How to extend Apple Watch battery life

One thing I find sometimes annoying about the Apple Watch, as I am sure many of you do, is the need to charge it every day. This especially becomes more annoying when I am out and about rather than sitting at my desk. Apple is trying to improve the battery life of its Apple Watch with every new iteration and the larger Apple Watch Ultra features more space for a larger battery that is now capable of providing up to 3 days worth of battery life from a single charge.

The amazing thing about the Apple Watch is its ability to do so many different things from tracking your health stats to handling calls and messages. But unfortunately, all these services require small amounts of juice from your battery.

If you are looking for ways to extend the battery life of your Apple Watch to get the most from both convenience and the most important applications in your life. This guide will take you through a few tips and tricks that might help. You might also be interested in learning more about the Apple Watch low-power mode.

Improve Apple Watch battery life

1. Reduce Screen Brightness

Your Apple Watch screen is beautiful, no doubt. But high screen brightness can drain your battery quickly. To decrease screen brightness:

Open the settings app on your Apple Watch.
Scroll down and tap on Brightness & Text Size.
Here, use the slider to reduce the screen brightness.

2. Limit Notifications

Frequent notifications can also significantly affect battery life. To control notifications:

Open the Apple Watch app on your iPhone.
Go to My Watch > Notifications.
Here, turn off notifications for unnecessary apps.

3. Turn Off Dynamic Backgrounds

While dynamic watch faces look impressive, they can use more power. Instead, use simple watch faces and limit complications. To change this:

On your Apple Watch, press firmly on the watch face to enter customization mode.
Swipe left or right to select a simple watch face.
Tap on Customize to remove unnecessary complications.

4. Minimize Use of Fitness Tracking

The Apple Watch is fantastic for fitness tracking, but these features can be power-hungry. If not in use, consider turning off heart rate monitoring and workout tracking:

On your iPhone, open the Watch app.
Go to My Watch > Workout > Power Saving Mode.
Here, toggle on the power saving mode.

5. Update your Apple Watch Software

Apple often releases updates to improve device performance, including battery life. To update:

Connect your Apple Watch to its charger.
On your iPhone, open the Apple Watch app.
Go to General > Software Update.
Download and install any available updates.

6. Limit Background App Refresh

Background app refresh allows apps to update content in the background. Limiting this feature can help extend battery life:

On your iPhone, open the Watch app.
Go to General > Background App Refresh.
Here, turn off the feature for apps that don’t need to be updated constantly.

7. Use Power Reserve Mode

Power Reserve Mode or Low Power Mode limits your Apple Watch’s functionality to displaying the time, helping extend your battery life when it’s low. To activate it:

Swipe up on your watch face to open Control Center.
Tap on the Battery Percentage.
Here, slide to activate Power Reserve Mode.

Summary

Improving the battery life of your Apple Watch is all about tweaking settings and making small sacrifices for greater longevity. By applying these tips, you can ensure your Apple Watch stays powered for longer:

Reduce screen brightness: Lower screen brightness helps save battery life.
Limit notifications: Limiting notifications means less power used.
Turn off dynamic backgrounds: Simple watch faces consume less power.
Minimize use of fitness tracking: Turning off workout and heart rate tracking can conserve battery.
Update your Apple Watch software: Always keep your device updated to the latest software version.
Limit background app refresh: Turning off background app refresh for unnecessary apps saves battery.
Use Power Reserve Mode: Activating Power Reserve Mode when your battery is low can help extend its life.

If you require further assistance using your Apple Watch or you still think your battery is draining to fast it might be worth jumping over to the official Apple support website for booking an appointment with an Apple Genius Bar representative to help you with your Apple Watch battery issues.

Filed Under: Apple, Guides

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