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DoctorApple

macrumors regular
Jul 18, 2017
155
276
Apple Watch 4 on WatchOS 6.1 showing battery drained at 10% after 40 minutes of workout tracking


This happened two days in a row. After updating to WatchOS 6.1, my fully charged Apple Watch 4 would show battery level below 10% after a 40 minutes work out which is the exact same routine I've had prior to updating to the latest OS since I purchased it in Oct 2018. Before the update, it usually takes 30% of the battery for an hour of workout tracking.

Yesterday when it first happened, the battery seemed to be completely drained in 40 minutes of workout. Today the same thing happened and the watch shut down itself again. It could't be turned back on unless it's connected to a charger. When I placed it on a charging dock, it powered on itself and showed 68% battery left. I'm unsure if it's a software issue or the battery needs to be replaced. Seems odd that the battery would suddenly fail after an update.

Anyone experiencing the same issue?
 

The Game 161

macrumors Nehalem
Dec 15, 2010
30,266
19,486
UK

Ah you mine using data watch only? Ok fair enough. I have the gps only model as I don’t use cellular on my watch and it drains too much for my liking
 
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Renho

macrumors 68030
Original poster
Sep 15, 2014
2,797
1,413
SR, CA
Ah you mine using data watch only? Ok fair enough. I have the gps only model as I don’t use cellular on my watch and it drains too much for my liking

ya I guess the cell version was a mistake for battery length for my active lifestyle
 

Renho

macrumors 68030
Original poster
Sep 15, 2014
2,797
1,413
SR, CA
I went to the gym with 100%. Went down to 60% after 2 hours of music and workout on Cell. That’s a lot
 

StaceyMJ86

macrumors demi-goddess
Sep 22, 2015
8,158
14,516
Washington, DC
Apple Watch 4 on WatchOS 6.1 showing battery drained at 10% after 40 minutes of workout tracking


This happened two days in a row. After updating to WatchOS 6.1, my fully charged Apple Watch 4 would show battery level below 10% after a 40 minutes work out which is the exact same routine I've had prior to updating to the latest OS since I purchased it in Oct 2018. Before the update, it usually takes 30% of the battery for an hour of workout tracking.

Yesterday when it first happened, the battery seemed to be completely drained in 40 minutes of workout. Today the same thing happened and the watch shut down itself again. It could't be turned back on unless it's connected to a charger. When I placed it on a charging dock, it powered on itself and showed 68% battery left. I'm unsure if it's a software issue or the battery needs to be replaced. Seems odd that the battery would suddenly fail after an update.

Anyone experiencing the same issue?

I did as soon as I updated. I backed my iPhone up to iCloud, unpaired and re-paired my watch and it returned back to the battery life I had.
 
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iCorz87

macrumors regular
Oct 30, 2019
229
263
Sydney,Australia
8 hours into my day and I’m at 75%. I do have the screen brightness on the lowest setting but even in sunny conditions it’s bright enough to see the screen. Pretty happy after going from series 3 42mm to series 5 40mm with all that talk about bigger screen bigger battery. This seems to be the same , if not even better than series 3
 

nph

macrumors 65816
Feb 9, 2005
1,045
214
Just tested to have AOD off during the night and then took off cellular during day as well. After 23 hours with 3.5h of active use I still have 50% left! Conclusion is that during the night with AOD off I manager to drain less than 2%/h I lost 14% during the night (9 hours). But keeping AOD off really feels wrong, might as well have kept my AW2.
Next I will try to see what complications impact battery life. Siri off, no Noise and no RTW in all scenarios.
 

Renho

macrumors 68030
Original poster
Sep 15, 2014
2,797
1,413
SR, CA
Just tested to have AOD off during the night and then took off cellular during day as well. After 23 hours with 3.5h of active use I still have 50% left! Conclusion is that during the night with AOD off I manager to drain less than 2%/h I lost 14% during the night (9 hours). But keeping AOD off really feels wrong, might as well have kept my AW2.
Next I will try to see what complications impact battery life. Siri off, no Noise and no RTW in all scenarios.

that’s what theater mode is for. You don’t need to take off AOD with Theater mode.
 

Mercenary

macrumors 65816
Sep 17, 2012
1,241
626
AW4 here and no change with 6.1.

