Charging Apple Watch and How to check battery life on Apple Watch

Charging the device itself is pretty straightforward, but we'll go through details on how to do it, as well as whether the device can charge wirelessly and how long the battery will last once it's fully charged.

How to check battery life on Apple Watch

If you're not sure how much battery your Apple Watch has, here's how to check. Just swipe up from the bottom of the Apple Watch screen to enter the Control Center. You will see battery level percentage and here you can use power saving modes.

How to charge Apple Watch

Unlike the iPhone, the Apple Watch isn't really a device you can use while it's charging, as the watch's magnetic underside will need to be connected. So, after you've removed your Apple Watch, here's how to charge it.

Plug the Apple Watch magnetic charging dock or cable into a wall outlet or USB.

Place the back of the Apple Watch on the charging latch, as shown above, making sure it snaps into place. A green lightning bolt icon will then appear on the watch face.

Wait for your Apple Watch to charge by following the onscreen prompts. When charging, the device goes into Nightstand Mode, which only shows the time, date, and battery level.

When you want to disconnect your device from charging, simply pull the magnetic latch away from the back of the watch.

How long does it take to charge an Apple Watch?

Since you'll need to charge your Apple Watch quite a lot on a daily basis, 24/7 monitoring isn't an option. However, by knowing how long it takes for your Apple Watch to fully charge, you can more efficiently track and choose when to connect it to a charger.

While battery levels vary slightly between generations, Apple has been fairly consistent with device charging times.

According to the company, the Apple Watch can charge from 0% to 80% in just 90 minutes and reach 100% in about 2.5 hours. With that said, people who want to track their sleep, but don't necessarily care about tracking while sitting at their desk for a few hours can easily take advantage of this fast charging capability.

What to do if Apple Watch is not charging?

First, check the cable that's connected - and if you're using a third-party device, take a close look at the usual charging cable standards for Apple Watch.

Check to make sure there's no dirt on the charger or Apple Watch - and of course any plastic protectors that have been removed after purchase.

If that doesn't work, you can restart your Apple Watch. Hold down both the side button and the Digital Crown for about 10 seconds until you see the Apple logo.

Lesley Montoya

Update 14 May 2021