Technologies

I Missed Out on Hours of Apple Watch Battery Life Before I Learned These Tricks

7 Apple Watch settings you can change right now that will drastically improve battery life.

I’d pretty much resigned myself to the fact that my Apple Watch needed a nightly charge right alongside my phone. Placing it on the charger at the end of the day was as much a part of my nightly routine as brushing my teeth. I’d place my phone and my watch on their chargers, disconnect from screens and settle in for a night free of tracking and notifications.

That is, until sleep tracking complicated everything. The Apple Watch can record several important health metrics during sleep and look for indicators of sleep apnea, hypertension and even early signs of illness. It’s gotten too good to ignore.

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My biggest challenge with this new sleeping arrangement has been battery life. The Apple Watch needs at least seven consecutive nights of sleep tracking to start analyzing the data. And even though the current Series 11 and last year’s Series 10 can last through a full day and a night of sleep tracking, they leave me with a dead watch around lunchtime if I don’t recharge.

After too many days of not receiving credit for midday workouts and obsessively watching the battery percentage drop, I began searching for every trick to maximize my Apple Watch’s battery life. And I’m guessing I’m not alone. Here’s what’s helped.

1. Charge as fast as possible

The first thing you can do without sacrificing any features is make sure you’re actually getting full fast charging speeds. The Series 10, Series 11, SE 3 and Ultra 3 all support superfast charging but I realized I wasn’t using the right wattage wall adapter.

Apple doesn’t include a charging brick anymore, so if you plugged your cable into whatever spare charger that was lying around your kitchen (like me), you’re probably not charging your watch as quickly as you could. Apple recommends a 20-watt or higher USB-C power adapter, which should charge newer models from empty to full in less than an hour or provide enough juice for a full night of sleep tracking in five minutes — about as long as it takes to brush your teeth.

2. Gain a few more hours with a small trade-off

Extending your battery won’t come without some compromises, but the easiest sacrifice for me is turning off «Wake on Wrist Raise» and «Wake on Crown Rotation» in Settings. On watches with an always-on display, this simply means that the screen remains in its dimmer «resting» state until you intentionally tap it, instead of lighting up every time you move your wrist or brush the crown.

It won’t work for older models that lack an always-on display, but if you do have a compatible watch, it can easily add four extra hours of use. The only caveat is that you won’t see your notifications immediately. You’ll still receive the haptic alert, but you’ll need to tap in to view the notification, rather than simply tilting your wrist to see it appear.

To disable it, open the Settings app, go to Display & Brightness and then scroll all the way to the bottom and toggle off both options.

3. Dim the lights

Lower your screen brightness — it’s another small trade-off, but only on a sunny day. The watch comes out of the box with its brightness set around two-thirds of its peak level. The screen’s brightness will automatically adjust based on your environment but you can force it to stay at the lowest setting. In the Display & Brightness settings, reduce the Brightness level to one bar.

Dimming your watch’s display can add one or two extra hours of battery life between charges, depending on where you spend your day and how often the screen wakes. The only times I miss having a bright screen are during outdoor runs in blazing sun. But sacrificing brightness for a longer battery life is by no means a deal-breaker.

4. Go for a bare-bones watch face

Switching to a simpler watch face can also help squeeze more life out of the battery. The more pixels your watch has to light up (think photo faces) or the more animation involved (hello, Memojis), the faster your battery drains. The same applies to complications that constantly update, such as the weather or your heart rate.

Apple doesn’t offer a battery-use score for its watch faces the way some Android watches do, but as a general rule of thumb, darker, simpler faces with fewer active elements last the longest. My go-tos are Activity Digital, which displays only my rings, or X-Large, which shows only the numbers.

5. Getting through Day 2 will cost you

A few extra hours of battery life are great but sometimes even that isn’t enough to get me through the day. My biggest issue is running out of juice when I’m away from home and a charger is nowhere in sight. Even if your weekday routine includes an office charge, weekends are unpredictable, and it’s best to make it to the evening when you’re closer to your charger.

For me, the next-level compromise is turning off the always-on display. You’ll need to raise your wrist to wake the screen, but this feature adds up to six hours of battery life, depending on your model.

To turn it off, go to Settings, then select Display & Brightness and toggle off Always-On. Note that it also affects workouts, so if you prefer training with your heart rate zones or other stats visible at a glance, this might not be the best option.

6. Turn on low power mode as a last resort

If I really need to squeeze every last drop of battery life, I switch to low power mode once when the watch hits 15%. It’s actually easier to toggle on and off than the always-on display because it’s accessible in the control panel by pressing the side button. Tap the Battery Percentage button and then press Low Power Mode.

