Extend your Apple Watch's battery life
- The excellent battery life of Apple Watches is a wonderful feature, but you can extend it even further. Below are a few tips to consider. They can all help reduce the drain on your watch battery, and every bit of that precious juice is valuable when your battery is low and you can’t get to a charger for a while.
- Keep watchOS updated. Something as simple as using the latest version of the watchOS software can help keep your battery working optimally. On your iPhone’s Watch app, go to General–>Software Update to make sure you have the newest version.
- Use Low Power mode. When it gets to crunch time (that point when your battery is at or less than ten percent), Power Reserve mode will shut down every function of your Apple Watch other than timekeeping. Open Control Center, tap the button displaying the battery percentage, tap the Low Power Mode switch on, and then tap the Turn On button.
- Use a watch face with less or little color. The more color on your display, the more power your Apple Watch consumes. Change the watch face to something with very little color to save even a modicum of charge.
- Keep Bluetooth enabled on your iPhone. It may sound strange, but turning off Bluetooth on your iPhone causes your Apple Watch to work harder, therefore draining its battery faster. Keep Bluetooth enabled on both devices, if possible.
- Use standard accessories to charge your Apple Watch. The most effective way to charge your Apple Watch is to plug it into a wall outlet by using the charging cable that came with your Apple Watch, along with a USB power adapter. Some third-party chargers may not be as effective or efficient, and others may simply be lousy. Price might be a good indicator of the quality of charger you’re getting.
- Don’t keep your Apple Watch connected to a computer that’s sleeping or turned off. If you’re charging your Apple Watch using your computer via USB, be sure the computer is on and plugged into its own charger. Not doing so could result in your Apple Watch battery draining unexpectedly.
While they do supply a charging cable, Apple does not provide power adapters with Apple Watch. You’ll need to use one from an Apple device you previously purchased, or you can order one from Apple. Most third-party adapters will work as well, but check with the manufacturer (if possible) before using one.
What to do with an unresponsive Apple Watch
Sometimes your Apple Watch refuses to respond. Before you throw it through the window and run to the Apple Store, there are a few troubleshooting tips you can try. If your Apple Watch goes dead on you, do the following:
- Charge the battery. The problem could be a power issue, so the first thing to do is plug the charger cable into a power adapter, plug the adapter into a wall outlet, connect the other end of the cable to your Apple Watch, and charge the battery.
- Clean the display. If your display isn’t responsive to touch, be sure there’s no muck or grime on it. Use a clean lint-free cloth and, if you absolutely must, a lightly damp cloth to remove anything that may be stuck on. Do not use any chemicals to clean the display or you risk damaging it and voiding your warranty.
- Allow your Apple Watch to cool down. If you operate or store your watch in temperatures higher than it was designed for, you could run into issues such as diminished battery life, a dimmed display, or apps that simply won’t work. Apple Watch is not designed to be used in temps higher than 95 degrees Fahrenheit (25 degrees Celsius) or stored in temps above 113 degrees Fahrenheit (35 degrees Celsius).
- Force restart the Apple Watch. When all else fails and you’re unable to restart your Apple Watch normally (by holding down the side button until the Power Off slider appears), you need to force it to restart. Press and hold down both the side button and the digital crown for at least ten seconds, until the Apple logo appears on the display, and then release both buttons.
Don’t worry if you have to force your Apple Watch to restart; it doesn’t automatically mean that something is broken. Like their human counterparts, computers (and make no mistake, your Apple Watch is indeed a computer) can get the hiccups and need restarting (or, in our case, a glass of water and perhaps a good scare).
Apple Support for Apple Watches
Every new Apple Watch comes with a year’s coverage for the hardware and 90 days’ worth of free technical support. Apple is known for its helpful customer support, so I recommend that you try it if you’re stuck. Here are a few options you can explore for getting help:
- Apple Store: Go to your local Apple Store (if one is nearby) to see what the folks there can suggest for your problem. It’s best to make an appointment to avoid long lines.
- Apple’s support website: Visit Apple Watch Support. You can find online manuals, discussion forums, and downloads on this site, and you can use the Apple Expert feature to contact a support person by phone.
- Apple Watch User Guide: View the manual for your device.
