Just Updated watchOS? Wait a Few Days!

We always recommend running the latest version of watchOS that’s available, as Apple often includes new tweaks and other optimizations that can help to improve battery life. However, you shouldn’t panic if you’re experiencing poor battery life right after an update — especially if it’s a big jump, like moving from watchOS 7 to watchOS 8 — or even after buying a new Apple Watch.

Why? There are a bunch of things that happen in the background after an upgrade (or a restore), and these can result in an initial hit on battery life. That can be scary at first, but it usually levels out within three to four days. However, if you’re still not getting great battery life after that, read on for other things to check.