As an Apple Watch user, I have often wondered if my device could be draining the battery life of my iPhone. I have heard stories from friends and colleagues of their iPhones having to be charged more often and wondered if it was due to their Apple Watch. After doing some research and testing, I am here to share my findings and explore the potential solutions.
Unfortunately, the Apple Watch can indeed drain an iPhone’s battery. This is due to the constant connection and syncing via Bluetooth and Wi-Fi. The high usage of the watch needs a lot of data from the phone, which results in the battery draining faster.
Tips: |
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The Apple Watch can reduce an iPhone’s battery due to the constant connection and syncing via Bluetooth and Wi-Fi. |
You can fix this issue by re-pairing or resetting your devices. |
To avoid having to repair or reset your devices, be mindful of your data usage. |
Table of Contents
Does the Apple Watch Drain the Battery in the iPhone?
Although they appear to be separate devices, the Apple Watch can drain the iPhone’s battery. As you know, iPhone links with an Apple Watch through Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, apps, and GPS. All of these services drain the battery power continuously.
These functionalities are usually on for a long period. Hence, heavy use of the watch will cause your iPhone’s battery to discharge more quickly.
For instance, the GPS might reduce battery life by 13% to 38%.
According to several users, the battery drain often decreases after a specific time, typically three months. This could be explained by the watch collecting data that the algorithm finds predictable.
As a result, the watch won’t need to store as much data anymore, which lowers the usage. However, that may not be the case with all Apple Watch models.
How to Fix the iPhone Battery Draining Issue
If your battery is running out faster than it should, there are some fixes you can try. Before trying anything else, make sure that the iOS and WatchOS are up to date. Sometimes, the problem is a system error, and it’ll likely fix the battery problem.
However, if you notice battery drain and other problems such as missing data from the Health App, you can try these other fixes.
Re-Pair Your Watch
It’s likely that the pairing between your watch and the phone has an issue and needs fixing. Re-pairing the watch with your iPhone as a new device might solve the problem.
Doing this process is fairly easy. All you have to do is follow these steps to unpair your watch:
- Launch the Watch app on your phone.
- Select your watch at the top of the screen on the My Watch tab.
- Click on the “i” next to your watch information.
- Choose Unpair Apple Watch and then tap Confirm.
Now that your watch is no longer linked to your phone, you can now pair them again. Here’s how to do it:
- Turn on your Apple Watch, then bring it up close to your iPhone.
- Your iPhone will display the Apple Watch pairing screen. After that, click on Continue.
- As an alternative, you can tap Pair New Watch after launching the Apple Watch app on your iPhone.
- Select Set Up for Myself.
- Place your iPhone so that the Apple Watch app’s display shows your watch. This will pair the devices together.
- To complete the pairing, tap Set Up Apple Watch. Then, follow the steps displayed.
Reset Your Devices
If the unpairing method doesn’t work, you can try resetting your devices. Before doing so, back up the data on your iPhone and Apple Watch to avoid losing any files. After the reset, you can restore your data.
Read more: Does my Apple Watch need a sim card
Once you’re ready, you can start performing a factory reset. Here’s how you can do it:
Apple Watch Reset
- On your Apple Watch, go to Settings. After that, scroll to General.
- Select Reset. Then, choose to Erase All Content and Settings.
- The device may ask for your passcode. If prompted, go ahead and type it.
- In some Apple Watch models, it may ask to keep or cancel your cellular plan. In that case, keep your plan as you’ll need it to pair your devices again.
- Tap Erase All to confirm. Now, your Apple Watch will go back to default settings.
iPhone Reset
- Scroll down and select General under Settings.
- Choose Reset at the end of the page.
- Tap Erase All Content and Settings to revert your device to its default settings.
- Before asking you to confirm, it’ll ask you to enter the password. Type it and then tap Erase.
- Your iPhone will now return to its factory settings.
Wrap Up
Read more: can you shower with an Apple watch?
So, does the Apple Watch reduce an iPhone’s battery?
Unfortunately, the Apple Watch can indeed drain an iPhone’s battery. This is due to the constant connection and syncing via Bluetooth and Wi-Fi. Luckily, there are some fixes that you can do, such as repairing or resetting your devices.
If you’re mindful of your data usage, you can keep the battery from draining as fast as it does.