Troubleshooting Apple Watch Battery Drain Issue

The Apple Watch is a powerful device that offers a range of features to help users stay connected, track fitness goals, and more. However, one common issue that users may experience is the Apple Watch battery drain, where the device’s battery runs out faster than expected. This can be frustrating and inconvenient, but fortunately, there are several steps you can take to troubleshoot the problem.

Why does my Apple Watch battery drain so quickly?

Do you have an Apple Watch? You may have experienced issues with its battery life, such as your watch running out of battery too quickly. This can be a frustrating issue, especially if you rely on your watch to stay connected and track your fitness goals. The good news is that there are several potential causes for Apple Watch battery drain, and many of these issues can be resolved with a few simple steps. In this guide, we’ll explore some of the most common reasons why your Apple Watch battery may be draining quickly and provide tips and tricks to help you extend your device’s battery life.

Solution 1: Get the latest Apple Watch software updates

Updating your Apple Watch software is important for several reasons. First, software updates often contain bug fixes for battery drain issues and security patches that help keep your device running smoothly and protect it from potential security threats. Additionally, software updates may introduce new features and functionality that can enhance your overall user experience by increasing your Apple Watch battery life.

Updating your Apple Watch software

Ensure that your iPhone is updated to the latest version of iOS. The Apple Watch software update requires an iPhone with iOS 14.7 or later.

Connect your Apple Watch to its charger and ensure that it has at least a 50% charge.

On your iPhone, open the Watch app.

Tap on the “My Watch” tab.

Tap on “General” and then “Software Update.”

If an update is available, you will see a prompt to download and install it. Tap “Download and Install.”

Follow the prompts to complete the installation. The update may take some time to download and install.

When the update is finished, your Apple Watch will restart automatically.

After the restart, you may need to enter your passcode to unlock your Apple Watch.

Solution 2: Turn off Always On Display on your Apple Watch

The Always On Display feature is available on some Apple Watch models that allows the screen to remain visible at all times, even when the watch is not actively being used. This means that you can glance at your watch to check the time, date, or other information without having to raise your wrist or tap the screen. The display dims when the watch is inactive to conserve battery life, but important information is still visible.

Turning this feature off can help improve your Apple Watch battery life.

Turning off Always On Display

Press the Digital Crown on your Apple Watch to go to the Home screen.

Tap on the Settings app.

Tap on Display & Brightness.

Toggle off the switch next to Always On.

Solution 3: Disable Background App Refresh on your Apple Watch

The Apple Watch Series background app refresh feature allows apps to update data in the background, even when you’re not actively using them on your Apple Watch. This means that when you open an app, the latest information is already available without any delay. Background App Refresh can be enabled or disabled in the Apple Watch settings, and it is a great way to ensure that your apps are always up to date. However, it is important to note that enabling Background App Refresh can have an impact on your Apple Watch battery life. If you find that your battery is draining faster than usual, you may want to disable this feature or adjust the frequency of updates for specific apps.

Turning off background app refresh

Press the Digital Crown on your Apple Watch to go to the Home screen.

Tap on the Settings app.

Scroll down and tap on General.

Tap Background App Refresh.

Toggle off the switch next to Background App Refresh.

Solution 4: Turn Off Wake on Wrist Raise on your Apple Watch

The Wake on Wrist Raise feature on Apple Watch allows the screen to automatically wake up when you raise your wrist. This feature is designed to make it easy to check the time, notifications, or other information on your Apple Watch without having to tap the screen or press a button. The Wake on Wrist Raise feature can be customized to adjust the wake screen time, which is the amount of time the screen stays on before it turns off.

Sometimes having this feature on can shorten your Apple Watch battery life which is why you should try turning it off.

Disabling Wake on Wrist Raise

• Press the Digital Crown on your Apple Watch to go to the Home screen.
• Tap on the Settings app.
• Tap on General.
• Tap on Wake Screen.
• Toggle off the switch next to Wake Screen on Wrist Raise.

Solution 5: Reduce Wake Screen Time on your Apple Watch

Wake screen time on Apple Watch refers to the amount of time that the screen stays on after it has been woken up by the Wake on Wrist Raise feature or by tapping the screen. This feature can be customized in the Apple Watch settings, allowing you to adjust the amount of time that the screen stays on before it turns off.

A longer wake time may be useful if you need to read information or interact with an app for an extended period of time, but it can also reduce battery life. A shorter wake screen time may help conserve battery life, but it may also make it more difficult to read information or interact with apps before the screen turns off.

