watchOS 9.4 to Recalibrate Battery Capacity on 44mm Apple Watch Series 6

The watchOS 9.4 update that Apple is beta testing right now will include a battery recalibration process for the 44mm Apple Watch Series 6, Apple said today in an updated Apple Watch support document.

apple watch series 6 unboxing image
After updating to watchOS 9.4, the 44mm Apple Watch Series 6 will be able to estimate maximum battery capacity more accurately following the recalibration process.

Apple recalibrated the batteries of the Apple Watch Series 4 and Apple Watch Series 5 models with the watchOS 9 update, and now the process is being extended to the 44mm Apple Watch Series 6.

Battery recalibration has also been done for some iPhone models in the past, including the iPhone 11. Recalibration is able to improve inaccurate estimates of battery health that some users may be seeing.

Related Roundups: watchOS 10, watchOS 9
Related Forum: Apple Programming

Top Rated Comments

surfzen21 Avatar
8 months ago
Good to still see a focus on the older models.
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Robert.Walter Avatar
8 months ago
My launch day 44mm 6’s battery health hung at 81-82% for months before my 2 year warranty ran out (even though it was needing to be recharged more and more frequently) and about a month after warranty ran out, it was around 77% (the batteries in my series 0 and 3 degraded much more slowly.)

Two other family members and a colleague with the same watch had better battery health, low 80’s, at the same time mine was in the mid 70’s.)

So I complained to Apple and they sent me a replacement.
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
pcmike Avatar
8 months ago

My launch day S6 is at 80% battery health… waiting for it to hit 79% so I can get a replacement under AppleCare+.
I wonder which direction the recalibration will change battery health %
Enough to where you won’t be getting a replacement I bet ?
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
macfacts Avatar
8 months ago

Sounds great. I love seeing support for older devices.

Randumb: seeing the red Watch featured in the OP, it seems offering Watch in multiple colors (think iMac), with matching bands, would be a big hit with the masses. People like colors.
Support is good but this could be to prevent warranty coverage by changing the battery status.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Jdhommert Avatar
8 months ago
Interesting to see how this works out. I feel like my S6 Watch has maybe been the only Apple product I've owned where the battery went to crap so fast (ok ok iPhone X lol) I had assumed it was because I had always on display turned on for the first couple-few months and it ravaged the battery. My battery was draining so fast, and I turned it off and checked my battery health and it was already in the 80s. I gave my old launch day S4 to my dad, and last I looked it has better battery health than my launch day S6.

I probably have my eye on a 2024 watch as thats the rumored big updates. So if this update doesn't make me feel better about my battery lasting long enough to make it until then...and it probably won't...I'll get a used S7/8 to hold me over. Probably at S9 launch as they'll be much cheaper. Probably an 8 if I wait until then.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
geartau Avatar
8 months ago

My launch day 44mm 6’s battery health hung at 81-82% for month before my 2 year warranty ran out (even though it was needing to be recharged more and more frequently) and about a month after warranty ran out, it was around 77% (the batteries in my series 0 and 3 degraded much more slowly.)

Two other family members and a colleague with the same watch had better battery health, low 80’s, at the same time mine was in the mid 70’s.)

So I complained to Apple and they sent me a replacement.
same

my 6 series was stuck at 82% for over a year. that did not make any sense. i talked with apple and they said nothing was wrong and it was working fine. so there was no way to get it replaced under warranty.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

Apple WWDC23 macOS Sonoma hero

macOS Sonoma Launching This Week With These New Features

Sunday September 24, 2023 12:45 pm PDT by
Apple previously announced that macOS Sonoma will be released this Tuesday, September 26. The free software update includes many new features and changes for the Mac, including the five that we have highlighted below. In addition to these five features, we have shared the full release notes for macOS Sonoma below for a complete overview of everything new. Desktop Widgets macOS Sonoma...
iPhone 16 Mock Header With Dynamic Island

Skipping the iPhone 15 Pro? Here's What's Rumored for iPhone 16 Pro

Friday September 22, 2023 9:29 am PDT by
Are you skipping the iPhone 15 Pro and waiting another year to upgrade? If so, we already have some iPhone 16 Pro rumors for you. Below, we recap new features rumored for the iPhone 16 Pro models so far:Larger displays: The iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max will be equipped with larger 6.3-inch and 6.9-inch displays, respectively, according to Ross Young, CEO of Display Supply Chain...
iPhone 16 Side Feature

iPhone 16 to Include an Additional Capacitive 'Capture' Button

Monday September 25, 2023 12:50 pm PDT by
The iPhone 16 series is expected to gain an additional capacitive button, known internally as the "Capture Button." Codenamed "Project Nova," the button is likely to be one of the main selling points of the iPhone 16 lineup, assuming it gets past the initial testing phase. The Capture Button is located on the same side as the Power button, only positioned slightly lower - where the mmWave cutout...
ipad mini blue

Apple to Launch iPad Mini 7 Later This Year, Industry Report Suggests

Monday September 25, 2023 3:16 am PDT by
Apple could be preparing to release a seventh-generation iPad mini before the end of the year, based on a new report by DigiTimes. In an article discussing stagnating global tablet demand in the second half of 2023, the Taiwan-based outlet forecasts an uptick in Apple's share of the market owing to orders for a "small-size" iPad in the fourth quarter. From the report (see bold): In the...