You may be wondering if it’s safe to leave your Apple Watch charging overnight. After all, you don’t want to run the risk of damaging the device or its battery life. In this blog post, we will explore the answers to that question and more! We will also offer some tips on how to get the most out of your Apple Watch’s battery life. Keep reading for all the details!
Can I Charge My Apple Watch Overnight?
Yes, you can charge your Apple Watch overnight while preserving its battery life. Overcharging an Apple Watch Overnight will not cause any damage to the device’s battery.
You’ll find that Apple products have Lithium-ion batteries. These Lithium-ion batteries are built in such a manner that they automatically cease charging once the battery level reaches 100%. So, even if you leave your Apple watch connected to the magnetic charger after it’s completely charged, it won’t affect its lifespan.
The two primary charging phases for a Lithium-ion battery are rapid and trickle. The first is a fast charge stage, in which the battery charges from 80% to 100% in a short period of time. Then there’s Trickle Charge, which charges at a slower pace from 80% to 100%. This slower rate is enforced to promote healthy battery life. Once that 100% level is reached, the charging comes to a cease.
Is it bad to keep your Apple watch on the charger?
Despite the fact that smart devices, in particular smartphones and smartwatches, are still hesitant to abandon battery safety warnings from old times. While overcharging was once a powerful thing, it is no longer the case today. When a gadget’s battery has been fully charged, it will stop charging. And if there is an issue with the device’s abnormal heating up, this is because the device is defective.
So, it is not an issue to keep your Apple Watch on the charger (Plugged or unplugged). Users find it convenient to plug the Apple Watch in the charger as soon as they get home. Apple Watch won’t overcharge and thus the battery will not be damaged due to regular charging.
The battery cycle is what degrades the battery’s life. It’s the number of times the battery has been charged and discharged. This continual cycle of charging and discharging kills the battery life over time, necessitating a replacement. Apple Watches have a 1000-cycle lifespan before they need to be serviced.
Is it bad to leave a smartwatch charging overnight?
Most of the smartwatches in the market are capable of quick charging. This means it will only take around 30 to 45 minutes to get the battery from 0 to 80% or so. Those smartwatches that do not have a fast-charging feature in them will take around a couple of hours to charge to the fullest. So, it is rather pointless to keep it hooked to the charger overnight (6 to 8 hours depending on your sleep pattern).
While it is true that modern battery technologies (Li-ion) are capable of keeping themselves safe from the risk of overcharging, the charging simply doesn’t stop at 100%. In fact, if the device is still connected to the charger after 100% of battery, it will discharge itself to 90 and then again to 100. This cycle repeats unless you unplug the smartwatch from the charger. And as we know the cycle of charging and discharging makes the battery weak and vulnerable which will lead you to change the battery quickly.
So, it is recommended that you don’t keep your smartwatch hooked to the charger for such a long period of time. A couple of hours or a little more is fine.
Does overnight charging damage the battery?
Nope! While it was possible in the old days to damage the battery of a device by overcharging, it is not a thing today! As watches and phones have grown smarter, the batteries have grown to be much more advanced too.
Since most smartwatches have Li-ion batteries installed in them, these batteries are capable of stopping the charging process when the battery level reaches 100%, even though it is still connected to the power outlet.
All the major smartwatch brands like Apple Watch, Samsung Galaxy Watch, Fitbit devices, and Garmin smartwatches can be fully charged in a couple of hours. So, it is not a power-efficient move to let them charge overnight for 6 to 8 hours.
Is charging your Apple Watch at 50 bad?
Absolutely not! You can charge your Apple Watch at whatever battery level you like. It is a common myth among users that batteries should be discharged completely before plugging them into the charger as it will increase the battery life. But there is no proof to this claim.
As far as your Apple Watch is concerned, it will stop charging when it reaches 100 percent of battery level from whatever battery level you start charging it. It will charge the battery rapidly from 0 to 80 percent (also known as the quick charge phase) and then charge slowly from 80 to 100 ( trickle charge).
Can I use my Apple watch while it’s charging?
