New WatchOS Battery Drain?

Trig · 6 Apr 2025 at 12:17

I've noticed recently that my watch battery isn't lasting anywhere near what it was, struggles with a day sometimes, have power cycled it, just about to do a reset on it, which is a PITA but I was getting near 2 days and could manage to just top it up in the morning and at night when I'm in the bathroom, but that no longer appears to be the case..

Anyone else noticed this (Series 7) so are we starting the run up to a new watch coming out so battery life mysteriously starts to drop off of a cliff in the months running up to a new release...?!1?

ChrisD. · 6 Apr 2025 at 13:12

What's the health of the battery like? Mine seems fine (original Ultra) but then I don't use it anywhere near as often as I used to.

Trig · 7 Apr 2025 at 14:41

81%, just seems to be eating through itself a lot faster than it was doing say a month ago...

VaderDSL · 7 Apr 2025 at 14:55

Could try isolating the possible issue? I'd try charging it to 100% turning on airplane mode/turning off wifi/cellular/BT if possible, not using it for say a day. If it has dropped battery % substantially with zero use then I'd try a fresh reset/pair then try same again, if still happening possibly a battery on the way out? Not particulary convenient, but might at least point towards software/hardware. At 81% the battery is getting older, annoyingly Apple only offer battery replacement costs when it hits 79% or lower.

cu3ed · 16 Apr 2025 at 11:50

My Series 9 seems to be going through the battery noticeably more since the last update. Could manage a day and a half fine before it.

Cromulent · 16 Apr 2025 at 12:10

My Apple Watch SE 2nd Gen is at 82% battery at the moment and is certainly lasting less time for me.

Trig · 16 Apr 2025 at 17:22

Standard Apple spec by the look of it, I’m already buying the new watch when it comes out, they don’t have to cripple my old one to make me..

uvarvu · 16 Apr 2025 at 21:04

Mine is OK. I am on the latest dev beta though.

Feek · 17 Apr 2025 at 19:17

Hmm, strangely enough, I've noticed the opposite since the last update. I was getting two days, now I'm getting three!

Trig · 17 Apr 2025 at 20:31

Maybe it's just me being speshul, my usage hasn't changed but battery life certainly taken a hit..

Jimbeam3678 · 17 Apr 2025 at 22:05

welshdragon · 9 May 2025 at 10:57

Trig said:
81%, just seems to be eating through itself a lot faster than it was doing say a month ago...

My series 7 did the same. Bit the bullet in the end and picked up an AWU2

Junglist · 9 May 2025 at 11:21

My S7 wasn't lasting a day. I'd put it on around 6:45am and by 2230 it was reporting <6%

Trig · 9 May 2025 at 12:21

Ouch, whats the health on your battery?

Junglist · 9 May 2025 at 12:34

Trig said:
Ouch, whats the health on your battery?

No idea now. Traded it in and got an AWU2.

Battery life alone feels like a decent reason to upgrade.

don't know how much of a difference it made but I always had the always on display set to on.