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WatchOS 4 update killing iPhone battery

Recently I update my watch and now my iPhone battery only lasts 3-4 hours. i can verify this as I needed to unpair the watch and now my iPhone battery life is back to normal. While paired I did noticed and improvement in battery life if I turned Bluetooth off and if the watch was out of range (not on the same WiFi network). I suspect that is is somehow related to the music controls, as i am a regular user of The music app and the also Sirius XM app. Phone is an iPhone 5, and I believe the watch is 1st gen.

Apple Watch Sport 42mm (1st Gen), iOS 11.1

Posted on Nov 8, 2017 4:02 AM

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Question marked as Best reply

Posted on Nov 8, 2017 4:09 AM

Hi


It may help to follow these steps (check after each):


If you have not yet done so, update your iPhone and Apple Watch to the latest compatible software versions, starting with your iPhone:


Check which apps are responsible for battery usage:

  • Go to: Settings > Battery > under Battery Usage, select the Last 24 Hours tab.
  • Address any issues with potentially problematic apps (such as by removing and reinstalling them).


Restart both your iPhone and your Apple Watch, turning both off together and then restarting your iPhone first:


Follow Apple's tips for maximising battery life on your iPhone, as detailed here:


If you have ever (not necessarily recently) previously used the Workout app and/or any third-party fitness or sleep tracking apps to record workouts on your watch, check on your Apple Watch to see whether there is a paused activity within any of them. If there is, end that activity from within the app on your watch (not your iPhone).

  • If in doubt, remove any such third-party apps from your Apple Watch.


Unpair and re-pair your Apple Watch again:


Some users have previously experienced battery life issues in connection with using corporate profiles and/or Exchange Calendars. If you are using an Exchange Calendar, one or more of these steps may help:

  • Archive your Exchange Calendar for all items before today.
  • Remove / delete all old inbox messages relating to 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.
  • Check your Exchange Calendar for errors.


It may help to:


Having tried the previous steps, if your remain concerned that battery life on your iPhone is shorter than it should be, then I suggest contacting Apple Support (remote diagnostics and/or mail-in service may be available, if required), making a Genius Bar reservation or visiting an Apple Authorised Service Provider for assistance:

1 reply
Question marked as Best reply

Nov 8, 2017 4:09 AM in response to MDeerfield

Hi


It may help to follow these steps (check after each):


If you have not yet done so, update your iPhone and Apple Watch to the latest compatible software versions, starting with your iPhone:


Check which apps are responsible for battery usage:

  • Go to: Settings > Battery > under Battery Usage, select the Last 24 Hours tab.
  • Address any issues with potentially problematic apps (such as by removing and reinstalling them).


Restart both your iPhone and your Apple Watch, turning both off together and then restarting your iPhone first:


Follow Apple's tips for maximising battery life on your iPhone, as detailed here:


If you have ever (not necessarily recently) previously used the Workout app and/or any third-party fitness or sleep tracking apps to record workouts on your watch, check on your Apple Watch to see whether there is a paused activity within any of them. If there is, end that activity from within the app on your watch (not your iPhone).

  • If in doubt, remove any such third-party apps from your Apple Watch.


Unpair and re-pair your Apple Watch again:


Some users have previously experienced battery life issues in connection with using corporate profiles and/or Exchange Calendars. If you are using an Exchange Calendar, one or more of these steps may help:

  • Archive your Exchange Calendar for all items before today.
  • Remove / delete all old inbox messages relating to 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.
  • Check your Exchange Calendar for errors.


It may help to:


Having tried the previous steps, if your remain concerned that battery life on your iPhone is shorter than it should be, then I suggest contacting Apple Support (remote diagnostics and/or mail-in service may be available, if required), making a Genius Bar reservation or visiting an Apple Authorised Service Provider for assistance:

WatchOS 4 update killing iPhone battery

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