Interested in customizing your Apple Watch? We show you how to create personalized watch faces for your Apple wearable.
1. Enable Low Power Mode
Turning on Low Power Mode on your Apple Watch reduces battery consumption, as it turns off the Always On Display while limiting sensors (e.g., heart sensors, accelerometer, etc.) and Wi-Fi connection. From the Watch app, go to “Workout -> Low Power Mode” to turn it on. Note: the feature can also be enabled via your iPhone – but only when you’re about to start a workout with the Apple Watch. The downsides to enabling Low Power Mode include delayed notifications and the inability to use features that require sensors to work. If you’re looking to prolong your Apple Watch battery because you don’t have access to a charger or your iPhone, turning on Low Power Mode will help extend its battery life.
2. Disable Wake Screen on Wrist Raise
Sometimes your Apple Watch’s screen will accidentally wake when moving your arm and, in the process, consume some of that precious battery life. To maximize your Apple Watch battery, it’s best to disable the “Wake Screen on Wrist Raise” feature so that your Apple Watch screen stays in sleep mode until you intentionally wake it up by tapping the screen, pressing the Digital Crown, or turning the Digital Crown. You can also disable “Wake Screen on Wrist Raise” on your iPhone using the Watch app: Not getting notifications on your Apple Watch? Here are a few things you could do to fix this.
3. Turn Off Always On
In Apple Watch Series 5 or higher (except SE), you can keep your display on to show the time and other data. Since the screen is constantly on, more battery power is consumed. This isn’t ideal if you don’t have a charging outlet nearby. Note: if you’ve turned off “Always On and Wake Screen on Wrist Raise,” you have to tap the display, press the Digital Crown, or turn the Digital Crown to wake your screen. You can also change it on your iPhone. Tip: learn how to use your Apple Watch to track health stats.
4. Keep Bluetooth Enabled on iPhone
Your Apple Watch uses Bluetooth LE to connect to your iPhone. Bluetooth LE consumes less power than regular Bluetooth. Aside from this connection method, your Apple Watch can also connect to your iPhone using Wi-Fi, which eats up more power. If you want to minimize Apple Watch battery consumption, keep Bluetooth enabled on your iPhone so that your watch connects to it using the more economic method. Note: the icon should turn blue when it’s enabled, white when it’s disabled until the next day, and gray when it’s disabled until you turn it on manually.
5. Reduce Brightness
You can further reduce how much battery your Apple Watch consumes by reducing the brightness of the display. On your iPhone: Using Chrome on your Android or iOS device? Here’s how you can turn on dark mode in your mobile browser.
6. Use Dark Watch Faces
Another strategy for conserving battery power is to opt for dark watch faces. When you use this type of watch face, fewer pixels are turned on, which means less power is consumed. Switch between the watch faces you’ve added to your Watch via the app’s “My Faces” function. On your iPhone:
7. Avoid Constant Media Playback
While it’s convenient to listen to music on your Apple Watch with a compatible Bluetooth device, your Apple Watch battery life will take a toll. The consumption is even bigger if you have a cellular Apple Watch, as you can stream music that’s not downloaded to your Apple Watch. If you’ll be listening to music for hours, we highly recommend bringing your iPhone and playing music from there. This is vital in conserving battery power if you won’t be able to charge your Apple Watch when its battery gets low.
8. Disable Background App Refresh
The Background App Refresh feature on your Apple Watch checks for updates and new content for your apps even when they’re not in use. This consumes battery power, as your apps constantly refresh to get new content in the background. To maximize your Apple Watch battery, we recommend disabling this feature on the wearable as well as iPhone. On your iPhone:
9. Change iPhone Mirroring Settings in Apps
iPhone Mirroring lets your Apple Watch sync content for apps like Calendar, Mail, Messages, etc. With this feature, these apps, which are also installed on your Apple Watch, will get the same notifications and content. If you always have your iPhone in hand while wearing your Apple Watch, this feature is rather redundant and needlessly consumes battery power. You can only disable and enable iPhone mirroring in the Watch app.
10. Use Theater Mode
Theater Mode is best enabled when you find yourself in a dark environment or in a setting where disturbance is frowned upon, like in meetings or theaters. It also saves battery power, as you won’t get any notifications, and the screen will remain turned off. You can turn Theater Mode on from your Apple Watch but not your iPhone. Using your mobile device constantly? Check out how to protect your eyes when using your smartphone. Image credit: fancycrave1 via Pixabay. All screenshots by Natalie dela Vega