Unlike other Apple products like the Macbook, iPad, or iPhone, you cannot use the Apple Watch while it is charging. This is because of the structure and the charging methodology of the Apple Watch.
Apple Watch has a magnetic charging point or circle on its underbelly where the magnetic charger snaps. This is the same spot that is resting on your wrist when you wear the watch. So, you won’t be able to wear it on your wrist when the charger is connected.
Apple has purposefully designed this so-called “nightstand mode” which refers to the charging state. In this mode, the Apple Watch displays time, date, and battery level only.
Why does the watch battery die so fast?
Smartwatches come with a small battery capacity compared to smartphones. While a modern smartphone can have a battery capacity ranging from 3500 mAh to over 6000 mAh, smartwatches have a battery capacity between 200 to 400 mAh. So, if you overburden your smartwatch with too many features and expect them to function as your second phone, the watch battery will die out fast.
There can be many reasons for the battery to die out quickly. Some of them are quite fixable. Let us check them out –
- The GPS feature on your smartwatch is a major battery killer. So, make sure it is turned off when you are not tracking your activities outdoor. In Garmin smartwatches, GPS reduces the battery life by 10 times if is always kept on.
- Playing music will also make the battery drain faster. So, if you are using your smartwatch to listen to music on Spotify or Apple Music, be ready for the battery to drain rapidly.
- Too many push notification from your smartphone to your watch is also a major battery drainer. So, if you want to save the battery, you can allow “push notifications” from the most important apps only.
- Display features like “Always On Display”, and “Display on Wrist Raise”, and too much brightness also burns the battery brighter. You can toggle off these features and reduce the brightness to get an optimum time with the watch’s battery.
- Make sure you update the OS on the smartwatch regularly. Some OS versions have bugs that are harmful to the battery life.
- If the tips mentioned do not solve your problem, you can always contact the customer support of your watch company. They might help you will more technical issues. You might have to replace the watch because it might be a damaged piece.
Should I turn off my smartwatch at night?
If the battery level on your smartwatch is fine for you and you don’t have any use for your smartwatch at night, you can turn it off. This will effectively save the battery and you can use it without charging for the next day. If you don’t turn off the watch at night even when you are not using it, the background processes running in the background will drain out the battery.
If you are someone who likes to track their sleep at night, you will probably wear it while sleeping. But it is not recommended to track your sleep if your sleeping habits are fine. You can simply switch off the watch and have a good night’s sleep.
Which Apple Watch has the best battery life?
One feature that has been constant among the generations of Apple Watches is the battery life. From Apple Watch Series 2 to Apple Watch Series 7, the rated battery life has been 18 hours for all of them. The battery size has gone slightly up but the rated battery life hasn’t. Only the Apple Watch Series 1 claimed to last for a full day. But that is a device and a story of the past.
While the latest Apple Watch Series 7 has a similar battery life to its predecessors, the introduction of fast charging is definitely one step forward. So, with the capability to charge quickly, Apple Watch Series 7 can be considered the best Apple Watch in terms of battery life.
Should I wait for my Apple Watch to die before charging?
No! Absolutely not. You can charge your Apple Watch from whatever the current battery level is. You might be a victim of a misconception that batteries should be completely discharged before they are plugged for charging again as this somehow keeps the battery life healthier. It is an old concept that has no place now.
Your Apple Watch is quite smart and so is the Lithium-ion battery present in it. It will charge itself smartly without risk to the effects of overcharging. In fact, you can plug it into the charger overnight and you don’t have to worry about a thing.
If you have your Apple Watch battery at 10 percent, it will be a foolish decision not to plug it into the charger and rather wait for the remaining battery to die. It might interfere with your sleep or work and it is not even worthwhile.
Should Apple Watch 6 be charged every night?
Given that the battery life of an Apple Watch 6 is 18 hours with the most extensive usage, you will still have some charge left when you get ready to sleep. So, it is a good idea to charge your Apple Watch 6 every night even if some charge is still there. There is no risk of overcharging as the battery on your Apple Watch 6 knows how to protect itself from overcharging.
