Maximize Your Apple Watch Battery Life With These Tips & Tricks

Keeping your Apple Watch charged throughout the day can be a challenge, especially if you’re an active user who relies on its fitness tracking features and notifications. The good news is, that there are several tweaks you can make to optimize your watch’s battery life and ensure it lasts longer between charges. This guide dives deep into various settings and usage habits that can significantly improve your Apple Watch’s battery performance.

Understanding Apple Watch Battery Life

Before we delve into optimization strategies, let’s establish some baseline expectations for Apple Watch battery life. According to Apple, Series 8 and older models should offer around 18 hours of battery life, while the Apple Watch Ultra boasts a more extended 36-hour lifespan. However, these figures are estimates based on specific usage scenarios that may not reflect your habits. Factors like notification frequency, display brightness, and fitness tracking features can significantly impact battery life.

Here’s a breakdown of how certain activities affect battery life:

Frequent app usage: Extensive app usage, especially those with high processing demands or location services enabled, will drain the battery faster.
Notifications: Every notification that pops up on your watch screen requires the display to illuminate, consuming battery life.
Always-On Display: This convenient feature is a major battery drain as it keeps the display continuously lit.
Heart Rate Monitoring: Continuous heart rate monitoring consumes battery, although the impact can be minimized by enabling optimizations during workouts.
Workout Tracking: GPS and heart rate tracking during workouts are essential for accurate data but also contribute to battery drain.

Optimizing Battery Life: Practical Strategies

Now that you understand the factors affecting battery life, let’s explore practical strategies to maximize it:

1. Utilize Low Power Mode

The most straightforward way to extend battery life is by enabling Low Power Mode. This mode prioritizes core functionalities while disabling features like the always-on display, background app refresh, and background sensor readings (including heart rate and blood oxygen measurements). While in Low Power Mode, notifications may arrive less frequently.

How to Enable Low Power Mode:

Swipe up from the watch face to access the Control Center.
Locate the battery percentage tile and tap it.
Toggle the switch next to “Low Power Mode” to activate it.

Benefits:

Significantly extends battery life (up to double the standard life).
Ideal for situations where you need your watch to last longer, such as during travel.

Limitations:

Disables certain features that enhance the user experience.
Notifications might arrive with a delay.

2. Leverage Low Power Mode Workouts

For workouts where heart rate tracking isn’t crucial, you can enable a specific Low Power Mode for workouts. This mode reduces the frequency of GPS and heart rate readings, preserving battery life without sacrificing core workout tracking functionalities.

How to Enable Low Power Mode During Workouts:

Open the Watch app on your iPhone.
Navigate to “Workout”.
Toggle on the switch next to “Enable Low Power Mode.”

Benefits:

Conserve battery life during extended workouts.
Maintains essential workout tracking features.

Limitations:

Less accurate heart rate and GPS data compared to standard workout mode.

3. Activate Optimized Battery Charging

The Apple Watch, similar to iPhones, supports Optimized Battery Charging. This feature helps maintain long-term battery health by learning your charging routine and delaying charging to 80% until just before you typically take your watch off. This reduces stress on the battery, promoting better longevity.

How to Enable Optimized Battery Charging:

Open the Settings app on your Apple Watch.
Navigate to “Battery”.
Select “Battery Health”.
Toggle on the switch next to “Optimized Battery Charging”.

Benefits:

Extends overall battery lifespan by reducing wear and tear.
Automatically learns your charging habits for optimal battery health.

Limitations:

May not be ideal if you frequently need a quick top-up before heading out.

4. Deactivate the Always-On Display

The always-on display, while aesthetically pleasing, is a significant battery drain. Disabling it extends battery life considerably, especially if you don’t require the time to be constantly displayed on your wrist.

How to Deactivate the Always-On Display:

Open the Settings app on your Apple Watch.
Navigate to “Display & Brightness”.
Toggle off the switch next to “Always On”.

Benefits:

Major improvement in battery life.
Ideal for situations where constant time display isn’t necessary.

Limitations:

Requires raising your wrist or tapping the display to view the time.

5. Manage Notifications Effectively

The constant stream of notifications on your Apple Watch can drain the battery quickly. Here are ways to manage notifications effectively:

Reduce Notification Frequency: You can choose to mirror only the most important notifications from your iPhone to your Watch. This allows you to stay informed without overwhelming your watch and draining its battery.

How to Manage Notifications:

Open the Watch app on your iPhone.
Scroll down to “Mirror iPhone Alerts From”.
Toggle off notifications for apps you don’t require on your Watch.

Benefits:

Reduces unnecessary display activations.
Minimizes battery drain caused by notification alerts.

Limitations:

You might miss notifications from certain apps.
Silence Your Watch: If you find notification vibrations distracting or unnecessary, consider silencing your Apple Watch. This way, you’ll only receive visual notifications when you raise your wrist or tap the display, saving battery life.

How to Silence Your Watch:

Swipe up from the watch face to access the Control Center.
Locate the bell icon and tap it to silence your watch.

Benefits:

Eliminates battery drain caused by notification vibrations.
Offers a more discreet notification experience.

Limitations:

You might miss important notifications if you’re not actively looking at your watch.

6. Minimize Background App Refresh

Background app refresh allows apps to update their content periodically, even when you’re not actively using them. This functionality can be beneficial but also contributes to battery drain. Here’s how to manage it:

Turn Off Background Refresh Completely: For a significant battery life boost, you can disable background app refresh entirely. However, this means apps won’t update their content until you launch them manually.

How to Turn Off Background App Refresh:

Open the Settings app on your Apple Watch.
Navigate to “General”.
Select “Background App Refresh”.
Toggle the switch next to “Background App Refresh” to turn it off completely.

