Since Apple Watch is also meant to minimize smartphone screen time engagement, it will also minimize iPhone’s battery consumption. However, unusual loss of power from your iPhone battery may send a mixed signal either your battery is worn out or due to a charging error.
Hence, many iPhone users have tried to optimize some apps to save power without finding the cause.
Well, background running apps could be the possible cause, but have you checked if pairing your iPhone with other devices could be the potential cause.
For instance, many iPhone users have recently reported that Apple Watch is draining their iPhone Battery. In fact, following the release of iOS 14.6, Apple Watch drains about 25% or more of iPhone battery power within 8 hours.
This issue is not new to Apple’s team, because they introduced native apps for Apple Watch to minimize the consumption burden from the iPhone’s battery.
However, it doesn’t serve as a permanent solution to the problem, because Apple Watch functionality also depends on your iPhone’s functionalities. Thus, causing your iPhone’s battery consumption to increase and lose its power.
Look no further for the solution as this article will take you through the effective tricks to help you get out of this situation. But before jumping to the quick fixes, let’s find out why Apple Watch is draining your iPhone battery.
Why Apple Watch is Draining Your iPhone Battery?
As mentioned earlier the Apple Watch’s functionalities depend on your iPhone functionalities, below are the potential causes why it is draining your iPhone battery. They include;
- Pairing your iPhone and Apple Watch via Bluetooth, GPS, and Wi-Fi: These features can quickly drain the battery on your iPhone because they consume lots of power in exchanging data.
- Third-party apps running in the background: Third-party apps also drain lots of power from your iPhone battery. Because they must sync and exchange data with your iPhone for them to function effectively.
- Sending messages on your Apple Watch: Sending messages drains the iPhone battery because it enables the iPhone to send messages over the cellular network/Wi-Fi connection.
- Not managing notifications on your Apple Watch: This can also drain iPhone’s battery, especially if you have multiple apps and activities going on. That’s because it uses the cellular network/Wi-Fi connection functionality for notifications to come through and receive them via your iPhone (For individuals with the old Apple Watch version without cellular functionality.)
- Not upgrading to the latest iOS version: The old iOS version may have some bugs that increase unnecessary battery consumption on both your Apple Watch and iPhone battery.
- Companion & Podcast Apps: The Companion and Podcasts apps have also been noted to consume battery life at an alarming rate.
- Memory Leaks: Memory leaks from either your Watch or iPhone causes instability when it comes to their functionality. Thus, causing increased battery consumption from your Apple Watch and iPhone.
How to Stop Apple Watch from Draining iPhone Battery?
Before concluding that Apple Watch is draining your iPhone Battery, it would be helpful to check the battery health feature on your iPhone. The battery health feature is designed to diagnose battery life because it can recommend whether to replace the battery or not.
If your iPhone’s battery life is okay, but it doesn’t run an entire round, check if any of the above-mentioned causes are behind it. Then, apply the following quick fixes:
Manage Unnecessary Notifications
Unnecessary notifications drain a lot of power from your iPhone battery because it enables the cellular functionalities on your phone. It is therefore recommended to manage notifications that are not useful to you to minimize them from popping up every other minute.
To manage unnecessary notifications open your iPhone’s menu, and go to the “My Watch” tab > Notifications. Then, select the app you want to disable notifications and then swipe the toggle to your left to disable notifications.
Close/Switch Off Background Running Apps
Background running apps on your Apple Watch consumes lots of power from your iPhone battery. It is, therefore, helpful to close the apps that are running in the background to minimize your Watch from draining your iPhone battery. To close background running:
Step 1: Press the side button on the right side of the Watch. This will provide you with a list of the apps that are running in the background.
Step 2: Swipe up to see all the apps to help you decide which one you want to close because some may be vital to your needs.
Step 3: After choosing the app you intend to close, press on the app and swipe on it right-to-left.
Step 4: A remove button will display and then tap it to close the app.
Or,
You may turn off background apps by navigating to the Watch app on your iPhone > Setting > General > tap Background app refresh. The list of background apps will appear and then swipe the toggle from right to left to switch off the apps you don’t want to run in the background.
Update to the latest iOS Version
Make sure you update both the Apple Watch and iPhone to the latest iOS version because the old version may have bugs that can cause a memory leak. Thus, disrupting both the Apple Watch and iPhone functionalities and further resulting in lots of power consumption.
The latest iOS version is effective in minimizing battery consumption because it comes with an optimization that helps to improve battery life.
Turn off GPS
If any background running apps utilize on iPhone GPS to function effectively, it is advisable to turn off the GPS. That’s because GPS heavily increases your iPhone battery consumption by triggering a constant search for connections between your phone and watch.
To turn off GPS, navigate to your iPhone Settings > Privacy > Location Service > Swipe the toggle from right-to-left to switch off GPS.
Restarting or Rebooting
Restarting or rebooting both Apple Watch and iPhone can also help troubleshoot battery-draining problems on both devices. We recommend restarting your device if you suspect a memory leak is causing your Apple watch to drain your iPhone battery.
But before restarting or rebooting your devices confirm if notifications, GPS, Cellular network, battery-intensive apps, and backgrounds are not the cause.
After restarting or rebooting your device un-pair them and then re-pair them. Restarting or force starting your device will help to troubleshoot the memory leak issue on both your devices.
Then, un-pairing and re-pairing your devices will help to restart the apps that need to be on. Besides, it also stops the running apps that were running due to memory leaks.
Resetting your Apple Watch
If rebooting or restarting your devices is unfruitful, however; bear in mind that resetting will erase all your data or settings on your Watch.
Therefore, consider this solution as your last resort if all the above solution fails. To reset your Apple Watch, we recommend restarting your iPhone, and once it is back on reset your Apple Watch. If you want to reset your Apple Watch follow the guide below;
- Step 1: Open the Apple Watch Companion App.
- Step 2: Erase all the content.
- Step 3: Go to Setting > Reset
- Step 4: Before resetting, your iPhone will automatically create a backup of your Watch. Please backup if necessary.
- Step 5: Then reset your Apple Watch.
- Step 6: Set up the Watch. You are done!
Conclusion
Before considering taking the above measures to minimize iPhone battery consumption, heavy battery consumption is normal when Apple Watch is trying to obtain predictable data.
Then after obtaining the predictable data, battery consumption on both devices will improve after a few months. That’s because your Watch will store maps and GPS data on constantly visited locations during activities.
Hence, it will not use more energy to pull GPS data.
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