Released in 2015, the Apple Watch is one of the best wearable devices in the market. The smartwatch allows you to call, text, listen to music, use simple apps, monitor your heartbeat, track activities, and do much more!
It’s an all-in-one package to make your life easy. But the device isn’t free from issues.
The biggest problem users face is battery draining fast. This reduces the usability of the device – often making it completely useless. However, this isn’t a built-in issue that you have to bear with all the time.
It can be fixed. So, in this article, we will walk you through the possible causes and solutions for Why is My Apple Watch Battery Draining So Fast. Let’s dive in!
Table of Contents
What is the Average Apple Watch Battery?
Up till now, Apple has introduced an 8-series of Apple Watches. Each model has slightly upgraded features to the previous one. And so, the average battery life differs between each model.
Here’s a comparison table to help you understand better:
| Apple Watch Series | Standard Battery Life | Low Power Battery Life |
| Original to Series 1 | 10-hours | 18-hours |
| Series 2 to 8 | 18-hours | 36-hours |
| Ultra | 36-hours | 60-hours |
As you can see, the average battery life from Apple Watch 2 to 8 is 18 hours. The company promises this battery life to last an entire day of use. You can receive notifications, use apps, and even do a 60-minute workout without worries.
However, the latest Apple Watch Ultra has the best battery of all models. It lasts for a minimum of 36 hours on standard mode. If you use it in battery-saving mode, expect to get 60 hours worth of use time!
Reasons Why Apple Watch Battery Drains Fast
It doesn’t matter what Apple Watch model you own. If the battery isn’t lasting long, there are certain reasons behind it. Let’s look at each one in detail!
1. Use of Heavy Apps
Apple Watch is designed to run simple apps that don’t put too much load on the system. A few examples include Mini Wiki, PCalc, and CityMapper.
So, if you download heavy social media and game apps, chances are that your Apple Watch would be overburdened. It will lead to lagging, slow response time, and fast battery drain.
2. Background Apps
Even when we have closed certain apps, they keep running in the background. This default mechanism of an Apple Watch causes some battery to be consumed in unnecessary apps.
3. Music Streaming
Streaming music or videos is a huge reason why batteries drain fast in all devices. The Apple Watch is no different. If you stream music, podcasts, or videos often, the Apple Watch battery won’t last long at all.
4. Display Always On
From Series 5 onwards, all Apple Watches have the Display On feature. This takes away the trouble of switching it on every time you want to check the time or notifications. But, this drains a lot of battery.
5. Software Updates
When Apple updates its software, a lot of glitches and issues occur in the devices. One of them is battery draining faster than the standard rate.
How to Fix Apple Watch Battery Draining So Fast?
With the issues identified above, here are some simple yet effective methods to solve them. Read more!
1. Delete Additional Apps
There’s a reason why Apple has released an Apple version of all the necessary applications. They are designed to be efficient for the iOS system. It means they won’t use unnecessary data or batteries.
So, a great way to save the battery is to delete additional third-party apps. Try to use only Apple apps, and if it’s very important to download others, choose simple ones.
2. Turn Off Background App Refresh
Background App Refresh is the feature that enables apps to keep checking the device for the latest updates and content. This occurs even when you’re not using them.
You can turn this off by:
- Open the Apple Watch program on your iPhone.
- Go to General settings.
- Go to Background App Refresh.
- Click on Disable. You can also select particular unnecessary apps and disable them.
3. Download Music
Since music streaming drains the battery, when you download them on your Apple Watch, be careful about the number of songs, videos, and podcasts you download.
The memory of the Apple Watch varies between 8GB and 32GB. While you won’t have storage issues in the latest models, the previous ones cannot handle the load.
| Apple Watch Original | 8GB |
| Apple Watch Series 1 | 8GB |
| Apple Watch Series 2 | 8GB |
| Apple Watch Series 3 | 8 to 16GB |
| Apple Watch Series 4 | 16GB |
| Apple Watch Series 5 | 32GB |
| Apple Watch Series 6 | 32GB |
| Apple Watch Series 7 | 32GB |
| Apple Watch Series 8 | 32GB |
| Apple Watch Ultra | 32GB |
4. Turn Off the Display Always On’ Settings
There’s no point in keeping the Display Always On unless you plan to check it after every few minutes. Here’s how to turn it off:
- Open the Apple Watch app on iPhone
- Go to General Settings.
