User profile for user: KantFindAnswers
KantFindAnswers Author
User level: Level 1
37 points

What triggers the optimized charge limit on my Apple Watch?

TL;DR: I think my use / charging behavior is discouraging my Watch from activating the Optimized Charge Limit but I do not understand how. I would consider adjusting my usage if I could understand what the triggers are.


Full version:

Thanks to a recent Watch upgrade, I now find it is perfectly adequate to charge my Watch for 20 minutes or so twice a day. In the two weeks after I bought the new model, the Optimized Charge Limit feature helpfully (usually) capped the charge at 85%, accurately calculating that such a charge level would easily get me to my next charging interval. Then, perhaps triggered by traveling a half dozen timezones, I find the "Optimized" limit is rarely triggered. I realize this Optimized Limit is designed to be a set-and-forget feature—turn it on then don't worry—but I would still like to benefit from the marginally slower battery wear if I can figure out what I am doing that is preventing the "optimization" from activating.



[Re-Titled by Moderator]

Posted on Feb 5, 2025 5:06 AM

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User profile for user: KantFindAnswers
KantFindAnswers Author
User level: Level 1
37 points

Posted on Feb 20, 2025 3:37 AM

Everything is now working as desired.


In the end, two things proved relevant:


  1. Changing the location where you sleep and charge the watch temporarily disables optimized charge limits, seemingly for about ten days. This happens even if your "new" location is Home per your Frequent Locations, Address Book, Maps, etc.
  2. The Watch needs to regularly charge to full (i.e. 100%) for the logic to "decide" that an optimized limit should be (re)enabled. If you casually grab it from the charger at 80% or 85% because you know that will be sufficient, you will prevent the Watch from learning and enabling an optimized limit.
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User profile for user: KantFindAnswers
KantFindAnswers Author
User level: Level 1
37 points

Feb 5, 2025 6:28 AM in response to Ingo2711

Yes, though the dependency on location is a factor of which I was unaware.


Is charging at the same times of day important? Is it more likely to work if I allow the Watch to charge to 100% for a few days rather than put it back on my wrist whenever I notice it has reached an adequate level?

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User profile for user: traianmos
traianmos
User level: Level 1
113 points

Feb 5, 2025 6:54 AM in response to KantFindAnswers

I don't think the trigger values are or will be made public anywhere, so unfortunately there will be no option to adjust your behaviour to the trigger values. The full benefit of the function will only be realised if you have a reasonably recurring usage pattern. I have simply left the optimised charging switched on. The watch does the rest.

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User profile for user: BobHarris
BobHarris
User level: Level 9
55,949 points

Feb 5, 2025 1:04 PM in response to KantFindAnswers

I suspect that if you drain your Apple Watch to a low battery level on a regular basis, that the Optimized charging will go for a higher stop value.


A new Apple Watch will have the best battery life, as it has not lost any capacity, and is more likely to stop charging at 80%. As the battery gets older and looses capacity will be less, and to get through the day, Optimized charging may learn it needs to stop charging at a higher level.


And occasionally, Optimized charging will charge an Apple Watch to 100% to exercise the full range of the battery, even if it has lots of capacity and the user has not been running the battery low.


My Series 10 mostly just charges to 80%. I suspect that in a few years, it will be charging to 100%, as my previous Series 4 did after 6 years of use.

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User profile for user: Programmed
Programmed
User level: Level 1
24 points

Feb 6, 2025 9:18 PM in response to KantFindAnswers

Optimized Charging is where you Apple Watch learns from your usage schedule and how much battery you end up using by the end of the day when you take it off before bed. (if you do)


After about a week of having a brand new watch, it starts to kick in.


This is also a setting that is on by default. You can turn it off by going to Settings>Battery>Battery Health>Optimized Charge Limit.


If you want the watch to charge to 100% every time, just toggle it off. I do not recommend doing this, though. This settings, when toggled on, actually helps your watch battery live longer and degrade slower.


I have this setting toggled on with my Series 10, and it works completely fine. It is a little nerve-racking to not see 100% on the charging indicator and see that it charged to only around 85%, but at the end of the day, it leaves me with enough battery to charge it before it wear it to sleep.

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User profile for user: KantFindAnswers
KantFindAnswers Author
User level: Level 1
37 points

Feb 20, 2025 3:37 AM in response to KantFindAnswers

Everything is now working as desired.


In the end, two things proved relevant:


  1. Changing the location where you sleep and charge the watch temporarily disables optimized charge limits, seemingly for about ten days. This happens even if your "new" location is Home per your Frequent Locations, Address Book, Maps, etc.
  2. The Watch needs to regularly charge to full (i.e. 100%) for the logic to "decide" that an optimized limit should be (re)enabled. If you casually grab it from the charger at 80% or 85% because you know that will be sufficient, you will prevent the Watch from learning and enabling an optimized limit.
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What triggers the optimized charge limit on my Apple Watch?

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