Users have complained about Apple Watch’s battery life since its initial release, and those complaints are not unwarranted. The new Apple Watch 7, for example, rates about the same expected battery life as the Apple Watch 6 and the Apple Watch 4, and none of them can go more than about a day without being charged.
While we’d have loved to see some improvements on battery life with the release of the Apple Watch7, we’re at least excited that there are ways to improve the battery life on the Apple Watch, and most of the improvements won’t cause too much disruption to your daily use of the gadget. We’ve put together a set of tips for those who want to optimize their Apple Watch battery life, and we’ve also included guidance on how to properly charge your Apple Watch to preserve its battery lifespan in the long run.
How to extend battery life on your Apple Watch
Update to the latest version of watchOS
Normally we wouldn’t include this, but seeing as how watchOS 8 just dropped this week, you may see some performance enhancements when you update. Note that watchOS 8 is compatible with AppleWatch Series 3 and above.
Turn off “Hey Siri”
Using “Hey Siri” can be useful, but if you’re not a big Siri user, turning it off can help keep battery life on your Apple Watch in tip-top shape. You can turn “Hey Siri” off by going to the Watch app on your iPhone, selecting Siri, and then hitting the “Listen for ‘Hey Siri’” switch.
Turn on Power Reserve
If you’re really in a bind and need to keep your Apple Watch from dying out, turning on Power Reserve is an option to keep in mind. With Power Reserve on, you can see the time on your device but it won’t communicate with your iPhone. You also can’t access other watch features. This is a handy tip if, for example, you’re going to be in a movie or otherwise off the grid for a bit and don’t want to waste battery life for no reason.
To turn on Power Reserve, Apple notes:
- Swipe up on the watch face to open Control Center.
- Tap the battery percentage.
- Drag the Power Reserve slider, then tap Proceed.
Get rid of Apple Watch Activity Reminders
Open the Watch app on your phone, select Activity, and then select the “Notifications Off” option.
Turn on Power Saving Mode while working out
Activating Power Saving Mode while working out will temporarily turn off the device’s heart rate monitor when running or walking. To turn this on, go to the Watch app and then select the Workout option. From there, you should see a toggle for Power Saving Mode.
Turn off Background App Refresh
Similar to iOS, turning Background App Refresh off on watchOS will help preserve battery life. With this turned off, only complications on the watch face will refresh. To turn this off, go to the Watch app, select General > Background App Refresh and toggle it to the off position.
Don’t use the Always On Display
If you have an Apple Watch that can support an Always On Display, turning the feature off can help extend your battery life. Sure, this feature is helpful, but if you’re not looking at your device constantly throughout the day, you could be wasting battery life in the process.
To turn it off, go to the settings app. Next, go to Display & Brightness > Always On, and toggle it off.
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Turn off raise to wake
Another display-oriented tip. If you move around a lot during the day, there’s a good chance your Apple Watch display lights up every time you move your wrist. Over the course of a day, the display going on and off can slowly eat up your device’s battery life.
If you don’t want your Apple Watch to wake when you raise your wrist or turn the Digital Crown, open the Settings app on your Apple Watch, go to Display & Brightness, then configure Wake on Wrist Raise and Raise On Crown Up.
