Apple Watch Owners Complain of Battery Life Issues With Both Series 5 and Older Models With watchOS 6

The new Apple Watch Series 5 models come equipped with an always on display, a feature new in 2019. With the always on display, some element of the screen is always lit, even when the wrist is down.

It's a good way to keep an eye on the time or to keep track of a workout without needing to raise a wrist, but its use at this time requires compromising on battery life.

applewatchseries5
Though Apple says the Apple Watch Series 5 offers the same 18-hour "all day" battery life as the Series 4 model, a multitude of complaints on the MacRumors forums and the Apple Support forums suggest that's not the case.

A 36-page forum thread is filled with battery life complaints about the Apple Watch Series 5, starting from September 20, the day the device was released. MacRumors reader Radeon85, for example, said that he was seeing significant battery drain until he turned off the always on display.

Battery life coming from an S4 to the S5, battery life I find is not great. From a 100% charge on my S5 I was losing about 5% an hour doing nothing, it stayed like this for a few hours. To test I turned off the always on display and battery life immediately improved, for the next few hours I was losing at most doing nothing about 2% an hour which is pretty much close to where my S4/S3 and S2 were.

For me the battery killer is the always on display.

Several of us here at MacRumors have the new Apple Watch Series 5 with always on display and have indeed experienced our Apple Watch batteries draining much more quickly than the prior Series 4 models. Workouts, LTE, and other battery draining functions combined with always on can result in major drops in battery life. As described by MacRumors reader Yachtmac:

I am really getting shocking battery life during workouts. Today I did a 35 min indoor workout. Elliptical and played an on watch playlist and the battery ran down from 69% to 21% during this workout. I thought things were going really well when I left for the gym with 69% available since coming off the charger at 7.00am.

I have Siri and Noise monitoring off but AOD on! I am thinking of returning this and sticking with the series 3 as it was excellent for this type of usage.

Battery problems don't appear to be limited to the Apple Watch Series 5, which suggests that watchOS 6 is also perhaps impacting battery life. The Noise app may be one culprit, and some users have also cited cellular connectivity, though both Cellular and GPS models appear to be affected by battery life problems.

MacRumors forum member Michael says that since watchOS 6 was released, his Apple Watch Series 4 battery has been dying faster, a sentiment echoed by many other MacRumors readers who have noticed issues since beta. From MacRumors reader Canyonblue737:

I've had my S4 on watchOS 6 for 4 days now to settle in. I do have the noise app set to monitor. Today in 17 hours off the charger I went from 100% to 32%, no workouts today, 5 hours 18 minutes usage 16 hours 57 minutes standby.

I feel prior to OS 6 with no workout I would have been about 40-50% with the same usage so yes it is higher but I still make it through the day.

On the Apple Watch Series 5, battery life can be improved by disabling Always On under the Display & Brightness section of the Apple Watch app on iPhone, but on the Series 4, it's less clear what might be causing problems.

MacRumors readers have reported some fixes that have helped improve battery life on both the Series 4 and Series 5, such as force restarting the device or unpairing and re-pairing, but there does not appear to be a single solution that has worked for everyone.

Apple has already updated watchOS to version 6.0.1, and that update fixed some bugs, but according to the release notes, it did not address battery life. watchOS 6.0.1 may include some battery optimizations though, as there are some reports on the forums of improvements after updating. From MacRumors reader Haruhiko:

after upgrading my watch to 6.0.1 and disabled music syncing in iPhone watch app, music, the battery life of my series 5 has returned to normal. Unplugged at ~11am this morning and now it's 11pm and the watch still has 61% battery. I have always on display and noise detection on.

Apple has also released the first beta of a watchOS 6.1 update to developers, and that update seems to include some battery fixes. We've heard reports from forum members that watchOS 6.1 significantly improves battery life, and in our own experience, we've also seen better battery life after installing the update. From MacRumors forum member Rogertoh16:

I have 2x series 5, me and my wife. Wife is 6.0.1 and I am in beta 6.1. We have 1 common thing turn off the noise detection. Her’s 6.0.1 battery drain more then mine 6.1 and she don’t work out daily which I am. We will wake up 6.30am morning and and walk our boy to school, work and come back home around 9.30pm. Hers will only left with 10-13% battery where mine left with 45%. Both IOS is 13.1.2. And it been 2 day straight same result even before 6.0.1. I think Apple need to release the watchOS 6.1 quick.

watchOS 6.1 is still in the early stages of beta testing so additional optimizations could be added before the software sees a release, and many of the battery life woes associated with watchOS 6 and the Series 5 could be addressed soon.

Are you experiencing battery life issues either with the Series 5 or with an older Apple Watch updated to watchOS 6? Let us know in the comments.