Low power mode does more than just disable the always-on screen. It also delays notifications (only slightly), turns off auto-start for workouts (so you’ll need to start them manually) and pauses background measurements. Heart rate zone alerts, high/low and irregular rhythm notifications, and loud environment alerts are all disabled, too. However, when a workout is running, heart rate and pace are still measured.

7. Check the health of your battery

If you’re still experiencing poor battery life after trying all these troubleshooting tricks, it may simply be time to check your battery’s health. Even with the best habits, a worn-down battery can only do so much, and at a certain point, an upgrade or replacement is the only real fix.

Older models tend to show wear sooner, but it’s not guaranteed. Charging patterns and overall use can take a toll on newer models, too. Having Apple replace the battery costs about $99, or you can put that money toward a newer model, like the SE 3, which starts at $249. If you have AppleCare Plus and your battery capacity is below 80%, the repair or replacement (if needed) is included.

To check your battery health, go to Settings, then Battery, tap Battery Health and scroll down to Maximum Capacity. Anything around or below 80% can start to cause noticeable issues.

Which Apple Watch model you have also matters for battery life

If you do decide that upgrading is your best choice, the Apple Watch Ultra line (especially the Ultra 3) has the longest battery life by far. Apple says 42 hours per charge but I consistently hit closer to 48 hours without disabling features. The Series 11 is rated for up to 24 hours, although I typically get about 30 hours with a full night of sleep tracking and a 40-minute GPS workout.

Apple doesn’t advertise it, but larger-sized models generally last about two hours longer than smaller ones — so the 46mm Series 11 outperforms the 42mm. Models like the SE 3 or the Series 10 and older are rated for 18 hours with the always-on display enabled but I’ve pushed mine past the 22-hour mark.

Whatever mix of tricks you use (or whichever new model you start fresh with), here’s hoping you crack the battery routine and get the full benefit of everything the Apple Watch can do for your health.

Technologies

Artemis II Astronauts Name Moon Crater After Commander Reid Wiseman’s Late Wife

The emotional moment was streamed by NASA moments after the crew made history.

On Monday, after the crew aboard Artemis II made a historic feat by breaking Apollo 13’s distance record, they made the moment even more special by proposing to name one of the craters on the moon «Carroll,» in memory of Commander Reid Wiseman’s late wife.

While contacting Mission Control, Mission Specialist and astronaut Jeremy Hansen stated that the «close-knit astronaut family» previously lost a loved one who was «the spouse of Reid, the mother of Katie and Ellie.»

«It’s a bright spot on the moon,» Hansen said while describing the crater during the emotional call. «And we would like to call it Carroll.»

After the request, you can see Wiseman embrace Hansen before the rest of the crew joins in for a group hug.

Carroll Wiseman died in 2020 at 46 years old from cancer. Wiseman’s NASA bio page states that Carroll «dedicated her life to helping others as a newborn intensive care unit Registered Nurse.»

Before the Artemis II mission, Wiseman posted a selfie with his two daughters on X with a caption that reads in part, «I love these two ladies, and I’m boarding that rocket a very proud father.»

Follow CNET’s coverage of the 10-day Artemis II mission as the Orion makes its way back to Earth.

Technologies

Artemis II Astronauts Are Using iPhones to Capture Stunning Space Images

After smartphones were cleared by NASA for space missions, the crew members of the Integrity spacecraft are beaming back lots of iPhone photos.

The four astronauts aboard the Integrity spacecraft now headed home from their historic arc around the moon really are like the rest of us: Sometimes they reach for their smartphones to snap photos.

For the Artemis II mission, iPhone 17 Pro Max phones have been used to capture photos inside the capsule of the astronauts pondering the views of Earth and working on mission objectives. (Technically, NASA refers to them as PCDs – personal computing devices.)

Smartphones were cleared for use in space for the first time in February. In a post on X, NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman wrote, «We are giving our crews the tools to capture special moments for their families and share inspiring images and video with the world.»

Early in the mission, Commander Reid Wiseman snapped a pair of photos looking out the window with Earth behind him. Mission specialist Christina Koch and her dynamic curls in zero-gravity also captured a pensive view looking out over the planet. All three were made using the front camera — because wouldn’t you want to grab a selfie if you were in space?

The iPhone 17 Pro’s rear cameras are pulling their own weight during the mission, too. During the live broadcast as the crew approached the moon, Wiseman took a photo of the moon’s surface using the iPhone’s telephoto camera at 8x zoom. He turned the screen toward one of the video cameras mounted inside the spacecraft, creating an image of the moon’s surface alone against the darkness of the unlit cabin, with the iPhone’s signature rounded edges and Dynamic Island cutout at the top.

