There are various methods for getting greater battery life out of your Apple Watch. In case you needed another, Apple added a new Low Power Mode to watchos 9. Here’s what it does and how to use it.
What Is Low Power Mode on Apple Watch?
Low Power Mode is the successor to Apple Watch’s Power Reserve. It’s a power-saving mode, as the name implies, that works similarly to its namesake on the iphone and iPad, extending the battery life of your Apple Watch by turning off or restricting some functionalities.
Related: Previous Apple Watch Models Price Drop at Power Mac Center
Apple claims that the battery life of the Apple Watch Series 8 may be increased from 18 to 36 hours. Similarly, the Apple Watch Ultra can run for up to 60 hours in Low Power Mode, up from 36 hours under regular settings. On all Apple Watch models running watchOS 9 and higher, you may additionally increase your battery life with Low Power Mode.
Unlike Power Reserve, which limited all of the watch’s functionality save the ability to show time, Low Power Mode maintains fundamental features like activity tracking and fall detection enabled. However, in this mode, the always-on display, “Start Workout” reminders, and heart rate warnings for irregular rhythm, high heart rate, and low heart rate will not be available. In addition, the wristwatch will not track your heart rate or blood oxygen levels in the background, nor will it connect to Wi-Fi or LTE unless you activate a data-required app. Furthermore, missed phone calls and notifications will be recovered on a periodic basis rather than in real time.
Aside from them, the Low Power Mode decreases background app refreshes and less often updates issues. There may also be a delay in making calls and using Siri.
Enabling Low Power Mode
The Control Center is the easiest method to enable Low Power Mode on your Apple Watch. To access the Control Center, swipe up from the bottom edge of your Apple Watch display.
Then, to view the battery options, press the battery percentage button. You may also access the battery settings by navigating to Settings > Battery.
Toggle the Low Power Mode option to activate it. Simply press “Turn On” or “Turn On For…” to pick whether you turn it on for one, two, or three days.
When the Low Power Mode is enabled, your Apple Watch will display a yellow circle symbol at the top, indicating that it is in use. The Control Center’s battery % symbol, the charging animation, and the time in Nightstand mode will all become yellow.
Keep in mind that you won’t always have to manually activate Low Power Mode. When the battery on your Apple Watch reaches 10%, it will automatically urge you to activate the mode.
Disabling Low Power Mode
You can disable Low Power Mode at any moment. Simply return to the battery settings by using the Control Center or the Settings app.
Then, to turn it off, choose the Low Power Mode option.
If you do not turn off Low Power Mode manually, your Apple Watch will do so automatically when the battery reaches 80% charge. This does not apply if you decide to activate it for a set number of days.
Can You Work Out in Low Power Mode?
Workouts are possible in Low Power Mode, and metrics such as heart rate and speed are still measured by your watch. However, as your wristwatch attempts to preserve power, the frequency of these measures will be reduced.
You may also instruct your watch to automatically activate Low Power Mode during workouts. To do so, open the Settings app on your watch, scroll down, touch Workout, and turn the Low Power Mode switch to the right.
Has Power Reserve Been Removed in watchOS 9?
Although Low Power Mode officially replaces Power Reserve in watchOS 9, the latter’s functionality remains. You won’t find Power Reserve in any of the Apple Watch’s menus or settings, but if your smartwatch is switched off, you can view the time by pressing and holding the Digital Crown.
So, if your Apple Watch’s battery is getting low but you still need it to show you the time like it did in Power Reserve, simply switch it off. When you need to check the time, simply press and hold the Digital Crown, and it will display the time. All other functionalities of your Apple Watch are disabled.
