Apple watch issue after 4.2.3 update

Hi

Battery life varies depending on use and other factors. Examples are detailed here:

Apple Watch - Battery - Apple

Apple's tips for maximising battery life and battery lifespan on Apple Watch are detailed here:

Batteries - Maximizing Performance - Apple

If your Apple Watch is experiencing significantly shorter battery life than Apple's examples suggest that you should expect, then it may require service.

Before contacting Apple, it may help to follow these steps, which have previously resolved battery life issues for other users, including after software updates, when usage has not otherwise changed (check after each):

Install any available updates for apps on your iPhone.

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

• Restart your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch - Apple Support
• Restart your Apple Watch - Apple Support
• If the issue persists, next close open apps on your iPhone and then restart both devices again.

If you have ever (not necessarily recently) previously used the Workout app and/or any third-party fitness, sleep or heart rate tracking apps on your watch, then check on your Apple Watch to see whether there is an active or paused session within any of them.

• If there is, then end that session from within the app on your watch (not your iPhone).

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

Unpair and re-pair your Apple Watch:

• The Watch app on your iPhone takes a backup of your watch automatically when unpairing via the app.
  • When setting it up again, initially choose to Restore from Backup. Most data and settings will be restored, with some exceptions (eg Apple Pay cards, passcode).
  • If the issue persists, consider instead unpairing and setting it up as a new watch.
• Unpair your Apple Watch and iPhone - Apple Support
• Set up your Apple Watch - Apple Support

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.

Test by changing notification settings and/or by removing watch face complications and third-party apps:

• Turn off notifications for third-party apps and test performance after re-enabling them one at a time:
  • On your iPhone, in the Watch app, go to: My Watch (tab) > Notifications.
  • See and respond to notifications
• Remove watch face complications and monitor performance as you add them back:
  • Change the watch face on your Apple Watch - Apple Support
• Remove third-party apps from the Dock and/or remove them completely from your Apple Watch and then monitor performance after adding them back, one at a time.
  • Use the Dock on your Apple Watch - Apple Support
  • Use apps on your Apple Watch - Apple Support
  • Open apps

Having tried the previous steps, if you remain concerned that battery life 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:

• US: Apple Watch Service Answer Center - Apple Support
• Elsewhere: Select your country for Apple Watch service and repair information

cdb6625 wrote:

I can not believe I am the only person having this problem. Your canned answer does not address the fact that

for the last 3 years no problem until I installed the 4.2.3 update and also strange that my wife's newer

watch does the same thing.

You are not the only person to have experienced battery life issues (nor have I suggested that you are).

I have offered the same answer because you have the same Apple Watch as other users, running the same software as them. The same suggestions therefore apply. They have resolved such issues for many other users, including after software updates, when usage has not otherwise changed.

If they do not work for you and your wife, then I suggest contacting Apple Support for assistance, as referenced in my previous reply.

I have same problem on watch OS 3. since update 4.2.3 I am dropping to 10% charge with in 3 hours of strapping the watch on and this after a all night charge. Some thing in the new OS is draining the battery, now apple rep may say its normal if I am over using it. but I am just sitting at the desk working and the watch is not active beyond being on so no reason to drain this fast. This is a bug.

I too am having this problem. I just took my watch off charge at 100% and 3 hours later it is now at 28%. I have not used any apps. I have previously also did not have any problems with the battery life till this update. My Apple Watch was able to last 1.5 days without charge and still be able to use all the apps I would normally use

I also had this problem and I followed Jonathan UK's recommendations and the problem is now gone.

Restarting my phone and my watch did nothing.

I unpaired my watch from my phone, but I discovered at that point that I couldn't ping either one from the other so they weren't paired fully/properly at that point anyway. Once the phone considered the watch unpaired I had to go to the Settings app on the watch, then into General, and then chose to Reset the watch, which required that I then tap the button go "Erase all Contents and Settings."

