There are multiple reasons why your smartwatch battery is draining fast, including having the brightness turned up, cold weather, and WiFi syncing issues. Luckily, there are easy ways to deal with these issues to increase battery life.
This post will explore why your smartwatch battery drains so fast and what you can do about it. I’ll provide you with some possible reasons for the battery draining fast and give you a solution to each of those.
Let’s get rolling.
Contents
Key Takeaways
- The battery on a smartwatch can drain fast for many reasons, so it’s good to inform yourself about all of these.
- Most of the reasons for battery drain are easy to fix and can be made by changing settings or your habits with the watch.
- Some smartwatches can drain fast as the battery ages, which doesn’t really have a fix aside from getting a new watch.
Why a Smartwatch Battery Drains Fast and What to Do
Wearing a smartwatch can be very convenient. Until the battery dies and it stops working, of course. Let’s explore some of the reasons why your smartwatch battery might be draining fast and what you can do about it here.
Reason #1 – Display is Too Bright or Doesn’t Turn Off
One of the most significant causes of battery drain on a smartwatch is caused by the display being too bright or not turning off. Running the display at all times is very power intensive, and so is running a bright display.
What to Do:
Ensure that your smartwatch is set up to turn off the display after a few minutes or seconds. This will prevent it from constantly being on and save battery life. Turn the display brightness down in the settings menu to do the same.
Reason #2 – Too Many Notifications or Apps Running
The more notifications you get, the more your display will wake up. And the more apps you have running, the more notifications you’ll receive. Both of these will cause the battery to drain faster than usual.
What to Do:
You can set up your smartwatch to only receive notifications that you actually want. You don’t need every app on your watch to notify you all the time. Adjust these settings to limit how often the watch wakes up. Close out any apps you don’t want or need running.
Reason #3 – WiFi and Bluetooth Syncing Constantly
If your smartwatch is set up to constantly sync to Bluetooth and WiFi connections, that can drain your battery quickly. This is especially true if the watch constantly tries to sync when you aren’t near any connections.
What to Do:
Disable automatic syncing on the smartwatch if you can. This can save a lot of battery power because your watch won’t be constantly working.
Reason #4 – Cold Weather
Cold weather and batteries don’t work well together. If you take your watch out into the cold often – like on a run or while skiing- the battery is likely to drain very fast. Cold weather can affect the performance of your watch in other ways too.
What to Do:
There isn’t much you can do about the weather, but you might want to put your watch in a pocket rather than on your wrist if you are out in the severe cold. This will keep the device warmer than it would be when exposed to cold air, preserving the battery.
Reason #5 – Streaming Music or Other Streaming Music Apps
The more your watch works, the faster it will drain the battery. And when the watch is streaming music or anything else, it works harder, requiring more battery. This is another leading cause of a smartwatch battery draining faster than usual.
What to Do:
If you need to conserve battery life, you should not stream music. And if any other streaming apps are open, consider closing these as well.
Reason #6 – Old or Damaged Battery
The battery in a smartwatch can become damaged or get old. If you’ve had your watch for a long time, this could be the reason the battery is draining fast.
What to Do:
Unfortunately, there isn’t much you can do about an old or damaged smartwatch battery. You’ll probably need to purchase a new watch if the issue gets really bad.
FAQs
Here are a few short answers to some of the most commonly asked questions related to why a smartwatch battery drains so fast.
How long should a smartwatch battery last?
Most smartwatch batteries should last anywhere from 12 to 24 hours, depending on the brand and model. They are designed to be used all day long between chargers. If the battery drains faster than this, there might be issues to fix.
Why is my smartwatch draining my phone battery?
If you have your smartwatch connected to your smartphone, this can cause the battery to drain on both devices. As the watch connects to the phone, it causes it to work and sync, which takes battery power.
Should I charge my smartwatch to 100%?
It’s generally OK to charge your smartwatch to 100%, as most of these devices are built not to overheat when fully charged. But some people like to stop the charge at about 95% to prevent any issues related to long-term battery health.
How to Choose a Smartwatch with Long Battery Life
Battery Life
A watch should be able to handle your day-to-day activity without struggling or needing to be charged every time you turn around.
Plus, since battery life in all electronic devices degrades with age and use, the more power you start out with, the longer your watch will last.
Watch Size and Design
Size and design are also quite important, especially if you wear your watch every single day. Pick something that’s comfortable, functional, and will fit with your clothing style across many different outfits. Many people choose nondescript designs for extra versatility, but it’s completely up to you.
Operating System
If you’re immersed in the Apple ecosystem, you’ll probably be most at home with an Apple-branded smartwatch.
On the other hand, if you’re more into Android you could appreciate a watch from Samsung. Each operating system has its own pros and cons, so you should consider what you need before making your final decision.
Final Thoughts
There are many ways you can improve the battery life on your smartwatch, which can help you extend the use you get out of it. Look through the suggestions listed here and see if those help you preserve battery life.
If you are still running into issues after reading this, it might be worth reaching out to customer service from the watch manufacturer to help resolve the issue.
Do you know of any reasons or fixes for the smartwatch battery drain that I didn’t mention here? Let me know in the comments below.