All days im down to 52%ish by bedtime with 1 1hr workout in the day.

All background refresh on
Raise to wake on
Noise detection off
Fall detection on
Everything else it can do is on

Totally happy.
 

rew f fwd

macrumors member
Mar 2, 2014
51
27
Apple Watch 4 on WatchOS 6.1 showing battery drained at 10% after 40 minutes of workout tracking


Anyone experiencing the same issue?

This happens with my Apple Watch 4 SS in connection with my powerbeats pro when the watch switches off after about 40 minutes of training and is restarted with only 10% battery power. The watch is 1 year old and apple destroys everything with a damn update !!

absolutely nothing for a workout!
 
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rgyiv

macrumors regular
Jan 30, 2018
235
79
My Series 2 watch battery definitely improved. If I go back to back days without working out, I am able to take my watch off the charger when I wake up morning of Day 1 and have no issue making it to bedtime on Day 2. That was beginning to become a struggle, but now it's no problem at all.
 

nph

macrumors 65816
Feb 9, 2005
1,045
214
40 hours with 5.5 active hours and 15 percent left on AW5.
AOD off
3 complications
RTW off
Lise off
Siri off
App refresh on for select apps
 

Macloven

macrumors regular
Aug 25, 2008
219
21
14.5 hours standby, 2 hr 50 min usage. 1 hour workout at gym with heartrate on strength training mode, streaming apple radio on cellular with phone on airplane mode in locker. at 45%. Really pleased with how battery usage has settled down and now very consistent. aod on, rtw off, listen to music during day and otherwise normal usage, quite a few texts, couple of phone calls etc.
 
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Ack_

macrumors newbie
Oct 30, 2019
11
8
Buffalo
A week after unpairing and repairing my S4, it is back to its old ways of battery drain being over 12% an hour.

What I have been noticing is that when checking my usage, it has been equaling the amount of standby time. I doubt this is a coincidence with the battery issues. Basically it appears the watch isn't going into standby mode at all.

I'll be unpairing the watch again, but I have a very strong feeling that after a week, the same thing will happen. It has to be software related since I didn't have any of these issues prior to updating to OS 6/6.1.

Can anyone who is having battery issues check their usage statistics and confirm their total usage equals their standby?
 
Last edited:

DoctorApple

macrumors regular
Jul 18, 2017
155
276
I did as soon as I updated. I backed my iPhone up to iCloud, unpaired and re-paired my watch and it returned back to the battery life I had.
The next iOS update fixed it for me. That one is honestly the worst update I’ve had. I don’t criticize Apple a lot but omg, the update is horrendous. It broke so many things.
 

se95dah

macrumors regular
Dec 30, 2014
112
150
Can anyone who is having battery issues check their usage statistics and confirm their total usage equals their standby?

Yes, me too. I use Apple Watch series 4 and an iPhone 7, and so does my wife. We had no issues until a few weeks ago and now both experience watch usage time equalling standby time, rapid battery drain on the watch (5-7% per hour), and also rapid battery drain on our iPhones. Initially it seemed to be fixed a week ago by signing out of iCloud and back in again, but my problem returned after a few days. My wife’s watch is still behaving normally for now....
 

fredash

macrumors member
Dec 11, 2018
37
28
Just received my new S5. Upgraded from an S4.
Same config, with AOD on. Nearly Same Battery life (2,5% per hour). Very good so far.
 

Bazooka-joe

macrumors 603
Mar 12, 2012
5,224
3,617
Swindon, England
6.1.1 battery life seems better. I was averaging a 2.8% usage per hour on 6.1 with AOD switched on and light use. Now I am consuming 2.4% an hour. It may not seem like much but over 20 hours that's 8% less.
 
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StaceyMJ86

macrumors demi-goddess
Sep 22, 2015
8,158
14,516
Washington, DC
6.1.1 battery life seems better. I was averaging a 2.8% usage per hour on 6.1 with AOD switched on and light use. Now I am consuming 2.4% an hour. It may not seem like much but over 20 hours that's 8% less.

With the last update, my watch would die within 5 hours. I’m waiting a few days before updating to 6.1.1.
 

furbzv1

macrumors 68000
Sep 17, 2014
1,511
1,162
turning noise off.
battery went from 51% to 27% overnight with everything on but in theater mode.
 
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