Want to highlight a helpful answer? Upvote!

Did someone help you, or did an answer or User Tip resolve your issue? Upvote by selecting the upvote arrow. Your feedback helps others! Learn more about when to upvote >

Newsroom Update

Apple is introducing a new Apple Watch Pride Edition Braided Solo Loop, matching watch face, and dynamic iOS and iPadOS wallpapers as a way to champion global movements to protect and advance equality for LGBTQ+ communities. Learn more >

Looks like no one’s replied in a while. To start the conversation again, simply ask a new question.

LasseK1981 Author

Level 1

48 points

Apple Watch Ultra 2 VERY dim inside and dark enviroments..

Hello.

I just bought a very expensive Ultra 2 Watch. I am happy with the watch overall, but what totally ruins the experience is it is SO dim inside and in dark enviroments! I can hardly read it. There is no override available and the brightness is set to full. My son has a Series 6 and that is brighter in the same conditions. This cant be real? This so called "ULTRA" is more weak in brightness performance than an older regular Apple Watch. If there is something I HATE it is factory controlled auto stuff like this! We know the watch can be brighter so WHY on earth is it locked to a weak sensor that is WAY to low calibrated? I know its unfortunately not a hardware issue as ALL other Ultra Watch suffer from this ridicolous factory setting. Why can I not disable this auto dim or at least raise the lower minimum brightness. This is a disaster, as I can hardly read the watch in my office and living room where we have low light usually. This is almost a RETURN ISSUE for me! The fact that the user cannot set this setting when I bought and paid for the watch is a disgrace! And for those that reply its working as intended I can see by a search that hundreds of other users complain about this "error". This HAS to be corrected in a software update ASAP!

Apple Watch Ultra 2, watchOS 10

Posted on Sep 22, 2023 12:31 PM

Best reply

craigfromkuna

Level 1

11 points

Posted on Sep 26, 2023 9:32 PM

Just received my Apple Watch Ultra 2 today and loved it until nighttime. I cannot read my text messages at all because it’s so dim and the brightness feature does not do much. Please re-calibrate!!! This is unacceptable for a Watch at this price.

View in context

Similar questions

611 replies

COAriz

Level 1

13 points

Jan 24, 2024 9:11 PM in response to LasseK1981

Strange (but thankful). After downloading 10.3 this week. Night brightness for me fixed. Odd, but again thankful

Feb 2, 2024 5:09 PM in response to LasseK1981

agree same problem on apple watch ultra 1... good in the day, but horrible in dark, way too dim

LasseK1981 Author

Level 1

48 points

Sep 23, 2023 4:13 AM in response to Branta_uk

Thats very interesting to know- because the Ultra2 and Series 9 share a lot of the same components including the CPU. So it could be a new sensor that is basically wrong calibrated! But nevertheless its frustrating that the setting cannot be manually set and or overriden. It quite simply not understandable.. But GREAT with the feedback! The more people that complain and awareness of the problem- the more chance of a fix via an update! (hopefully!)

dggontan

Level 1

12 points

Sep 23, 2023 12:39 PM in response to LasseK1981

I have exactly the same problem with my Ultra 2 (just bought today) and have given feedback to Apple. I cannot believe this is intentional, the watch is malfunctioning as it's almost impossible to read indoors at night.

Sep 24, 2023 8:35 AM in response to LasseK1981

I am also having the same issue. At this price point we shouldn’t be experiencing this. It would be nice if they remove the auto dimming on the watch or have a setting where we can do it ourselves. Thanks for the link, I’ve sent them a feedback as well.

dggontan

Level 1

12 points

Sep 24, 2023 9:04 AM in response to james.hicks

thanks for the tip - unfortunately it doesn't seem to work for me. This should work with every face right? Not only Waypoint? it seems though as if the auto dim was stuck in auto position and that might be the explanation? something they should be able to fix via software I reckon.

FSB2105

Level 1

19 points

Sep 24, 2023 1:51 PM in response to LasseK1981

Same issue but need to make a decision soon

Just bought the Ultra2 yesterday

Was delighted until the sun set

I can barely read the time

The complications are absolutely unusable

So my question is

How long has this been an issue?

I have 13 days to decide whether to return the phone

For the record I have all the most recent updates. I have unpaired and reset the watch and rebooted the phone. The brightness is at max. I am not in theatre mode.

