Symptoms
- Battery lasts far less than usual with the screen always visible
- Watch needs charging twice a day instead of once
- Battery life improved noticeably after disabling always-on
- Watch feels warm with the screen constantly lit
Likely causes
- CommonAlways-on display constantly powering the screenKeeping any pixels lit continuously uses significantly more energy than an on-demand screen.
- CommonHigh screen brightness combined with always-onBrightness compounds the drain from an always-lit display.
- PossibleAging battery amplifying the effectAn older battery makes power-hungry features drain even faster than when new.
What to do
- Decide if always-on display is worth the battery trade-off for your use case.
- Turn off always-on display in the watch's display settings if battery life matters more.
- Lower overall screen brightness, which helps even if you keep always-on enabled.
- Use scheduled always-on (only during certain hours) if the watch supports it, instead of all day.
- Check battery health in the companion app if drain feels worse than expected even without always-on.
When to call a pro
No professional help needed; this is a setting trade-off, not a defect.
Safety
Generally low risk
Generally low risk for a careful person. Stop if anything looks different from what this guide describes.