Related Roundup: Apple Watch 10
Buyer's Guide: Apple Watch (Caution)

Popular Stories

iPhone 17 Pro Lower Logo Feature 1

iPhone 17 Pro Coming Soon With These 14 New Features

Monday June 30, 2025 1:08 pm PDT by
Apple's next-generation iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are less than three months away, and there are plenty of rumors about the devices. Apple is expected to launch the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Air, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max in September this year. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models:Aluminum frame: iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to have an...
Apple Watch Ultra Night Mode Screen

Apple Watch Ultra 3 Launching Later This Year With Two Key Upgrades

Wednesday July 2, 2025 1:13 pm PDT by
The long wait for an Apple Watch Ultra 3 appears to be nearly over, and it is rumored to feature both satellite connectivity and 5G support. Apple Watch Ultra's existing Night Mode In his latest Power On newsletter, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said that the Apple Watch Ultra 3 is on track to launch this year with "significant" new features, including satellite connectivity, which would let you...
A18 Pro Chip

New MacBook With A18 Pro Chip Spotted in Apple Code

Monday June 30, 2025 8:05 am PDT by
Apple is developing a MacBook with the A18 Pro chip, according to findings in backend code uncovered by MacRumors. Earlier today, Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo reported that Apple is planning to launch a low-cost MacBook powered by an iPhone chip. The machine is expected to feature a 13-inch display, the A18 Pro chip, and color options that include silver, blue, pink, and yellow. MacRumors...
iPhone 17 Pro Lower Logo Magsafe

iPhone 17 Pro's New MagSafe Design Revealed in Leaked Photo

Wednesday July 2, 2025 8:37 am PDT by
The upcoming iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are rumored to have a slightly different MagSafe magnet layout compared to existing iPhone models, and a leaked photo has offered a closer look at the supposed new design. The leaker Majin Bu today shared a photo of alleged MagSafe magnet arrays for third-party iPhone 17 Pro cases. On existing iPhone models with MagSafe, the magnets form a...
macbook air spacegray purple

Apple Planning to Launch Low-Cost MacBook Powered By iPhone Chip

Monday June 30, 2025 3:20 am PDT by
Apple is planning to launch a low-cost MacBook powered by an iPhone chip, according to Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. In an article published on X, Kuo explained that the device will feature a 13-inch display and the A18 Pro chip, making it the first Mac powered by an iPhone chip. The A18 Pro chip debuted in the iPhone 16 Pro last year. To date, all Apple silicon Macs have contained M-series...
Wi Fi WiFi General Feature

iOS 26 Adds a Useful New Wi-Fi Feature to Your iPhone

Wednesday July 2, 2025 6:36 am PDT by
iOS 26 and iPadOS 26 add a smaller yet useful Wi-Fi feature to iPhones and iPads. As spotted by Creative Strategies analyst Max Weinbach, sign-in details for captive Wi-Fi networks are now synced across iPhones and iPads running iOS 26 and iPadOS 26. For example, while Weinbach was staying at a Hilton hotel, his iPhone prompted him to fill in Wi-Fi details from his iPad that was already...
iOS 18

Apple Releases Second iOS 18.6 Public Beta

Tuesday July 1, 2025 10:19 am PDT by
Apple today seeded the second betas of upcoming iOS 18.6 and iPadOS 18.6 updates to public beta testers, with the betas coming just a day after Apple provided the betas to developers. Apple has also released a second beta of macOS Sequoia 15.6. Testers who have signed up for beta updates through Apple's beta site can download iOS 18.6 and iPadOS 18.6 from the Settings app on a compatible...
maxresdefault

Five Features Coming to AirPods Pro 3

Friday June 27, 2025 10:52 am PDT by
Apple hasn't updated the AirPods Pro since 2022, and the earbuds are due for a refresh. We're counting on a new model this year, and we've seen several hints of new AirPods tucked away in Apple's code. Rumors suggest that Apple has some exciting new features planned that will make it worthwhile to upgrade to the latest model. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. Heal...
replay all time playlist apple music

Apple Music Debuts All-New Personalized Playlist

Monday June 30, 2025 7:16 am PDT by
As part of its 10-year celebrations of Apple Music, Apple today released an all-new personalized playlist that collates your entire listening history. The playlist, called "Replay All Time," expands on Apple Music's existing Replay features. Previously, users could only see their top songs for each individual calendar year that they've been subscribed to Apple Music, but now, Replay All...

Top Rated Comments

Quu Avatar
75 months ago
Apple claims the Series 5 has 18 hour battery life. User in the quote claims battery drains 5% per hour. 100 divided by 5 = 20. So it has 20 hour battery life, what's the problem?
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
sshohlov Avatar
75 months ago
Apple Watch 4, 44 mm non-cellular, no issues as well.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
DJLAXL Avatar
75 months ago
Series 5, SGSS, 44MM. Battery is absolute garbage. 81% after 3 hours, whereas on the Series 4 it'd last all day. I have re-set and re-paired multiple times which has usually fixed battery glitches in my experience.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ChrisMoBro Avatar
75 months ago
I've come from a Series 2 to a Series 5 and I have definitely noticed a problem. I'm now at 46% after a day of general usage and no workouts whereas my S2 would be closer to 60-70%. I have a half marathon in a few weeks so I think I'll turn off the AOD just in case.


i totally get the health benefits & convenience of the apple watch. Definitely some very cool tech. I just haven’t added it to my quiver of iOS devices yet. Right now the iphone & ipad do all i need. Perhaps some day down the road. Maybe when it gets a camera. That would be very James Bond/ Dick Tracy. I was never a watch wearer. And i know many people just wear traditional watches now for fashion. So in that sense the apple watch is a much more useful device as well as a fashion statement, so i get it.
This device has changed me from being someone who couldn't run a mile to doing half marathons comfortably. Each day it helps me be more active and healthier. So much more than a fashion statement and easily the best Apple device I own.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Peepo Avatar
75 months ago
I have not experienced this with my S4 SS but I’m sure I will now after reading this article LOL.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Greenmeenie Avatar
75 months ago
This is why i haven’t bought into the whole smart watch craze yet. I was never a watch guy anyway...but to me watches were always a forever wearable. These new ”smart” watches, although cool in some respects just seem to be so disposable. In the sense that they become more obsolete with each software update.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)