The Unpredictable Schedule
Lithium-ion batteries degrade rapidly if they are constantly held at 100% capacity. To extend the overall lifespan of your Apple Watch battery, Apple introduced a feature called “Optimized Battery Charging.” Using machine learning, the watch learns your daily routine. If you normally wake up at 7:00 AM, the watch will charge to 80% overnight, pause the charging process entirely, and then slowly trickle-charge the final 20% right before you wake up. However, this algorithm falls apart if you work shift hours, travel across time zones, or simply have an unpredictable schedule. If you wake up unexpectedly at 4:00 AM, you will pull your watch off the charger only to find it stuck at 80%, guaranteeing it will die halfway through your day.
How to Turn Off Optimized Battery Charging
If you require absolute certainty that your watch will be fully charged every single time you pull it off the magnetic puck, you must disable the machine learning algorithm.
- Open the Settings app directly on your Apple Watch (the grey gear icon).
- Scroll down the main list and tap on Battery.
- Scroll down and tap on Battery Health.
- Scroll down the page until you find the toggle switch labeled Optimized Battery Charging.
- Tap the switch to turn it Off.
Choosing the Duration
The watch will present a confirmation menu asking how long you want to disable the feature.
- Turn Off Until Tomorrow: This is the perfect option if you are taking a one-off early morning flight and need a 100% charge right now, but want the battery protection to resume when you return to your normal routine.
- Turn Off: This permanently disables the smart charging feature. Your watch will immediately sprint to 100% capacity as fast as physically possible the moment you place it on the charger, regardless of the time of day.