It is a good feeling to start a new day with a full battery on your Apple Watch 6. So, make a habit of charging it nightly all the time. This way, you won’t miss tracking any of your activities due to the low charge on your Apple Watch 6 in the morning or the evening when you work out.
Should I turn off my Apple watch every night?
If you are not going to put your Apple Watch to use at night when you sleep for stuff like sleep tracking or SpO2 monitoring and the battery level is around 80 to 100 percent, you can turn it off and plug it into the charger. This way, the battery will be charged to the fullest and there won’t be any discharge if it is turned off.
But with Apple Watch Series 7, where you can actually track your sleep, you can put it on when you sleep to monitor oxygen level and sleep cycle. Apple claims that you can track 8 hours of sleep with 8 minutes of quick charging on the Apple Watch Series 7. So, you must decide on some other time (like early in the morning) to charge your Apple Watch.
Should I turn off my smartwatch while charging?
You are not obligated to turn off your smartwatch while charging but it is a good practice because it will save the battery of the smartwatch from draining after the battery level has reached 100 percent.
You see, WearOS and WatchOS on Android and Apple Watch respectively behave the same as their phone counterparts while charging. This means, if you turn them off while charging, the charging will speed up and will be to the fullest unless switched on again.
How many years will an Apple watch last?
According to Apple Watch users, Apple Watch normally lasts for around 3 years before the battery starts decaying. The performance of the Apple Watch takes a dip as well. For some users, it is mostly the battery that can be replaced at the Apple Service Centre.
Most users upgrade to a newer version of the Apple Watch after 5 years regardless of whether their current Apple watch runs or not.
Should I charge my Apple Watch to 100%?
Of course, you should charge your Apple Watch to a 100 percent battery level. One thing is for sure you cannot overcharge your Apple Watch as the charging ceases when the battery level is at its fullest.
So, no matter what is your current battery level on your Apple Watch, you can plug it into the charger and go to sleep (if you like to charge at night). Do not believe in myths about overcharging your Apple Watch if you charge it overnight or you should charge your Apple Watch to around 90 percent.
How long does it take for a dead Apple watch to charge?
If your Apple Watch died on you, it will take around 30 minutes to get a good amount of charge. And with 90 minutes of charge, it can reach the 100 percent mark.
If you are buying a new or refurbished Apple Watch and the seller says that the battery is dead, you should charge it to its fullest in the presence of the seller. This way you can be sure that the battery life on your new Apple Watch is good and that there is no issue related to it.
At what percentage should I charge my Apple Watch?
You can charge your Apple Watch at whatever percentage you like. There is no rule of thumb for that. You should be aware that any advice stating that you should start charging your Apple Watch only after it discharges to a certain level of the battery is baseless and just a myth.
The battery in your Apple Watch is smart enough to protect itself from overcharging and it will automatically terminate the charging when it reaches the maximum level.
How often should the Apple watch be charged?
Given that the battery life of an Apple Watch after an average usage is 18 days, you will need to charge it every night before you go to bed. Charging your Apple Watch overnight is the best way to go as you do not have any use for the Watch when you sleep.
If you like to track your sleep and thus prefer to wear Apple Watch in bed, then charging it early in the morning every day before you go out is the best alternative.
How long should I charge my smartwatch?
Modern smartwatches have quite a small battery capacity (200 to 400 mAh) and most of them support quick or fast-charging technology. So, based on capacity and the ability to charge themselves quickly, it will take an hour or two at max to charge it completely.
So, you should charge your smartwatch for a couple of hours and this is the maximum time limit. But if you like to plug it into the charger when you go to sleep, you can charge it overnight as the charging will stop internally after the battery is fully charged even when it is still connected to the charger.
What will reduce the battery life or damage the battery health of the smartwatch?
If you feel like your smartwatch is dying on you quicker than expected or the battery health is deteriorating, you need to figure out the reason behind that. There can be a number of reasons for your smartwatch to experience rapid battery drain or have a short battery life than expected. Let us see these reasons one by one –
The OS is asking for an upgrade
You need to make sure that the OS on your smartwatch is always up to date as the latest OS versions are optimized for the best performance. There might be some bug or error in the previous version that your watch might be running on, which is eating the battery faster than ever.