The main photo workhorses on this trip are a Nikon D5 DSLR and a Nikon Z9. The D5 is a model that has been used on several space excursions, and the Z9 is onboard as an experimental camera.

For NASA missions, every piece of equipment must be tested and certified, which is why the previously-approved D5 has a secure spot. Cameras must be resistent to space environmental factors like radiation, and safe if they’re floating around the capsule. However, the iPhones in space now are off-the-shelf models, according to a report by Jackie Watties of CNN.

The moon flyby was especially photo-intensive, with astronauts switching places several times so that two were always at windows with cameras and relating what they could see with their eyes. This photo of mission specialist and Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen taking images using one of the Nikon cameras shows how some windows have camera shrouds attached. The shroud ensures that light from the interior isn’t reflected in the glass.

In a particularly relatable photo, Hansen is also using the front-facing camera of a white iPhone 17 Pro — as a portable mirror while he shaves. As the (modified) saying goes, the best selfie screen is the one you have with you.

The iPhone 17 Pro isn’t the first Apple product to go into space. Crew members have taken iPods, iPads and AirPods on missions since the Space Shuttle era. The Mac Portable even went up on a shuttle (and revealed that its trackball in zero-G isn’t the best option).

An Apple representative didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.

Technologies

Hades 2, the Award-Winning Sequel, Joins Xbox Game Pass in April

Game Pass Premium subscribers are getting a handful of games, including the remastered Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion.

Hades 2 was selected as one of CNET’s best games of 2025, but don’t take our word for it. The game won Best Action Game at the 2025 Game of the Year awards, Best Game on Steam Deck at the Steam Awards and a bevy of other accolades after its release. If you haven’t had the chance to play this stellar sequel yet, you can on Xbox Game Pass starting on April 14.

Xbox Game Pass, a CNET Editors’ Choice award pick, offers a wide selection of games you can play on your Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Xbox One and PC or mobile device for as little as $10 a month. And with a subscription to the higher-tiered Game Pass Ultimate ($30 a month), you can access hundreds of games, including Day One releases, each month.

Here are the games Microsoft plans to bring to Game Pass in April. You can also check out other games the company added to the service in March, including Cyberpunk 2077.

DayZ

Coming to PC on April 8, joining Game Pass Ultimate, Game Pass Premium, Game Pass Essential and PC Game Pass.

This online multiplayer survival game is coming to PC. An unknown virus has turned the population of the post-Soviet country of Chernarus into zombies, and you’re one of the last few survivors. You’ll have to scavenge for supplies among the ruins while fighting off zombies and other survivors alike. But how far will you go to save yourself?

Endless Legend 2 (Game preview)

New to Game Pass Premium on April 8. Previously on Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass.

Lead your faction to build a great empire that can crush your enemies in this fantasy strategy game. You can play as warriors descended from the stars, cursed knights or hive-minded beasts, but each faction has its strengths, weaknesses and unique philosophies that can influence the rest of the game. And fending off enemies is just one challenge in this game. You’ll have to adapt to the changing environment as well. Will you expand as the tides reveal new treasures, or focus on improving your defenses?

FBC: Firebreak

New to Game Pass Premium on April 8. Previously on Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass.

The Federal Bureau of Control is under attack from otherworldly forces, and it’s up to you and your versatile unit to restore order. You’ll fight chaotic entities, leeches and a monster made of sticky notes using guns, grenades and other supernatural weapons. You can play this first-person shooter game on your own or take on the chaos of the FBC with friends in three-player co-op.

Planet Coaster 2

Coming to Game Pass Ultimate, Game Pass Premium and PC Game Pass on April 9.

This might not be the classic RollerCoaster Tycoon, but it’s close enough. You’ll build your own roller coasters and water slides, manage your amusement park and create unforgettable experiences for your guests. It’s unclear if you can launch your coasters off the rails into waiting crowds. Will report back later.

Tiny Bookshop

Coming to Game Pass Ultimate, Game Pass Premium and PC Game Pass on April 10.

I have long dreamed of opening my own bookshop, and until I come into a lot of money, this game will have to do. You can stock your bookshop with different genres and items for sale, set up shop in scenic locations — like near a lighthouse — and get to know the locals in this cozy management game.

Football Manager 26 (PC and console)

New to Game Pass Premium on April 13. Previously on Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass.

