Does turning off Apple Watch save battery?

Answered by Edward Huber

Turning off your Apple Watch completely will definitely save battery power, as it essentially shuts down all functions and minimizes energy consumption. However, if you are referring to turning off specific features or using Low Power Mode, the impact on battery life may vary.

Low Power Mode on the Apple Watch is designed to conserve battery by disabling certain functions and limiting connectivity. By activating Low Power Mode, you can extend the battery life of your Apple Watch, especially in situations where you need your watch to last longer than usual, such as during a long day or while traveling.

When Low Power Mode is enabled on your Apple Watch, it makes several adjustments to reduce power consumption:

1. Always-On Display: The always-on display feature, which allows you to see the time and complications on your watch face without raising your wrist, is turned off in Low Power Mode. This helps save battery life as the display doesn’t need to refresh constantly.

2. Cellular and Wi-Fi Connections: Low Power Mode restricts the use of cellular data and Wi-Fi connections. This means your Apple Watch will use less energy by limiting its communication with the outside world.

3. Background Sensor Readings: Low Power Mode disables certain background sensor readings, including heart rate measurements, high and low heart rate notifications, irregular rhythm notifications, and blood oxygen measurements. These readings require continuous monitoring and can drain the battery quickly.

By disabling these features, Low Power Mode helps to prolong the battery life of your Apple Watch. However, it’s important to note that Low Power Mode may limit some functionalities and notifications. For example, you may not receive immediate notifications for high or low heart rates, irregular rhythms, or blood oxygen levels.

In my personal experience, enabling Low Power Mode on my Apple Watch has been helpful in situations where I needed to conserve battery power. During long hikes or busy days where I couldn’t charge my watch, using Low Power Mode allowed me to still have essential features while extending the overall battery life.

To activate Low Power Mode on your Apple Watch, follow these steps:

1. Open the Settings app on your Apple Watch.
2. Scroll down and tap on “Battery.”
3. Toggle on the “Low Power Mode” option.

It’s worth mentioning that Low Power Mode is not a permanent setting and will automatically turn off when you charge your watch to a certain level or restart it. You can also manually disable Low Power Mode by going back to the Battery settings and toggling it off.

Turning off your Apple Watch completely will save the most battery power. However, if you want to conserve battery while still using your watch, enabling Low Power Mode can be an effective way to extend its battery life by disabling certain features and limiting connectivity.