Too many health tracker apps are running in the background
There are multiple sensors on a smartwatch and hence multiple apps to complement those sensors. Make sure they are only turned on when they are in use. Otherwise, turn them off for better battery life.
The display settings are not optimized
Modern smartwatches come with beautiful OLED or AMOLED display panels. While they are quite vibrant and easy to read, they can also be bad for battery health if not optimized. Features like “Always on Display” or “Display on Wrist Raise” can quickly drain the battery. Too much brightness will also degrade the battery life of your smartwatch.
GPS and Music are often the devils
GPS needs a lot of power to run. Hence, they tend to drain the battery life 5 to 10 times faster compared to power-saving, non-GPS mode. So, make sure your location access is turned off when you are working inside or GPS has no use for you.
Listening to music via your smartwatch for an extended period of time is not a good choice as it has a negative impact on the overall battery health of your smartwatch. You better stick to your phone if you are into music all the time.
A damaged or faulty watch
Sometimes, the watch may have some defect out of the box. Due to this, you might have to spend days before you figure out what is wrong with your watch. If you are not able to resolve the issue with the battery-saver tricks provided above, talk to a technical support assistant or take your smartwatch to the respective service center.
How to Maximize Apple Watch Battery Life?
If you want to know about all the tips and tricks to maximize the battery life of your Apple Watch, we have got you covered. Here are some very useful ways to increase the battery life of your Apple Watch.
- Turn off the “Always On Display” if you own Apple Watch Series 5 or later
- Reduce the brightness and opt for a dark Watch face
- Reduce notifications and alerts to your smartwatch via “Push notification”
- Don’t use your Apple Watch to take calls on a regular basis
- Avoid using Walkie-Talkie
- During workouts, switch to the “Power Saving” mode
- Reduce Media Playback over cellular
- Disable the “Wake on Wrist Raise” feature
- Remove some of the unused “complications” from the Apple Watch face
- Disable Background Refresh and manage apps efficiently
- Ensure that Bluetooth is enabled on your iPhone
- Update the WatchOS to its latest version
I want to track sleep with my Apple Watch; but, when do I charge it?
The good thing is that with 90 minutes of charging time, the battery level will be up to 80 percent. This will be enough to take you through the day as the battery life for a fully charged Apple Watch is 18 hours.
So, if you want to track your sleep on your Apple Watch, you can charge it for 30 to 40 minutes before going to bed. If you go to bed at 11:00 PM, then you can plug it into the charger at 10 or 10:30. Apple says that you can track 8 hours of sleep with 8 minutes of charge on the Apple Watch Series 7.
You can again charge your Apple Watch for another 40 to 50 minutes in the morning when you do your daily chores and get ready for the day ahead. This way, you can have an ample amount of charge on your Apple Watch Series 7 and you can track your sleep as well.
Is it OK to sleep with an Apple watch on?
The sole purpose of wearing an Apple Watch while sleeping is to track your sleep and SpO2 Monitoring during your sleep. While it sounds exciting and fancy to track your sleep, you shouldn’t do it unless you are really having a problem with your sleep pattern.
Trying to unnecessarily complicate your sleep when it is perfectly normal is not good for your body and it can do a lot more bad than good. Further, you will get obsessed with the numbers and scores related to your sleep when all you should have done is sleep quietly.
If sleep tracking is recommended by a physician or your sleeping habit is messed up, you can definitely try tracking your sleep to get a complete analysis. But, you should do it for a short period (a week or a month at max) as electronic gadgets emit Electromagnetic radiation all the time and too much exposure to that can have a negative impact on your health. Thus, in an attempt to monitor your sleep, you might end up having other health troubles.
So, it is ok to sleep with an Apple Watch on, but be aware of the negative impacts it might have with extensive usage while sleeping. You should do it only when it is absolutely necessary.
