Keeping an eye on your Apple Watch’s battery health is crucial to ensure your device remains reliable over time. Battery health degrades as you go through charge cycles, which can lead to a shorter life between charges. If you want to keep track of this important aspect, here’s everything you need to know about checking your Apple Watch’s battery health.

Firstly, it’s important to understand that Apple introduced the battery health feature in watchOS 7. This means that if you have an Apple Watch Series 3 or later, you can access this feature provided you’ve updated to this operating system version or newer ones like watchOS 8.

To check your Apple Watch battery health:

1. Press the Digital Crown on your Apple Watch to open the apps grid or list.
2. Look for the ‘Settings’ app icon, which resembles a gear and tap it.
3. Next, scroll down and tap on ‘Battery.’
4. Here you’ll find the battery percentage; scroll down further to get to the ‘Battery Health’ section.
5. Inside the ‘Battery Health’ section, you should see the ‘Maximum Capacity’ percentage. This number represents the measure of your battery capacity relative to when it was new.

The ‘Maximum Capacity’ value decreases as the battery chemically ages which is normal. A battery is considered worn when its capacity falls below 80%, and at that point, you might experience more frequent low power states and need to charge more often.

Apple also includes a feature for its users called ‘Optimized Battery Charging.’ This is designed to extend your battery lifespan by learning your charging habits and preventing your watch from charging past 80% overnight, thus reducing wear on the battery from a full charge cycle.

To enable Optimized Battery Charging:

1. Access Settings > Battery as mentioned earlier.
2. Scroll down and find ‘Battery Health.’
3. Here, toggle ‘Optimized Battery Charging’ on.

It will take some time for this feature to learn your routines, but once it does, it will only finish charging past 80% when it predicts you will start using it again.

If you’re concerned about your Apple Watch’s battery life and health, it may be prudent to avoid extreme temperatures, remove certain power-hungry apps that aren’t necessary, adjust screen brightness, or disable features like Always On display when not needed—all of which can help preserve the life of your watch’s battery.

Understanding how to check and maintain your Apple Watch’s battery health helps in prolonging its effective lifespan and ensuring that it continues serving you well throughout the day without needing an unexpected charge. Regular checks of this sort could lead you to better usage habits that make a significant difference in how long your smartwatch stays active between charges.