How to Fix Apple Watch Battery Draining Too Fast

Apple Watches are not only fashionable and cool but also offer the best sports, fitness, and health features available. They are known for their high level of accuracy, surpassing many competing brands in the market. However, what’s the use of having such advanced technology if you can’t fully utilize it? One common concern faced by many Apple Watch users is the faster-than-usual battery drain.

Despite its impressive features, the Apple Watch has been criticized for its relatively poor battery life. It typically lasts for about 18 hours on a single charge, which is shorter compared to other smartwatches. It can be frustrating when users struggle to make it through a full day without running out of battery. Fortunately, there are some solutions to address the battery drain issue on the Apple Watch.

If you want to learn how to extend the battery life of your Apple Watch and effectively resolve these problems, follow this comprehensive guide. It will provide you with helpful tips and strategies to optimize your Apple Watch’s battery performance.

What is Causing Your Apple Watch’s Battery To Drain Quickly?

There are several potential reasons for your Apple Watch experiencing poor battery life:

1. Aging: If your Apple Watch is older, it may have gone through more charge cycles, resulting in shorter battery life.
2. Background Apps: Having too many background apps open can contribute to faster battery drain.
3. Pending Updates: If you have pending watchOS updates, not installing them could impact your battery life.
4. Screen Brightness: If the screen brightness is set too high, it can consume more battery power.
5. Physical Damage: If your Apple Watch has been dropped or damaged, it may lead to faster battery drain.

This guide is most applicable to the following Apple Watch models:

• Apple Watch Series 3
• Apple Watch Series 4
• Apple Watch Series 5
• Apple Watch SE
• Apple Watch Series 6
• Apple Watch Series 7
• Apple Watch SE
• Apple Watch Series 8

By following the tips and solutions provided in this guide, you can optimize the battery life of your Apple Watch and address any issues causing excessive battery drain.

Apple Watch Battery Draining So Fast? Here’s How to Fix

1. Disable Apple Watch Background App Refresh

To prevent excessive battery drain on your Apple Watch, it is recommended to disable background app refresh for certain apps. Here’s a step-by-step guide to help you:

1. Open the Watch app on your iPhone.
2. Tap on “General.”
3. Select “Background App Refresh.”
4. At the top, you have the option to disable background app refresh for all apps. However, it is not recommended as it may affect the functionality of some apps.
5. Scroll down to the bottom and individually toggle off background app refresh for specific apps like Calendar, Calculator, and others.
6. It is important to check these settings each time you install a new app on your Apple Watch, as Background App Refresh is typically enabled by default for all apps.

2. Enable Power Saving Mode

If you want to prevent your Apple Watch’s battery from draining quickly, make sure to enable the Power Reserve mode. Here’s how you can activate it:

1. Swipe up on your Apple Watch to access the Control Center.
2. Look for and tap on the battery percentage.
3. In the options that appear, slide the Power Saving Mode toggle to the right to activate it.
4. Select the “Continue” button to confirm.
5. When your Apple Watch is in Low Power mode, pressing the crown will display only the time.
6. To exit Power Reserve mode, press and hold the side button until the Apple logo appears on the screen.

3. Turn off Airplane Mode

When you’re in situations like traveling in a vehicle or on a plane where there is no signal available for your Apple Watch, activating Airplane Mode can help conserve its battery life. In Airplane Mode, your watch enters a low-power state and disables notifications, calls, and messages.

To activate Airplane Mode on your Apple Watch, follow these steps:

1. Open the “Settings” app on your watch.
2. Select “Control Center” from the menu.
3. Tap on “Airplane Mode.”

It’s important to note that using Airplane Mode in areas where your watch can receive signals may reduce battery life. Additionally, it’s advisable to avoid leaving Airplane Mode enabled for an extended period, as it may lead to faster battery discharge.

4. Replace the Battery

If you’re experiencing fast battery drain on your Apple Watch, one potential solution is to replace the battery. However, it’s crucial to back up your data before proceeding with the battery replacement. Failing to do so may result in data loss. Please note that both the old and new batteries will be automatically erased and replaced during this process if you don’t back up your data in advance. Therefore, before changing the batteries, ensure that you back up any important data from your Apple Watch, including contacts and photos.