After this I needed to reconnect my watch to my phone and set it up. Fortunately, there was a backup I was able to choose for the settings so I didn't need to redo any of my settings.

It has gone back to having a perfectly normal battery life since then.

I have same problem on watch OS 3. since update 4.2.3 I am dropping to 10% charge with in 3 hours of strapping the watch on and this after a all night charge. Some thing in the new OS is draining the battery, now apple rep may say its normal if I am over using it. but I am just sitting at the desk working and the watch is not active beyond being on so no reason to drain this fast. This is a bug.

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I ended up having to reset the watch and the SIM!!! 😟 😟 😟 So this forced me to re-download the SIM profile costing me 10$ grrrr I am not happy. the reset that keeps the profile did not change any thing. Will try to fight the charge from my cell provider (bell canada).

Hello,

Sorry about your problem. This is most likely a bug in the new update. Before updating make sure to read up on the update, and see what others say about it before you update. This will most likely be fixed in a future update, so for now, you will just have to cope with it 😟. Sorry about that!

I have the original Apple Watch and I’ve been using in it nonstop for the last 2 1/2 years. The battery has decreased in performance overtime however, it showed a big drop in durability after the upgrade to watchOS 4.2.3. While previously the battery lasted 12 hours easily on their normal operations now it does not last more than six hours. These happen immediately after I did the upgrade couple of nights ago.

I have had the same exact issue but with my phone. I had my iPhone 7 Plus with no issues for 8 months and the last update they issued gave me severe battery issues. Left if on the charger over night and battery would drain. It’s stopped recognizing chargers and I would try them withy iPhone 8 Plus and the chargers would work with that phone. Took it in to the Apple store and it was under warranty. They gave me a brand new phone and told me to set it up as new, did as directed and phone worked great until I did the update on the new phone and a day later had the same exact battery issues. I let Apple know but they didn’t seem to to know what was going on, got another brand new iPhone 7 Plus from them and did not update it and the phone works fine. I just got an Apple Watch and was about to update it to the new OS but I googled it and decided against it since I see it causes battery issues. Something in their latest updates are causing issues with hardware. They lag old devices enough forcing us to buy new so I won’t be updating any longer unless forced to do so.

I have tried turning it off and back on. Total restore. Nothing has help mine or my husbands.

My husbands watch now has a zoom issue too with this update. The watch goes freaking crazy. Jumps from one screen to another. It even SOS while sitting on the night stand with no one even near it. This update has been the worst.

My wife is having the same issue with her series 1 since the update. My series 2 still has 70 percent life by 7 or 8 pm but hers usually dies by 5 or 6pm. It def started with the 4.2.3 update. Has anyone solved this yet?

I am having the same battery drain issue since i updated to the latest OS. I have tried unpairing and hard reset and nothing has fixed it. The battery dies after 4-5 hrs all of a sudden..it does not even show that the battery is low, from 80% to jst shut down in few mins.

I updated my watch last night. Prior to this, my watch would charge quickly and last for 24 hours, even through workout mode. Now it won't charge and won't hold a charge. I have done a hard reboot 2x, unpaired and re-paired to my phone and other things suggested. NOTHING WORKS! I'm sure because my watch is 18 months old, this is Apple forcing me to pay another $400 for a new watch which is infuriating. I'm looking at other fitness trackers now because this is ridiculous. I spent 5 hours last night trying to figure this out.

I updated last week to 4.3.1 and now my watch lasts less than 12 hours on a full charge.

I had already turned off the wake on raise option, removed all installed apps, cancelled mail and other notifications and basically only used it for text message notifications and as a step/calorie counter.

It now is no longer fit for the purpose for which I bought it. I cannot check the time simply by looking at my wrist, but have to press the button and will be turning off text message notifications just to manage to get it to keep going throughout the day.

Think I will be going back to a simple Sekonda if every update continues to deplete the battery use!