Is your Apple Watch battery life corroding much faster than when you purchased it? You’re definitely not alone. Despite Apple’s promise of “all-day battery life”, many users find themselves charging their watch before the day is even over. Whether this issue started after a software update or seemed to appear out of nowhere, it can be frustrating. Thankfully, most battery problems have simple clarifications and easy fixes.
What Does “All-Day Battery Life” Essentially Mean?
Apple claims that its watches (Series 8, 9, and 10) last around 18 hours on a complete charge. That assumes tasks like checking the time 300 times, getting 90 notifications, 15 minutes of app activity, and a 1-hour exercise session with proper Bluetooth music. Apple Watch Ultra versions last up to 36 hours under ideal use.
However, these are lab-tested estimates. In the real world, many users see lower battery life, especially with heavier use or background activity.
Apple Watch Battery Draining Quickly? 6 Possible Reasons
1. Software Updates Triggering Battery Drain
After some updates (like watchOS 10.1 or 10.4), users stated sudden drops in battery life, that’s often because new software runs processes like indexing in the background. If the matter doesn’t resolve within a couple of days, it might be a bug, and needs to be resolved ASAP.
2. Connectivity Issues with Your iPhone
If your watch and your iPhone keep disconnecting and reconnecting continuously, then your watch drains battery trying to maintain the connection. Ensure Bluetooth is stable and Wi-Fi isn’t flaky.
3. Battery Ageing and Wear
Apple Watch batteries degrade over time. If it has been more than 2 years meanwhile you bought the watch, the battery might hold less charge. This is for lithium-ion batteries, like those in your Apple Watch, experience biochemical variations, which lessens the amount of vigorous lithium obtainable and increases internal confrontation.
You can confirm your battery’s health and performance by going to Settings → Battery → Battery Health. There a lower percentage indicates reduced capacity compared to when the battery was new.
4. Temperature Extremes
Hot and cold environments affect battery performance. Apple endorses keeping the device between 0°C and 35°C (32°F–95°F) as exposing your Apple Watch to temperatures external this range can pertain to reduced competence, temporary cessations, or even perpetual battery loss.
In cold conditions, the chemical reactions inside the lithium-ion battery slow down, causing it to carry less power and hypothetically shut off unexpectedly. Conversely, high temperatures can hurry chemical wear, degrade battery health faster, and may even grounds to the device to overheat.
Avoid charging or using your watch in direct sunlight or freezing weather, as both extremes can curtail battery lifespan and influence overall performance. For optimal results, store and use your Apple Watch in environments where the temperature is constant and within Apple’s endorsed operating range.
5. Display Settings
The always-on display and high brightness drain power quickly. The watch auto-boosts brightness outdoors can cause quicker battery drain if you’re outside a lot. While these features are designed for convenience and visibility, they require the screen to remain active and the backlight to work harder, consuming more energy.
To maximize battery life, consider lowering the brightness in your settings and disabling the always-on display when it’s not essential. These adjustments can make a noticeable difference in daily usage.
6. More App additions
If your Apple Watch is having battery drainage issues, one possible reason could be certain apps using too much power in the background. You can try removing or disabling unused apps to see if that helps. I had a similar issue with my Apple Watch. After removing a few unused apps, I noticed a slight improvement in battery life.
Get our top tips to add more Apps: How to add apps on Apple Watch
How to Stop Battery Drain on Your Apple Watch: Try These Fixes
1. Update to the Latest watchOS
Apple often releases patches to fix bugs, including battery issues. Go to the Watch app → General → Software Update.
2. Restart the watch
A quick reboot often resolves temporary power-draining glitches.
3. Reduce Screen Brightness
Lower the brightness in Settings → Display & Brightness to conserve power.
4. Turn Off Always-On Display
Go to Display & Brightness and disable Always-On to save significant battery.
5. Disable Background App Refresh
Background updates use power. Disable this from the Watch app under the section General → Background App Refresh.
6. Enable Reduce Motion
This cuts down on animations. Find it under Accessibility → Reduce Motion.
7. Turn Off Continuous Heart Rate Monitoring
If you don’t need 24/7 heart tracking, turn it off in Privacy → Health.
8. Force Quit Unused Apps
Press the side button and swipe away unused apps to stop background activity.
9. Use a Simpler Watch Face
Complex faces with many widgets refresh often and drain more battery.
10. Turn On Low Power Mode
This setting disables features you might not need and can significantly extend your watch’s battery life.
When to Take Further Action
- If none of these tips solve your issue, check your battery health by navigating to Settings → Battery → Battery Health.
- If the battery health is below 80%, Apple may offer a replacement, typically providing a refurbished Apple Watch with a new battery once your device meets their service criteria.
- Be aware that Apple generally will not approve battery service unless the health drops under 80%, and this threshold is strictly enforced at most facility centres.
- If your battery health is above 80% but you’re still having problems, try impairing and re-pairing your Apple Watch, which can resolve haunting software or syncing issues.
- As a last resort, accomplish a full factory reset—this can sometimes fix tenacious problems that other troubleshooting steps do not report.
Final Thoughts
Apple Watch battery issues can be annoying, but most of the time they’re fixable. Try these simple tweaks first. Also, manage your storage smartly and review which apps are essential to reduce background activity.
By understanding what’s behind the battery drain — and acting on it — you can enjoy your Apple Watch without worrying about charging it midday.
Read more: Many users compare the battery life and features of Apple Watch with Wear OS 5 to get a realistic comparison. Apple watches usually offer long battery life, while Wear OS 5 based watches offer long battery timings.