FSB2105

Level 1

19 points

Sep 24, 2023 6:39 PM in response to LasseK1981

Haven’t found a fix. However I found a few tweaks that made my screen more usable despite the low light.

Use a watch face with a white center. Infograph with the white circle works best for my eyes.

My favorite screen is Modular Ultra. I created two versions. One is the standard. I made a second one which is just white. Much better in low lighting. The red version for Night Mode is awful but all white works a bit better.

Turning on bold and increasing text size helps. Bigger thicker letters means more light is emitted

Again none of these fix the underlying issue but they have made my watch a bit more usable

Sep 24, 2023 7:46 PM in response to LasseK1981

I got the ultra 2 in the mail on release day. While I can see it okay in the dark (due to my excellent eyesight), i gotta admit that it is uncomfortable, especially after a while

i am also disappointed with the battery. I downloaded cardiogram and do 24/7 HR monitoring. The watch wont last me a full 24 hours without needed a charge

i feel much better about my iphone 13 pro battery compared to the apple watch.

overall the watch is good but it needs a better battery, and brighter night time screen.

LasseK1981 Author

Level 1

48 points

Sep 25, 2023 1:41 AM in response to Strawhat1491

Hmm .. I am actually in writing trying to see how long I can stretch the battery and I am up to 48 hours now with 47% left on the Ultra 2 battery. The main things for me is that you should disable almost all notifications. Thats a real power hog. But battery wise I have no complaints so far. It more this DIM issue we all are suffering from. Remember the feedback link- otherwise nothing happens.

LasseK1981 Author

Level 1

48 points

Sep 25, 2023 1:43 AM in response to FSB2105

Yes at first I really liked the RED face when later on day, but when I then discovered the low light enviroment/ evening issue I had to convert to a white one. The red is cool, but yes with so little brightness even weaker to read! Its a REAL shame and not in any way understandable why it should be like this. Please write the feedback link provided in some of the first answers to push Apple HOPEFULLY in the right directions.

dggontan

Level 1

12 points

Sep 25, 2023 2:03 AM in response to LasseK1981

In that case it is a bigger concern. Do we know for sure whether the first Ultra had the same issue? I am looking in forums and apparently people complained about this when it was released last year. Somehow I thought it was related to Watch OS10 or perhaps the new 1 nit / 3000 nit screen... Anyone on this forum that has upgraded from the original Ultra to the Ultra 2 who can confirm? Thanks.

LasseK1981 Author

Level 1

48 points

Sep 25, 2023 4:39 AM in response to dggontan

I can confirm that my brother has the Ultra 1 and he says he has the same problem. Which makes me think its a software issue. But the bad thing is we now are in gen. 2 and they have not fixed it. It COULD be because not enough people have reported it with Ultra 1. But I also got my brother to write in the feedback link with his Ultra 1 just 10 min. ago... So im thinking we really need to push this one. Its so bad that I had to disable the red evening mode because I simply hardly can see it when watching tv in low light conditions.

Sep 25, 2023 7:55 PM in response to LasseK1981

I am soooo glad I found this forum and a couple of others about this issue. I am having the same problem with my Ultra 2 Apple Watch and I find it extremely frustrating that this thing will not go any brighter than my Series 5 Apple Watch that it replaced. This thing is supposed to go up to 2,000 to 3,000 Nits, so why the heck can't I choose how bright I want it to be? This issue needs to be fixed immediately, as I am ready to return this thing. I don't need Apple to auto tune my watch for me and determine how bright I want it to be. This is ridiculous!! This needs to be fixed with software if possible, or I'm sure a lot of folks will be returning their Ultra 2s. The flashlight can go plenty bright, but the day to day is dimmer than my Series 5, even at max brightness! FIX THIS APPLE!!

Sep 26, 2023 1:21 AM in response to LasseK1981

I have both Ultra and Ultra 2 watches and did not experience any issues with the original as with Ultra 2.

Side by side and in daylight, the screen is noticeably brighter on the Ultra 2 but at low light levels, the screen is very poor and barely visible in comparison.

Also, I much preferred the manual night screen setting via rotating the Crown. Apple please fix !!!

Apple Watch Ultra 2 VERY dim inside and dark enviroments..