The Massive Battery Drain
Starting with the Series 5, Apple introduced the “Always On Display” (AOD) to the Apple Watch. This feature prevents the OLED screen from completely turning off when you lower your wrist; instead, it simply dims the brightness and removes the second hand, allowing you to quickly glance at the time without physically moving your arm. While this makes the device function more like a traditional analog watch, continuously powering the screen every single second of the day is a massive drain on the internal battery. If your Apple Watch is struggling to survive an intense workout at the end of a long workday, disabling the AOD is the single most effective way to recover battery life.
How to Turn Off the Always On Display
You can force the screen to completely power down via the watch settings.
- Open the Settings app directly on your Apple Watch (the grey gear icon).
- Scroll down the main list and tap on Display & Brightness.
- Tap on Always On.
- You will see a master toggle switch at the top of the screen.
- Toggle this switch to the Off position (the green background will disappear).
The Classic Wrist Raise
The change takes effect instantly. Now, when you lower your wrist, the watch screen will turn pitch black, consuming virtually zero power. To check the time, you simply raise your wrist naturally, and the screen will instantly snap back to full brightness, exactly like older models of the Apple Watch.