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Optimized Charge Limit for Apple Watch Ultra 2

elmo0629

elmo0629

macrumors member
Original poster
Sep 11, 2012
66
17
Dallas, TX
Hello everyone! I have a question about the “Optimized Charge Limit” especially for the Apple Watch Ultra 2 (though it may be the same for other watches). I got the watch on launch day and so as of Friday will have had it two weeks. I only use about 30% of the battery daily and charge it before bed and it continues to charge to full when I would think it would obviously see that I only need it to charge to 80% to get through a day. Am I missing something? Should I get letting it drain lower before charging, not charge daily, etc.? Just curious what you all’s experience is. Appreciate all replies in advance.
 
elmo0629 said:
Hello everyone! I have a question about the “Optimized Charge Limit” especially for the Apple Watch Ultra 2 (though it may be the same for other watches). I got the watch on launch day and so as of Friday will have had it two weeks. I only use about 30% of the battery daily and charge it before bed and it continues to charge to full when I would think it would obviously see that I only need it to charge to 80% to get through a day. Am I missing something? Should I get letting it drain lower before charging, not charge daily, etc.? Just curious what you all’s experience is. Appreciate all replies in advance.
Click to expand...
The optimized charge feature doesn't stop the watch from charging to 100%, but what it will do is delay charging past 80% or so overnight until shortly before you wake up (or when it thinks you're going to wake up). That way it doesn't immediately go to 100% and sit at 100% all night long.

Takes at least a week or two to train, so may not have self-adjusted for you yet.

I just got the Ultra 2 myself, so I'm still looking for ways to use up all the battery life, lol. I've actually started wearing it at night for sleep tracking since there power to burn. Then dropping it on the charger while I shower and get dressed in the morning, which I usually do fairly quickly, so I only top off to like 85-90% or so. It's been several days since it's been much above that, which is fine (even though my Type A personality doesn't like not seeing 100%).
 
No. That setting has the watch learn your charging habits. If you are consistent on what time to take it off the charger, like say you take it from the charger at 0700 every day, it will keep the watch charged at between 75 and 80%. If it takes 30 minutes to charge from 80 to 100, then at 0630 it will resume fully charging.
 
I knew optinized charging does that, but I thought optimized charge limit was different. The below is from Apple’s website.

“

Optimized Charge Limit on Apple Watch​

In addition to Optimized Battery Charging, supported Apple Watch models offer Optimized Charge Limit. With watchOS 10, this feature is available on Apple Watch SE, Apple Watch Series 6 and later, and Apple Watch Ultra and later. Optimized Charge Limit learns from your daily usage to determine when to charge to an optimized limit and when to allow a full charge. Optimized Charge Limit is on by default when you set up your Apple Watch.”
 
xraydoc said:
The optimized charge feature doesn't stop the watch from charging to 100%, but what it will do is delay charging past 80% or so overnight until shortly before you wake up (or when it thinks you're going to wake up). That way it doesn't immediately go to 100% and sit at 100% all night long.

Takes at least a week or two to train, so may not have self-adjusted for you yet.

I just got the Ultra 2 myself, so I'm still looking for ways to use up all the battery life, lol. I've actually started wearing it at night for sleep tracking since there power to burn. Then dropping it on the charger while I shower and get dressed in the morning, which I usually do fairly quickly, so I only top off to like 85-90% or so. It's been several days since it's been much above that, which is fine (even though my Type A personality doesn't like not seeing 100%).
Click to expand...
Yeah. I mainly wanted the Ultra because I go camping most weekend and my 45mm on Low Power Mode never mad it the whole time. The Ultra 2 should have no issue at all making it through an entire weekend and I’m excited about that. Amazing how much better the battery life is on this watch.
 
elmo0629 said:
I knew optinized charging does that, but I thought optimized charge limit was different. The below is from Apple’s website.

