battery Life?
Even the newest Apple Watch – Apple Watch Series 7 which is the best Apple Watch with good battery life still serves for only 18 hours. Fortunately, the Apple Watch Series 7 features fast charging that cuts the charging time.