Benefits:

Major improvement in battery life, especially for apps that frequently update content in the background.

Limitations:

Apps won’t update information until you launch them manually.
You might miss out on timely updates from certain apps.
Selectively Disable Background Refresh: If completely disabling background refresh isn’t ideal, you can manage it app-by-app. This allows you to prioritize essential apps that require constant updates while restricting them to less-used apps.

How to Manage Background App Refresh for Individual Apps:

Open the Settings app on your Apple Watch.
Navigate to “General”.
Select “Background App Refresh”.
Toggle off the switch next to individual apps you don’t want to refresh in the background.

Benefits:

Provides a balance between battery life and app functionality.
Allows essential apps to stay updated without unnecessary battery drain.

Limitations:

Requires manual management of background refresh settings for individual apps.

7. Leverage Watch Faces with Minimal Animations

Animated watch faces are visually appealing, but the constant animations drain battery life. Opting for simpler watch faces with static colors or minimal animations can significantly improve battery performance.

How to Change Your Watch Face:

Press and hold the watch face on your Apple Watch.
Swipe left or right to browse available watch faces.
Tap on a watch face to select and apply it.

Benefits:

Reduces battery drain caused by constant animations.
Improves battery life without sacrificing watch functionality.

Limitations:

Offers less visual appeal compared to animated watch faces.

8. Utilize Do Not Disturb and Theater Modes Effectively

Do Not Disturb mode silences notifications and prevents the display from turning on when you receive them. This is useful when distractions are unwelcome, such as meetings or during sleep. Theater Mode takes Do Not Disturb a step further by also disabling screen activation when you raise your wrist.

How to Activate Do Not Disturb and Theater Modes:

Swipe up from the watch face to access Control Center.
Tap on the crescent moon icon to activate Do Not Disturb.
For Theater Mode, scroll up further and tap on the icon with two masks.

Benefits:

Conserve battery life by minimizing display activations.
Offers a distraction-free experience during meetings, sleep, or other activities.

Limitations:

You might miss important notifications while Do Not Disturb is active.
Theater Mode completely disables screen activation, even for checking the time.

9. Manage Environmental Noise Monitoring (Continued)

While informative, this feature can contribute to battery drain. If you don’t actively utilize noise-level data, consider disabling it to conserve battery life.

How to Deactivate Environmental Noise Monitoring:

Open the Settings app on your Apple Watch.
Navigate to “Noise”.
Toggle off the switch next to “Measure Sounds”.

Benefits:

Reduces battery drain caused by continuous noise level monitoring.

Limitations:

You won’t have access to real-time ambient noise level data.

10. Utilize Airplane Mode and Wi-Fi When Necessary

Disabling Bluetooth and cellular connectivity (turning on Airplane Mode) significantly improves battery life, especially if you’re not actively using these features. Additionally, when connected to Wi-Fi, your watch consumes less battery compared to cellular data usage.

How to Activate Airplane Mode and Wi-Fi:

Swipe up from the watch face to access Control Center.
Tap on the airplane icon to activate Airplane Mode.
For Wi-Fi, tap on the Wi-Fi icon to connect to a network.

Benefits:

Major improvement in battery life by disabling unnecessary connectivity features.
Using Wi-Fi conserves battery compared to cellular data.

Limitations:

Disables Bluetooth connectivity for functionalities like Apple Pay and connecting to AirPods.
Airplane Mode disables cellular data and calling functionalities.

11. Adjust Brightness Levels

The display brightness directly impacts battery life. Reducing brightness levels can significantly improve battery performance, especially if you’re indoors or in low-light environments.

How to Adjust Brightness Levels:

Swipe up from the watch face to access Control Center.
Swipe left on the brightness control panel.
Drag the slider down to adjust the brightness to a comfortable level.

Benefits:

Extends battery life by reducing display power consumption.
Ideal for situations where maximum brightness isn’t necessary.

Limitations:

Lower brightness might make the display harder to read in bright sunlight.

12. Utilize Power Reserve Mode (Apple Watch Series Ultra Only)

The Apple Watch Ultra offers a unique Power Reserve Mode designed specifically for extended battery life. This mode disables most features except for displaying the time in a low-power state. It’s ideal for situations where maximizing battery life for timekeeping is crucial, such as during long journeys or hikes.

How to Activate Power Reserve Mode (Apple Watch Ultra Only):

Open the Settings app on your Apple Watch Ultra.
Navigate to “Battery”.
Select “Power Reserve”.
Tap on “Activate” to confirm entering Power Reserve Mode.

Benefits:

Extends battery life significantly, focusing solely on displaying the time.
Ideal for situations where maximizing battery life for timekeeping is essential.

Limitations:

Disables most functionalities of the Apple Watch Ultra.
Limits functionality to displaying the time only.

13. Develop Good Charging Habits

Avoid Overnight Charging: While convenient, constantly charging your Apple Watch overnight can contribute to battery wear over time. Aim to charge your watch when it reaches around 20% and disconnect it once it reaches 80%.
Use the Original Charger: Using a certified Apple Watch charger ensures optimal charging efficiency and protects battery health.
Avoid Extreme Temperatures: Exposing your Apple Watch to extreme heat or cold can damage the battery. Keep it within a moderate temperature range for optimal performance and battery health.

Disclaimer

The information provided in this guide is intended to be informative and does not constitute professional advice. Battery life performance can vary depending on individual usage patterns, hardware variations, and software versions. Always refer to Apple’s official documentation for the latest recommendations and best practices for optimizing your Apple Watch battery life.