Get ready for a more immersive matchday experience in the latest installment of the Football Manager franchise. You can build a star-studded squad with new transfer tools, and this entry features official Premier League licenses and women’s football for the first time in the series’ history.

Hades 2

Coming to Game Pass Ultimate, Game Pass Premium and PC Game Pass on April 14.

Following the events of the original game, the Titan of Time Chronos has returned and laid waste to the Underworld and Earth. As the immortal princess Melinoe, you’re tasked with stopping the titan and restoring the mythic world. Each time you venture out, you’ll learn more about the world around you and discover the true cause of all the destruction and pain.

Replaced

Coming to Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass on Day One on April 14.

Can AI ever be human? I’m not talking about ChatGPT or Gemini, but REACH, an AI trapped in a human’s body, in this narrative platformer game. You’ll explore an alternate 1980s America that’s scarred from nuclear catastrophe as you try to uncover the secrets of the Phoenix Corps, the same group that created you. It’s a cyberpunk Frankenstein with plenty of exploration and fluid action sequences.

The Thaumaturge

Coming to Game Pass Ultimate, Game Pass Premium and PC Game Pass on April 14.

By definition, a thaumaturge is a miracle worker or magician, and in this roleplaying game, you’re a master of mystical arts that allow you to peer into the hearts and minds of others. After the death of your father, you returned to an alternate 1900s Warsaw to investigate his death, fight supernatural forces and uncover the truth.

The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered

New to Game Pass Premium on April 16. Previously on Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass.

A fanatical cult is trying to open gates to the demonic realm of Oblivion, and it’s up to you to stop them and seal the gates forever in the remastered version of this open-world RPG. You can rediscover the world of Cyrodiil (or experience it for the first time in updated glory), encounter unique characters and save the land.

EA Sports NHL 26

Coming to Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass on April 16.

As the NHL regular season winds down, the playoffs and the fight for the Stanley Cup are heating up. And with the latest installment in this EA Sports franchise, you can ensure your favorite team brings home the cup. This entry in the series introduces new gameplay mechanics, such as Ice Q 2.0 and a goalie crease control system, to add additional challenges. So if you want to see the Florida Panthers win the cup back-to-back, or you want to make absolutely sure that never happens, this game is for you.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare

Coming to Game Pass Ultimate, Game Pass Premium and PC Game Pass on April 17.

Modern Warfare redefined the Call of Duty series when it was released almost 20 years ago, and the rebooted version of the classic game drops you right back to where it started. You’ll control CIA and SAS special forces as they attempt to stop rebels from the fictional Republic of Urzikstan. And if the campaign’s not enough, you can hone your skills in the immersive, fast-paced multiplayer.

Little Rocket Lab

New to Game Pass Premium on April 21. Previously on Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass.

Your family’s dream project has been to build a rocket, and you’re going to fulfill their dream in this cozy, machine-building RPG. But first, you have to build clever contraptions, convert local resources and become the heart of your community before you can complete your ultimate rocket-building task.

Sopa: Tale of the Stolen Potato

New to Game Pass Premium on April 21. Previously on Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass.

Miho goes to the pantry to grab a potato for his grandmother’s soup when he lands in a fantastical land. Now he has to find his way back home by following in the footsteps of a mysterious traveler from long ago. You’ll meet quirky characters, gather exotic ingredients and take in vibrant environments in this world of magical realism inspired by Latin America.

Vampire Crawlers

Coming to Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass on Day One on April 21.

From the creators of the indie darling Vampire Survivors comes this turn-based, deck-building, roguelite game. You’ll explore dungeons that might look familiar to Vampire Survivors veterans, fight monsters and build chaotic, broken decks along the way. So be tactical in your choices or blast away every chance you get!

Kiln

Coming to Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass on Day One on April 23.

Kiln is about creating beautiful pottery filled with artistry and wonder… and smashing it all to pieces in the arena. This online, multiplayer party brawler pits you against others to see which pottery design can withstand the heat and which can dish out a beating.

Two games come to Game Pass Essential subscribers on April 8

Game Pass Essential costs $10 a month and offers access to a relatively small library of games compared to Game Pass Premium and Ultimate. While Microsoft doesn’t regularly add many games to Essential’s library, it’s adding these two on April 8.

Games leaving the service on April 15

While Microsoft is adding the above games to Game Pass, it is also removing five games from the service on April 15, including GTA 5. That means you still have a little time left to complete your main campaign and any sidequests before you’ll have to buy these games separately.

For more on Xbox, discover other games available on Game Pass now, read our hands-on review of the gaming service and learn which Game Pass plan is right for you.