Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Wearables
  3. Mobile
  4. News

Is watchOS 11 giving you bad Apple Watch battery life? A fix is here

Add as a preferred source on Google
Someone wearing an original Apple Watch Ultra showing the battery.
Christine Romero-Chan / Digital Trends

The launch of Apple’s watchOS 11 a few weeks ago brought many exciting new features to the Apple Watch , including a translation app, sleep apnea detection, and even new watch faces.

Unfortunately, it also introduced a bug that chews through the watch’s battery like a bear in an apple orchard. Good news: Apple is releasing a fix for this annoying glitch in watchOS 11.0.1.

Recommended Videos

So, how bad was the battery drain? On Reddit, u/Brilliant_Command206 reported that their watch was at 100% battery when watchOS 11 finished installing just before lunch. When they went to bed that night, they found the watch had lost 72% of its battery in just over 10 hours. Another user reported that their phone lost all of its charge in just six hours. Some fans were still dealing with the battery drain at seemingly random times.

It’s not wholly unexpected, though. Last year, watchOS 10 was causing similar problems.

The front of the Apple Watch Ultra.
Andy Boxall / Digital Trends

Thankfully, Apple took notice and released an update. In addition to the battery drain problem, this update also fixes another bug that caused the Music app to crash and one that caused the Apple Watch to reboot randomly. You can find the full patch notes on Apple’s developer blog, and they’re worth reading.

The update should be available now, so check the Settings app to ensure you haven’t missed it. This update isn’t going to dramatically change the way your Apple Watch works; in fact, there are hardly any new features to speak of. What it does do is patch multiple bugs that have been driving Apple Watch users more than a little mad.

If your Apple Watch isn’t lasting as long as you think it should, there are steps you can take to extend its battery life.

Patrick Hearn
Former Technology Writer
Patrick has written about tech for more than 15 years and isn't slowing down anytime soon. With previous clients ranging from…
I took this Oppo smartwatch swimming, and it tracked everything except my excuses
The Oppo Watch X3 caught every lap, stroke, and my poolside talking breaks
Wristwatch, Arm, Body Part

I recently covered a report suggesting that people who use fitness trackers and smartphone apps tend to stay more physically active. While my experience sits far outside the scope of that study that involved cardiovascular disease, I now understand how a wearable can turn an ordinary workout into something you want to repeat.

I have been trying to get back into swimming, and the Oppo Watch X3 arrived at the perfect time.

Read more
Your dog can run, but Fi’s new Starlink satellite-backed tracker makes sure you can still find them
Fi Ultra borrows Starlink satellites to find pups that wander off the grid
Fi Ultra dog tracker

A runaway pup can race into a forest or across miles of open countryside, leaving its owner with a GPS tracker that suddenly has no way to report its location. But Fi is looking to solve that problem with the Fi Ultra, which is a new dog tracker that falls back on SpaceX’s Starlink network whenever cellular coverage disappears. The company describes it as the first dog tracker powered by T-Mobile’s T-Satellite with Starlink service. It is available now in the US for $199, plus a $20 activation fee and a $189 annual membership.

Your dog just got a satellite connection

Read more
Still waiting for a cheaper Vision Pro? New report brings bad news
Another nail just landed in the cheaper Vision Pro’s coffin
Apple Vision Pro

After bouncing around rumors and reports, the cheaper Vision Pro dream might be dead. We've seen delays, a supposed cancellation, and even a possible revival over the last couple of months. But a new supply chain report suggests it may finally be time to stop waiting.

Apple has reportedly suspended development of a lower-cost display intended for a lighter, more affordable Vision headset. Samsung Display plans to formally terminate the project in September, according to Korean outlet The Elec. Apple has made no public announcement about canceling the headset, although losing its purpose-built display makes an eventual launch look increasingly improbable.

Read more