5. Turn off the Wake on Wrist Raise Feature

To prevent the Apple Watch screen from accidentally turning on when you raise your wrist, you can disable this feature by following these steps:

1. Open the settings menu on your Apple Watch.
2. Select the “General” tab.
3. Tap on “Wake Screen.”
4. Scroll down to the “On Tap” option in the same menu to optimize energy conservation.
5. Choose “Wake for 15 Seconds” to set the duration for which the Apple Watch display remains on after being tapped. The second option, which lasts for 70 seconds, consumes more battery power.

By adjusting these settings, you can better control when the Apple Watch screen turns on, helping to conserve battery life.

6. Reset the Watch

To address the battery drain issue on your Apple Watch, you can attempt a reset. However, it’s important to note that resetting your watch will result in the loss of any data stored on it. Apple advises that with newer watch models, resetting may not be fully successful and could result in some data loss. Therefore, it is crucial to back up any important data from your device before proceeding. It is worth considering that if you have an older watch model, a reset will erase all data from your device, so exercise caution when making this decision.

7. Disable Siri

While using an Apple Watch, Siri, Apple’s digital assistant, can be very convenient but it can also contribute to battery drain. To prolong the battery life, we recommend temporarily disabling Siri.

To do so, follow these steps:

1. Open the Watch app on your iOS device.
2. Select the “Settings” tab.
3. Tap on the “Siri” option.
4. Turn off the switch next to the features you wish to disable in the “Ask Siri” window. You may consider disabling options like “Raise to Speak,” etc.

By disabling these features, you can help conserve battery power on your Apple Watch.

8. Make Use of Do Not Disturb

Do Not Disturb is a useful feature on the Apple Watch that allows you to silence notifications and interruptions. It’s particularly handy when you want to avoid being disturbed during activities such as sleeping, attending meetings, watching a movie, or any other situation where you prefer not to be disturbed and conserve battery life.

To activate Do Not Disturb on your Apple Watch, follow these steps:

1. Raise your wrist to wake up the Apple Watch.
2. Swipe up on the watch face to access the Control Center.
3. The last glance you used will be displayed on the glance screen.
4. Swipe right until you see the Settings Glance.
5. Tap on “Do Not Disturb” (represented by a moon logo).
6. You will have several options to choose from. You can enable Do Not Disturb permanently, for one hour, or until the next morning. Additionally, you can enable Do Not Disturb until you leave your current location using the location-based feature.

9. Turn On Theater Mode

The purpose of Theater Mode is to minimize interruptions during activities like watching a movie or attending a concert. However, it can also be beneficial for conserving battery life in other situations. When enabled, Theater Mode puts your Apple Watch in silent mode and keeps the screen completely dark until you interact with it by tapping or pressing a button.

To activate Theater Mode on your Apple Watch, follow these steps:

1. Swipe up on the watch face to access the Control Center.
2. Look for the Theater Mode icon, which resembles a theater mask.
3. Tap the Theater Mode icon to enable Theater Mode.

10. Check for Software Updates

If you are experiencing rapid battery drain on your Apple Watch, it is possible that your device has a software bug. To address this issue, you can try updating your watch’s software to the latest version provided by Apple. Updating the software can help resolve various bugs and glitches that may be affecting your watch’s performance.

To update your Apple Watch’s software, follow these steps:

1. Ensure that your Apple Watch is connected to Wi-Fi and placed on its charger.
2. On your paired iPhone, open the Watch app.
3. Go to the “My Watch” tab.
4. Tap on “General” and then select “Software Update.”
5. If an update is available, tap on “Download and Install.”
6. Follow the prompts to complete the software update process.

By updating your Apple Watch’s software, you can address potential bugs that may be causing the battery to drain quickly. It is recommended to keep your device up to date with the latest software releases to ensure optimal performance and resolve any known issues.

Conclusion 

If none of the aforementioned solutions resolve the battery drain issue on your Apple Watch, it may be necessary to replace the watch’s battery. To have your Apple Watch repaired and its battery replaced, you can schedule an appointment at your nearest Apple Store. They will be able to assist you in getting your Apple Watch fully functional again.

We hope that this article has provided you with useful information on preserving the battery life of your Apple Watch and resolving the battery drain issue effectively. If you have any additional tips or suggestions that we haven’t covered, we encourage you to share them with other readers in the comments section below. We are here to assist you and answer any questions you may have regarding the guide.

Thank you for reading, and we wish you the best in maintaining optimal battery performance for your Apple Watch!