Apple is addressing the issue of excessive battery drain on Apple Watch models after updating to watchOS 10.1. The company has announced that a fix for this problem will be included in an upcoming watchOS update. The news came from an internal memo shared by Apple with its authorized service providers, as reported by MacRumors.
Although a specific timeline for the update has not been provided, Apple has acknowledged the battery drain issue and is actively working to resolve it. The exact cause of the problem and the number of affected users are still unknown.
The battery drain issue has been reported by users on various platforms, including X and Apple Support Forums. According to 9to5Mac, the problem seems to be affecting both older and new models of Apple Watch, such as the Apple Watch Series 4, Apple Watch Series 9, and Apple Watch Ultra 2.
Apple Watch Battery Drain Issue: Apple Says Fix Is Coming Soon
An Apple Watch user reported on X that their Apple Watch 7 battery drained 25 percent in just 30 minutes after updating to watchOS 10.1. Another user on the platform mentioned that their Apple Watch Series 9 completely drained from 100 percent charge in only three hours.
@AppleSupport watchOS 10.1 has a battery bug. My brand new S9 went from 100% to dead in 3 hours. Multiple people with the same problem. pic.twitter.com/MadJJYFl44
— TFF (@TSHARE18) October 26, 2023
Users have also complained about abnormal charging patterns, such as charging put on hold due to Watch temperature or charging going backwards.
On the Apple Support Forum, a user with an Apple Watch Ultra reported battery drain even while the Watch was charging. Similar issues were reported by other users on the forum. “After the 10.1 update, my Series 7 Apple Watch’s battery only lasts a few hours. I can literally watch the percentage go down,” said a user on the Apple Support Forum.
Some users have tried troubleshooting by rebooting the Watch, while others found that uninstalling third-party apps from their Watch solved the problem.
Users who are experiencing the battery drain issue on their Apple Watch are advised to wait for the next watchOS update. Apple has acknowledged the issue and is actively working on a fix. Although no specific timeline has been given, it is expected to be released soon.
This is not the first time Apple Watch users have faced issues with their devices. Previously, reports of screen flickering issues in Always-on mode on Apple Watch Ultra 2 and Series 9 surfaced online, with users discussing the problems on platforms like Reddit and Apple Support Community threads, as reported by MacRumors.
Users of Apple Watch Series 9 and Watch Ultra 2 also reported a glitch where watch complications, such as Activity Rings, turned pink temporarily.
Apple Watch Series 9 is the latest model, launched alongside the flagship iPhone 15 series iPhone models. It features a new S9 processor based on the A15 chip, as well as a brighter display and more.