With the exception of the Apple Watch Ultra and its advertised 36 hours of battery life, every other Apple Watch model is rated for 18 hours on a single charge. Of course, this varies depending on your activities throughout the day, but chances are that you’ll need to top off before you head to bed.
Part of the problem is that Apple hasn’t done much in recent years, save for some software optimizations, to increase battery life. This pales in comparison to the iPhone, as battery estimations continue to improve year to year. And the iPhone 13 Pro Max is easily the best smartphone for those who want long-lasting battery life.
We’ve all been there at some point in time. You need your Apple Watch to not run out of juice until you can get to a charger, but by the time you look again, the Watch’s battery is drained. Low Power Mode has been a feature on both the iPhone and Mac for some time now, and it’s finally coming to the Apple Watch.
Here’s the message that appears when accessing the Low Power Mode functionality on the Apple Watch:
“Save battery life by turning off Always On display and limiting the sensors as well as the Wi-Fi connections of your Apple Watch. Incoming notifications may be delayed.
This will turn off features such as:
Background heart rate measurements
Heart rate notifications
Blood oxygen measurements”
With the update to watchOS 9, you will be able to quickly activate Low Power Mode, which will help conserve battery life. This is done by limiting certain features such as the Always-On Display, cellular connectivity, and others.
How to Use Low Power Mode on Apple Watch
Update To watchOS 9
As we mentioned previously, in order to use Low Power Mode on Apple Watch, you’ll first need to update to watchOS 9. This is the company’s latest version of its smartwatch operating system, and can be done right from your iPhone:
Open the Watch app on your iPhone.
In the bottom toolbar, tap My Watch.
Tap General.
Tap Software Update.
Wait for the update to appear.
Tap the Download and Install button.
Make sure that your Apple Watch has at least a 50% charge and is connected to a charger throughout the process. You’ll also need to make sure that your iPhone stays within a few feet of the Apple Watch just to avoid any potential problems that may arise.
Additionally, if you own an Apple Watch and want to upgrade to watchOS 9, you’ll need to own an Apple Watch Series 4 or later. Older models are not compatible with watchOS 9 and will not be receiving the Low Power Mode functionality.
Activate Low Power Mode
When the time comes that you need to use Low Power Mode on the Apple Watch, there are two different methods for enabling the feature. The first of which, is easily the quickest, as you can do so from the Quick Settings panel:
Swipe up to reveal the Control Center panel.
Tap the Battery percentage button.
Next to Low Power Mode, tap the toggle.
Scroll to the bottom and select one of the following:
Turn On
Turn On For…
On For 1 Day
On For 2 Days
On For 3 Days
Dismiss
If for some reason you don’t want to use the Control Center panel, there’s another method to enable Low Power Mode:
Open the Settings app on your Apple Watch.
Scroll down and tap Battery.
Scroll to the bottom of the page and tap Low Power Mode.
Scroll to the bottom and select one of the following:
Turn On
Turn On For…
On For 1 Day
On For 2 Days
On For 3 Days
Dismiss
With Low Power Mode enabled on your Apple Watch, Apple claims that the new Apple Watch Series 8 and Watch SE (2022) will be able to last for up to 36 hours on a single charge. This number grows to a staggering 60 hours of battery life when using Low Power Mode on the Apple Watch Ultra.
Andrew Myrick is a freelance writer based on the East Coast of the US. He enjoys everything to do with technology, including tablets, smartphones, and everything in between. Perhaps his favorite past-time is having a never-ending supply of different keyboards and gaming handhelds that end up collecting more dust than the consoles that are being emulated.
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