How to turn off Power Reserve on Apple Watch

Apple Watch Power Reserve
(Image credit: Future)

"How to turn off Power Reserve on Apple Watch" is one of the most searched queries when it comes to Apple's popular wearable, and it disables nearly all of the watch's features when the battery gets too low. The good news is there's a simple way to turn it off and on whenever you like.

While the power reserve feature can prolong your Apple Watch's battery life when it's on its last legs, it turns off all features except for the most basic function of a watch — showing the time. Getting the Apple Watch to function normally after Power Reserve mode is switched on can be a mystery, but following the steps below will get it back up and running. 

Thanks to watchOS 9, there's now another way to conserve battery on your Apple Watch: Low Power Mode. Unlike Power Reserve, It only turns off a handful of features, meaning you can use your Apple Watch normally while pushing its battery to its limits. Check out how to turn on Low Power Mode on your Apple Watch

How to turn off Power Reserve on Apple Watch

To prolong your Apple Watch's battery life, the wearable alerts you that its battery has dropped below 10%. It will ask if you want to switch on Power Reserve mode, and enabling the feature will put the Apple Watch is a basic state of just telling the time. Here's how to turn off the power-saving feature. 

(Image credit: Future)
  • To switch on Power Reserve mode, swipe up on the watch face to open Control Centre.
  • Tap the battery percentage and slide the Power Reserve slider.  

(Image credit: Future)
  • Once Power Reserve mode is turned on, your Apple Watch will display the time. 
  • To switch it off, press and hold the side button until you see the Apple Logo. 

(Image credit: Future)
  • Your Apple Watch will restart. It may take a while, but the Apple Watch will return to its normal state once it restarts. 

There you have it. This won't reset your Apple Watch, as it's simply turning it off and back on again without the Power Reserve mode switch on. If you want to know how to reset your Apple Watch, we've got you covered. 

Darragh Murphy
Editor

Darragh Murphy is fascinated by all things bizarre, which usually leads to assorted coverage varying from washing machines designed for AirPods to the mischievous world of cyberattacks. Whether it's connecting Scar from The Lion King to two-factor authentication or turning his love for gadgets into a fabricated rap battle from 8 Mile, he believes there’s always a quirky spin to be made. With a Master’s degree in Magazine Journalism from The University of Sheffield, along with short stints at Kerrang! and Exposed Magazine, Darragh started his career writing about the tech industry at Time Out Dubai and ShortList Dubai, covering everything from the latest iPhone models and Huawei laptops to massive Esports events in the Middle East. Now, he can be found proudly diving into gaming, gadgets, and letting readers know the joys of docking stations for Laptop Mag.