Battery Life Terrible After Updating To WatchOS 2.2

Hi Adam

If you have been using the Workout app and/or a third-party app (eg Strava) to record workouts, check whether there is presently a paused activity within the app. If there is, end the workout from within that app on your watch (not your iPhone).

Otherwise, the following steps have helped to resolve issues with battery life for some users:

Try restarting both your iPhone and watch. Turn both devices off together, then restart your iPhone first:

• To turn your watch off: press and hold the side button until you see the Power Off slider; drag it to turn off.
• To turn it back on: press and hold the side button until you see the Apple logo.

If that does not help, next try unpairing and re-pairing your watch. The Watch app on your iPhone takes watch backups automatically, including a fresh one when unpairing. When setting it up again, choose to restore your watch from backup when offered the option. Most data and settings will be restored, with some exceptions (eg Apple Pay cards, passcode).

• Unpair your Apple Watch and iPhone - Apple Support
• Set up your Apple Watch - Apple Support

For the best performance from your watch, keep both Wi-Fi and Bluetooth permanently enabled on your iPhone.

Note that, if you do need to unpair and re-pair your watch, your historic Activity app and Health app data will not be lost. This will still be available via the Activity app and Health app on your iPhone.

Also, most content and settings on your watch will also be retained, with a few exceptions (such as the passcode and any cards that you may have added to Apple Pay on your watch).

I'm observing this same thing: ie: it's been two days since I updated to apple os 2.2 and by 6pm both days my apple watch reported to be down to 5% battery life where as before the upgrade the watch was about 56% battery life at 6pm. I will try your suggestions and be back to report if it works tomorrow. If not, I'd like to know how to uninstall 2.2 and go back to the previous os version. Thanks!!

richnsoos wrote:

.. If not, I'd like to know how to uninstall 2.2 and go back to the previous os version. Thanks!!

Hi

It is not possible to downgrade your watch from watchOS 2.2.

Also, you may presently have an activity paused in a third-party fitness app (such as Strava) on your watch. If so, end the activity in Strava on your watch (not your iPhone).

Otherwise (if the Workout icon remains shown on your watch face even after ending a paused activity), it may help to temporarily turn off Strava's ability to share (write) data to the Health app on your iPhone:

- On your iPhone, in the Health app: Sources > Strava > under "Allow Strava to Write Data", turn off Heart Rate.

- Enable the setting again before next recording a workout with Strava.

To prevent this issue from happening again: for future workouts, finish and save your activity from the Strava app on your watch, rather than from Strava on your iPhone.

No need to downgrade. Watch battery is performing as expected now. I restarted my iPhone and watch as you suggested and that seemed to correct the problem. I also changed to modular clock face from utility and I also removed about 5 apps from my watch that are not necessary. It's 6pm now and my battery power is at 77%. Started with 100% this morning at 8am.

Great news - thank you for following up! 🙂

This has worked for me for the 3rd time now. I updated to watchOS 2.2 as soon as I could. I have no 3rd party workout apps. Running out of battery in early afternoon and needing to spend nearly an hour unpairing, pairing, and restoring my Apple Watch is unproductive and a deal killer. If this persists I will need to find out what used Apple watches go for.

Thanks for your useful post.

Some users have previously reported experiencing battery life issues in connection with using Exchange Calendars.

If you are using Exchange Calendars and the battery life issue persists after trying the previous suggestions (or the fitness app steps are not applicable), the following steps may help (as they have done for some others):

• Archive your Exchange Calendar for all items before today;
• Remove / delete all old inbox messages regarding calendar invites (accept and decline notifications);
• Create a rule in your Outlook Mail account that moves all future accept and decline replies - immediately upon receipt - into a separate mail folder that does not sync with your iPhone and Apple Watch.

A further potential solution:

Remove the Exchange Calendar from your iPhone, check it for problems (and resolve them), then replace it:

• The Calendar Checking Tool for Outlook (CalCheck) can check your Microsoft Exchange-based Outlook Calendar and items for problems / potential problems;
• Information and download: https://www.microsoft.com/en-gb/download/details.aspx?id=28786

After making any changes:

• On your iPhone, in the Watch app, go to: My Watch > General > Reset > tap once on Reset Sync Data.

  Nothing will appear to happen, but the process will run in the background (invisibly to the user), so allow a minute or so for it to complete.

• Restart both your iPhone and Apple Watch:
  • Turn both devices off together, then restart your iPhone first;
  • To restart your watch: press and hold the side button until you see the Power Off slider; drag the slider to turn off completely; afterwards, press and hold the side button until you see the Apple logo.