Apple Watch · System Info

Monitor battery health and extend battery life

Apple Watch typically lasts about 18 hours on a charge under normal use. Low Power Mode and Power Reserve give you ways to stretch battery life when you can't charge right away, and the Battery app shows usage history.

How to open Battery & Power Saving

  1. Open Control Center by pressing the side button, then tap the battery percentage.
  2. Tap Low Power Mode and confirm, or set a schedule in Settings → Battery.
  3. Alternatively, ask Siri to "turn on Low Power Mode."

What you should know

  • Low Power Mode disables Always-On Display, background heart rate checks, and some background app refresh to extend battery life.
  • Power Reserve (on older models) or the automatic low-battery prompt lets the watch show only the time when critically low.
  • The Battery complication or the Batteries widget on iPhone shows current charge percentage for both watch and paired AirPods.

Why it matters

Battery anxiety is one of the most common complaints about Apple Watch, especially for anyone using Sleep Tracking overnight — knowing how to use Low Power Mode effectively means never being caught with a dead watch.

Best practices

  • Charge the watch for a short period each day rather than always draining it fully, to preserve long-term battery health.
  • Schedule Low Power Mode automatically overnight if you use Sleep Tracking, so it doesn't compete with charging time.

Common problems and fixes

Battery draining much faster than usual
Check for a stuck app in Background App Refresh, disable Always-On Display temporarily, and confirm watchOS is up to date since updates often include power fixes.
Watch won't charge
Clean the charging contacts and puck, ensure the magnetic charger is properly aligned, and try a different USB power source.

Tips and tricks

  • Check long-term battery health trends in the iPhone Health app's Battery section if your watch model supports it.

Frequently asked questions

What does Low Power Mode disable exactly?

It turns off Always-On Display, background heart rate and blood oxygen checks, and reduces some background syncing, while keeping core functions like time and notifications working.