Adjusting the Screen Time setting

• Press the Digital Crown on your Apple Watch to go to the Home screen.
• Tap on the Settings app.
• Tap on General.
• Tap on Wake Screen.
• Tap on Wake Screen Time.
• Use the plus (+) and minus (-) buttons to adjust the duration.
• Tap on Set when you’re done.

Solution 6: Turn on Reduce Motion on your Apple Watch

Reduce Motion is a feature on your Apple Watch that is designed to reduce the animations and motion effects on the device. This can help improve the device’s performance and battery life, as well as reduce motion sickness for some users. When Reduce Motion is turned on, animations such as the app opening and closing, as well as certain background movements, are simplified or removed entirely.

Turn on Reduce Motion feature

• Press the Digital Crown on your Apple Watch to go to the Home screen.
• Tap on the Settings app.
• Tap on Accessibility.
• Tap on Reduce Motion.
• Toggle on the switch next to Reduce Motion.

Solution 7: Turn off Siri on your Apple Watch

Siri is a virtual assistant on Apple Watch that allows you to interact with the device using voice commands. You can use Siri to send messages, make calls, set reminders, and get information, among other things. While Siri can be a useful feature, it can also use a significant amount of battery life on your Apple Watch. This is because Siri uses the device’s microphone to listen for hey Siri voice commands and processes the data it receives to perform the desired action. This process can use a lot of power, especially if you use Siri frequently or for extended periods of time.

Disabling Siri

• Press the Digital Crown on your Apple Watch to go to the Home screen.
• Open Settings app.
• Scroll down and tap on Siri.
• Toggle off the switch next to Press Digital Crown for Siri.
• Alternatively, you can also toggle off the switch next to Raise to Speak if you want to turn off the feature that allows you to activate Siri by raising your wrist to your mouth.

Solution 8: Turn on Low Power mode on your Apple Watch

Low Power Mode is a power-saving mode on Apple Watch that can help extend the device’s battery life. When Low Power Mode is turned on, certain features of the device are disabled or limited to reduce power consumption. For example, the display brightness is reduced, haptic feedback is turned off, and background app refresh is disabled.

Additionally, there is a Workout Power Saving Mode that can be turned on to save battery life during workouts. If you’re in a situation where you need to conserve as much battery power as possible, there is also a Power Reserve mode that can be activated by sliding the Power Reserve slider.

Turning on power saving mode

• Press the Digital Crown on your Apple Watch to go to the Home screen.
• Open Settings app.
• Tap on Battery.
• Toggle on the switch next to Low Power Mode.

Solution 9: Delete unnecessary apps on your Apple Watch

Deleting unnecessary apps from your Apple Watch can help improve its battery life. Apps that you don’t use often or at all can still consume power when they’re installed on your device. Some specific apps that are known to be battery hogs include those that require a constant internet connection, those that use the device’s GPS, and those that run in the background. When you have multiple apps running on your Apple Watch, they can compete for resources and drain the device’s battery faster.

Take note that deleting some apps may not make a significant difference in battery life, while other apps may have a significant impact. If you’re unsure which apps to delete, you can check your device’s battery usage to see which apps are consuming the most power.

Delete apps

• Press the Digital Crown on your Apple Watch to go to the Home screen.
• Find the app you want to delete by swiping left or right or using the Digital Crown.
• Press and hold the app icon until it starts to wiggle.
• Tap the “X” button that appears on the app icon.
• Confirm that you want to delete the app by tapping “Delete App” on the confirmation screen.
• Repeat steps 2-5 for any other apps you want to delete.

Solution 10: Unpair Apple Watch then pair your Apple Watch again

If you’re experiencing battery drain issues with your Apple Watch, one solution is to unpair and then pair your device again. This can help resolve issues related to corrupted settings, software glitches, or other technical problems that may be causing your device’s battery to drain faster than normal. Unpairing your Apple Watch will erase all data from the device, so it’s important to back up your data before proceeding.

To unpair your Apple Watch, open the Watch app on your iPhone, tap on your device, and then select “Unpair Apple Watch.” To re-pair your device again, follow the on-screen instructions in the Watch app. This process may take some time, but it can help improve your device’s battery life and restore its performance.

Solution 11: Contact Apple Support

If you’re experiencing battery issues with your Apple Watch even after performing the troubleshooting steps listed above then its time to contact Apple support for assistance. The battery life of your device can be impacted by a range of factors, including software glitches, hardware problems, and usage patterns. Apple support can help diagnose the issue and provide solutions that are tailored to your specific situation.

Frequently Asked Questions