- Click on Wake Screen and select the time you want to keep the screen on. Ideally, a 15-second wake time is preferable.
Similarly, also check the Wake Screen setting on your Wrist Rise feature. This turns the screen on every time wrist movements are detected. Turn this off to improve battery life.
5. Unpair & Pair the Device Again
A quick way to get things back to normal is to unpair and pair the device again. This reconnection automatically resolves the battery issues in most cases.
You can do this from the Watch App on your iPhone. Here’s how:
- Access General Settings on the Watch app.
- Click on Unpair this device. Once done, click on Pair.
- Enter the connection details and confirm.
Do not worry because no information is lost when you reconnect the devices. Everything will be loaded back from your last sync.
Other Ways to Improve Apple Watch Battery Life
Sometimes, fixing the issues won’t do the trick. You need to know other ways to improve the Apple Watch’s battery life. Here are some excellent ways:
1. Disable Connectivity Options
Apple Watch offers a range of connectivity options. You can enable WiFi and Bluetooth on all generations. But you can also enable LTE on all watches after Series 3.
While this means more facilities, you will find a huge chunk of battery being used in them. So, unless it’s very important, keep the connections disabled.
2. Turn Off Motion
The motion refers to the feature that adds animations and graphical effects to the user’s experience. However, it’s not necessary and can be turned off to preserve the battery.
- Tap on the Accessibility button in the General settings of the Watch app.
- Click on Reduce Motion to turn it off.
3. Turn Off Notifications
Apple Watch turns the display and WiFi/Bluetooth on every time you receive a notification. This allows you to stay in tune with the latest updates. But, this also drains a lot of battery. We recommend you turn off the notification alerts for unimportant apps.
4. Turn Off Listen for Hey Siri
Siri is an amazing digital assistant feature that instantly answers your queries and performs small chores. However, whenever the watch display is on, it’s also listening for the assistant activation words.
This can drain a lot of the battery life. Go to Siri settings through the Watch app on your iPhone and click on Ask Siri. Turn off Listen for Hey Siri feature.
5. Reset the Watch
If nothing works and your Apple Watch battery keeps draining fast, the ultimate solution will be to reset the device. This means you’ll restore it to the original factory setting.
Here’s how to do this:
- Open the app launcher by clicking on the Digital Crown.
- Go to General Settings.
- Click on Reset and Erase All Content.
- Enter the password to confirm.
Please note this will delete all your existing data from the Watch. So, it’s best to create a backup on iCloud first. Learn more about Apple Watch backup here!
FAQs
1. What drains the Apple Watch battery the most?
The display screen drains the Apple Watch battery the most. You must turn off the Always On feature if you want to utilize the complete 18-hour battery life efficiently.
2. How can I tell which apps are draining my Apple Watch battery?
Unfortunately, there’s no way to find which apps are draining the Apple Watch battery. You can check the Battery Health by scrolling down to the settings and tapping the Battery Health button.
3. Should I turn off my Apple Watch at night to save battery?
You can switch off the Apple Watch at night to save battery but it’s not necessary. Apple suggests its users do an overnight charge. So, your Watch is power-packed to accompany you throughout the day.
Some people hesitate to do so because they think the device will get damaged by overcharging. The company has resolved the issue by installing detectors in the device. Now, it cannot overcharge at all.
4. How much is it to replace an Apple Watch battery?
Complete battery replacement in Apple Watch doesn’t cost much. For Series 8, you can expect to spend around $79. Meanwhile, the latest Ultra will cost you $99.
Last Words
Summing it up, the possible reasons why the Apple Watch battery is draining so fast include:
- You’re using heavy third-party apps.
- There are background apps consuming data and battery life.
- You stream music and videos a lot.
- The display screen is always on.
- There have been software updates on the device.
None of these is a default issue in the device. You can easily solve them using the methods listed above. However, if nothing works, we recommend you get the device checked by a professional.