WASHINGTON — It happens every time Apple releases a new product or operating system — users realize that utilizing all the features of the device can also drain the battery.
Taking a few simple steps can help squeeze extra juice out the battery of the new Apple Watch.
Reduce the number of notifications: This will mean fewer pings and vibrations on the user’s wrist, if the person also has an iPhone. To disable app notifications from the watch, go to the companion Apple Watch app on the iPhone, scroll to “mirror iPhone alerts from,” and turn off the apps you don’t want, according to the Wareable blog.
Turn off the heart rate monitor: If you’re not using the watch for that purpose, disable the monitor, in the companion app’s Workout app options.
Choose the right watch face: While the dancing Mickey Mouse face looks fun, CNET reports animated watch faces use a lot of battery power. Black-based faces use less juice. To change the face, do a hard, long press on the watch face, and choose a new face.
Lower the brightness: Same as with an iPhone, you can reduce battery usage by making the screen less bright. This can be adjusted on the watch by pressing Digital Crown, going to Settings, and selecting Brightness and Text Size. It also can be done on the companion app.
Reduce motion and transparency: If longer battery life is worth more to you than experiencing the full range of movement and animation on the watch, go to the companion app, General, Accessibility, and toggle off Motion and Transparency.
Consider gray scale: Toning down the vivid colors of the Apple Watch can save battery. To make that adjustment in the phone’s Apple Watch app, go to General, Accessibility, and toggle Gray Scale from off to on.
Power reserve mode: When you just can’t afford to lose track of time, when your battery drops to under 10 percent this mode will turn on, unless you turn it off. There’s a drawback — the smartwatch becomes simply a watch, and actually just tells time without all the other things for which you paid more than $350. Desperate times call for desperate measures.
