How to charge an Apple Watch, and other charging tips

Keep your Apple Watch charged so you don’t miss an important metric. (Does a workout even count if you don’t get the data?) Putting your device on the charger is pretty easy. When you top up is up to you.

Here’s how to charge your Apple Watch

They know your Apple Watch is charging when a lightning bolt appears on the screen. This icon is green or red depending on how bad your power situation gets. If your device is completely empty, it may take a few minutes for the icon to appear.

1. Plug your charging cable into a USB port or USB power adapter that is plugged into an electrical outlet.
2. Place the back of your Apple Watch against the concave side of the charger. You will feel magnets align your device in place.

How long does it take to charge the Apple Watch? According to Apple, a Series 6 should take about an hour to charge to 80%.

When do I have to charge my device?

With the new ability to track sleep on Apple Watch, you may need to adjust your charging habits. Your device will remind you to charge before bed and ask you to leave it on the charger if it is less than 30% by bedtime. To see how much is left in the tank, swipe up to the Command Center (aka Quick Settings). You can also tweak this step with a battery complication on your custom watch face.

Conserve resources

To extend the battery life, activate the power reserve mode. Your watch will still work like a clock, but you won’t be able to use apps or track your activity.

1. Swipe up on the watch face to open Control Center and tap the battery percentage.
2. Drag the power reserve slider to the right.
3. To exit power reserve mode, press and hold the side button.

When the battery of your Apple Watch is low, it automatically switches to power reserve mode.

Charging in bedside mode

If you don’t want to keep track of your Zs, then likely charging your watch overnight, likely on your bedside table. With this in mind, Apple created the Bedside Mode, which turns your watch face into a mini night clock. This shows the time, date, charge level and any alarms you have set. The screen wakes up when it detects movement and alerts you with a quiet alarm at the scheduled time in the morning.

Apple Watch not charging?

Try these troubleshooting options before losing your head or looking for a new charger.

1. First, make sure that both halves of the equation – the charger and your Apple Watch – are clean and free of dust and any plastic from the packaging.
2. Make sure your plug is fully inserted into the power adapter and that you are using a working electrical outlet.
3. If you still can’t get a charge, force restart the device by pressing and holding the Digital Crown and the side button at the same time until you see the Apple logo.

It may also be time to replace the Apple Magnetic Charging Cable that came with your device. In this case, we have the full roundup of the top third party chargers and docks. Apple also sells replacements on its website, but these dealers are often cheaper.

See also: The Best Apple Watch Chargers You Can Buy | The best Apple Watch accessories