How to Charge Apple Watch (Quick and Easy Steps)

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We all know the Apple Watch can be a game-changer for tracking your health, managing notifications, and answering calls. But, none of that is possible if your watch isn’t charged.

If you’ve recently joined the Apple Watch club or just need a refresher on charging, you’re in the right place.

This guide will walk you through how to charge an Apple Watch. We’ll even throw in some ways to speed charge and optimize your charging process.

How to Charge Apple Watch

Charging your Apple Watch is easy, but you need to use the right equipment.

1. Begin by ensuring you’re using the Apple Magnetic Charging Cable or the Apple Watch Magnetic Charging Dock.
2. Next, connect your charger to a power source. This could be a wall adapter or a USB port on your computer. A wall adapter will charge faster than a laptop.
3. With your charger ready, bring the connector near the back of the watch. The charger’s magnets will align your Apple Watch. You will know your Apple Watch is charging when it chimes or a green lightning bolt will appear on the screen. It could take anywhere from 1.5 hours to 2.5 hours to charge your Apple Watch.

Important! If you don’t have a charger, read our how to charge Apple Watch without charger guide.

And, if you’re on the go, it might be worth looking into the best Apple Watch car charger options.

How to Fast Charge Apple Watch

Sometimes, you need your watch ready at short notice. For these situations, it helps to know how to fast-charge your Apple Watch.

Make sure you connect your watch to a high-power USB source or an Apple-branded power adapter.

Check out our full guide on the best Apple Watch fast chargers.

When to Charge Apple Watch

Knowing when to charge your Apple Watch can be a bit of a balancing act, and will likely differ for each person.

You want to ensure that your watch is always ready when you need it, so finding the right time of day when you can sacrifice wearing it will be important.

Here are two tips on the best times to charge your Apple Watch:

1. Night Charging: If you’re not using the sleep tracking feature, charging your watch overnight could be good routine. By morning, your watch should be fully charged and ready for the day.
2. When Showering: Since you’re technically not supposed to wear Apple Watch in the shower, this would be the best time to charge it. By the time you’re done with your shower routine and dressed, it should be done charging.

How to Make Apple Watch Battery Last Longer

Prolonging the battery life of your Apple Watch is the best way to get the most out of your watch. Here are some useful tips to achieve this:

1. Optimize Watch Settings: Adjusting your Apple Watch settings can improve its battery performance. For example, lower the brightness of your screen and limit the number of notifications by silencing your Apple Watch.
2. Manage Your Apps: Running too many apps simultaneously can drain your battery quickly. Try to close apps on your Apple Watch.
3. Use Low Power Mode: In dire situations where your battery is critically low, switch your Apple Watch to Low Power Mode. It limits your watch to certain features, but can significantly prolong battery life.

Related Reading: Check out our 15 tips to make your Apple Watch battery last longer.

How to Know When Apple Watch is Fully Charged

Being aware of when your Apple Watch is fully charged can help prolong its battery life and overall longevity. Here’s how to determine if your device has reached 100%:

1. Check the Charging Screen: When your Apple Watch is on its charger, you can tap the screen to see the charging progress. A fully charged battery will display ‘100%’.
2. Green Lightning Bolt: A green lightning bolt icon will appear at the top of the watch face when it’s fully charged.
3. Charging Alerts: If you have enabled charging notifications in your iPhone’s Watch app, you will receive an alert when your watch is fully charged.

How to Know if Apple Watch is Charging When Dead

When your Apple Watch’s battery is completely drained, the screen will be black making it difficult to know if it’s charging.

Give it about 5-10 minutes of charging while dead to get enough of a charge to turn itself on.

After a few minutes of charging, the Apple logo will appear on the screen. This indicates that your watch has gained enough power to start up.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does the Apple Watch come with a charger?

Yes, every new Apple Watch comes with an Apple magnetic charging cable, but a USB power adapter is not be included.

What plug do I need for Apple Watch charger?

The Apple Watch charger uses a USB-C connector which can be plugged into any USB-C power adapter or port.

Why won’t my Apple Watch turn on after charging?

If your Apple Watch won’t turn on after charging, check the power source and the charging cable.

If they’re working correctly, try a forced restart. If it’s still not turning on, it’s best to contact Apple Support.

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