You’re halfway through a workout, or maybe sitting in a boring meeting, and you get that nagging feeling. Is your watch about to die? Knowing how to check battery in apple watch seems like it should be the simplest thing in the world, but Apple has moved things around so much over the years that it’s actually kind of confusing if you haven't kept up with the watchOS updates.
It happens to everyone.
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The "low battery" chime is the worst sound in the world when you're three miles from home. Honestly, the way you check your power levels depends entirely on which version of the software you’re running and how you’ve customized your face. It's not just one button. It’s a whole ecosystem of haptics and swipes.
The Fast Way to See Your Percentage
If you are running watchOS 10 or later—which you probably are if you’ve updated your device in the last year—the old "swipe up" trick is dead. Forget it. Swiping up now brings up your Smart Stack (those little widgets). To see your battery life now, you have to press the Side Button.
That’s the flat button right next to the Digital Crown.
One quick click opens the Control Center. Right there, usually in the top left or center depending on your layout, you’ll see the percentage. It’s bold. It’s clear. It’s also where you’ll find the toggle for Low Power Mode, which is a lifesaver if you're down to 10% and still have a long day ahead.
But what if you hate pressing buttons?
You can actually add a battery "complication" directly to your watch face. This is arguably the best way to do it because you don't have to touch anything. You just lift your wrist, glance, and you're done. To do this, long-press your watch face, tap Edit, and find a spot (a complication slot) where the battery level fits. Some faces like "Infograph" or "Modular" are perfect for this because they have so much room for data.
Checking from Your iPhone
Sometimes your watch is across the room on its charger and you want to know if it's ready to wear. You don’t have to get up. Your iPhone knows exactly what’s going on with your wrist's battery level, provided they are within Bluetooth range.
The easiest method is using the Batteries Widget on your iPhone’s home screen or Today View. If you haven't set this up, you're missing out. Long-press your iPhone home screen, hit the plus (+) icon, and search for "Batteries." It will show you the juice left in your phone, your AirPods, and yes, your Apple Watch.
It’s seamless.
There’s also the Apple Watch app on your phone, but honestly, that’s a clunky way to do it. Stick to the widget. It’s faster and looks better.
Understanding Battery Health vs. Battery Charge
There is a massive difference between your current charge and your battery's actual health. Think of it like a gas tank. The charge is how much gas is in the tank right now. The health is how big the tank is. Over time, lithium-ion batteries—the kind inside every Apple Watch from the Series 1 to the Ultra 2—chemically age.
They shrink.
If you feel like you’re constantly wondering how to check battery in apple watch because it keeps dying faster than it used to, you need to check the Maximum Capacity. To find this, go to Settings on your watch (the gear icon), scroll down to Battery, and then tap Battery Health.
If that number is below 80%, Apple generally considers the battery "consumed."
At that point, no amount of "checking" will help. You’ll notice the watch starts lagging, or worse, it just shuts off when it still says it has 20% left. That’s a classic sign of a degraded battery. It can’t handle the peak power demands of the processor anymore. According to Apple’s own technical support documentation, most users will hit this 80% mark after about 500 complete charge cycles. If you charge every night, that’s roughly two to three years.
Why Your Battery is Draining Too Fast
Sometimes the hardware is fine, but the software is acting like a hog. If you've checked your levels and they are dropping like a rock, look at your "Always On" display settings. It’s beautiful, sure, but it eats power.
Turning off "Always On" can frequently net you an extra 4-5 hours of use.
Another culprit? Background App Refresh. Go to Settings > General > Background App Refresh. Do you really need your "Starbucks" app checking for updates every ten minutes while you're at work? Probably not. Toggle off the stuff you don't need.
Also, check your Heart Rate monitoring. If you’re not an athlete or someone with a heart condition, you might not need the watch pining your pulse every few minutes. This is a huge battery drain during workouts. You can actually turn on "Power Saving Mode" specifically for workouts in the Watch app on your iPhone, which disables the heart rate sensor but keeps the GPS going.
Nightstand Mode and Charging Status
When your watch is on its side charging, it enters "Nightstand Mode." This is where checking the battery gets a little different. Instead of a percentage, you usually see a green lightning bolt icon.
If you want to see the exact percentage while it’s charging:
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- Tap the screen.
- Tap the small battery icon.
It’ll show you the exact number. This is super helpful if you’re in a rush and need to know if 60% is enough to get you through dinner. Remember that Apple Watches (Series 7 and later) support fast charging. You can get from 0% to 80% in about 45 minutes, but only if you use the specific USB-C fast-charging cable that came in the box and a 20W power adapter.
If you’re using an old USB-A brick from an iPhone 6, it’s going to take forever.
Low Power Mode: The Nuclear Option
Introduced in watchOS 9, Low Power Mode replaced the old "Power Reserve" (which basically turned your watch into a dumb digital clock). Low Power Mode is much smarter. It keeps the watch functional but turns off the power-hungry features.
It disables:
- Always On display.
- Heart rate notifications for irregular rhythms.
- Background heart rate measurements.
- Blood oxygen measurements.
- Start workout reminders.
It also limits Wi-Fi and cellular connections when your iPhone isn't nearby. If you are traveling and forgot your charger, this is your best friend. You can set it to turn on automatically when the battery hits 10%, or you can toggle it on manually through the Control Center whenever you know you'll be away from a plug for a while.
Actionable Steps for Better Battery Management
Stop guessing and start managing. If you want to keep your Apple Watch running longer and make checking the battery a thing of the past, follow these specific steps:
- Check your Health: Open Settings > Battery > Battery Health. If you're under 80% and still under warranty or have AppleCare+, get a replacement. It's often free.
- Audit your Face: Switch to a "simple" watch face with a black background. Since Apple Watch uses OLED screens, black pixels are literally turned off and consume zero power.
- The 20-80 Rule: To extend the long-term life of your battery, try not to let it drop to 0% and try not to leave it at 100% on the charger for days at a time. Batteries are happiest in that middle 20% to 80% range.
- Update often: Apple frequently releases "point" updates (like watchOS 11.1 or 11.2) that specifically fix battery drain bugs caused by background processes.
By clicking that side button and monitoring your health stats, you’re not just looking at a number—you're ensuring your tech stays reliable when you actually need it.