“

Optimized Charge Limit on Apple Watch​

In addition to Optimized Battery Charging, supported Apple Watch models offer Optimized Charge Limit. With watchOS 10, this feature is available on Apple Watch SE, Apple Watch Series 6 and later, and Apple Watch Ultra and later. Optimized Charge Limit learns from your daily usage to determine when to charge to an optimized limit and when to allow a full charge. Optimized Charge Limit is on by default when you set up your Apple Watch.”
Click to expand...
Ah, yes. You are correct. I completely forgot the Ultra models had this. I was still thinking of the optimized charging from my prior (non-Ultra) watches.

Good question then. Not sure of the answer. Perhaps it take a couple weeks to train...
 
xraydoc said:
Ah, yes. You are correct. I completely forgot the Ultra models had this. I was still thinking of the optimized charging from my prior (non-Ultra) watches.

Good question then. Not sure of the answer. Perhaps it take a couple weeks to train...
Click to expand...
Yeah it is confusing since the name is so similar. I never had the optimized charging come on my watch because my charging is too erratic unlike my phone where it applies without fail. I really thought this feature though would come on since I have never fallen below 50% since I got my watch and so it should easily see I don't need more than 80% of the charge. We will see what happens when I hit the two weeks mark I guess.
 
elmo0629 said:
Hello everyone! I have a question about the “Optimized Charge Limit” especially for the Apple Watch Ultra 2 (though it may be the same for other watches). I got the watch on launch day and so as of Friday will have had it two weeks. I only use about 30% of the battery daily and charge it before bed and it continues to charge to full when I would think it would obviously see that I only need it to charge to 80% to get through a day. Am I missing something? Should I get letting it drain lower before charging, not charge daily, etc.? Just curious what you all’s experience is. Appreciate all replies in advance.
Click to expand...
Getting battery charged often would deteriorate battery faster. I charge my Ultra 2 as I did to Ultra 1 when it reaches 40-50% or about every 2 days.
 
MarkNewton2023 said:
Getting battery charged often would deteriorate battery faster. I charge my Ultra 2 as I did to Ultra 1 when it reaches 40-50% or about every 2 days.
Click to expand...
So in your experience, doing that, has the optimized charge limit ever enabled? I am hoping someone has been able to get it to work and to provide their steps of how they made the magic happen.
 
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I've had the Ultra 2 since it was released, and it's now on 10.0.2. I take it off late in the evening before I go to bed (usually 60% or so), and put it on pretty much the same time every morning. It has never not immediately charged to 100% because I get a message on my phone when it's done that. With my prior AW, it would always stop at 80%, and I can't figure out why this watch won't do that. I've gone through everything in the Apple support page, and I'm at the point where I may start taking it off the charger when it's done charging (or even if it's at 80%) to try to extend the life of the battery. Maybe it's a software issue. Has anyone gotten Optimized Battery Charging/Limit to work on a Ultra 2?
 
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My Ultra 1 was stopping charging at 75 or 80% consistently for a long time... I've noticed recently it keeps charging to 100% every night now. Not sure why it has changed, although I had some done some traveling which perhaps changed the consistency of my charge patterns.
 
poorcody said:
My Ultra 1 was stopping charging at 75 or 80% consistently for a long time... I've noticed recently it keeps charging to 100% every night now. Not sure why it has changed, although I had some done some traveling which perhaps changed the consistency of my charge patterns.
Click to expand...
Thanks for this. It seems like this behavior is not limited to my watch or something I was not doing right.
 
As an update it still has not enabled for me so maybe it is a bug. Appreciate everyone sharing their experiences.
 
poorcody said:
My Ultra 1 was stopping charging at 75 or 80% consistently for a long time... I've noticed recently it keeps charging to 100% every night now. Not sure why it has changed, although I had some done some traveling which perhaps changed the consistency of my charge patterns.
Click to expand...
Mine does this, too, now. Must be a bug in watchOS. It used to only charge to 80% every night. Now with watchOS 10 it charges to 100% every night without fail.
 
elmo0629 said:
Hello everyone! I have a question about the “Optimized Charge Limit” especially for the Apple Watch Ultra 2 (though it may be the same for other watches). I got the watch on launch day and so as of Friday will have had it two weeks. I only use about 30% of the battery daily and charge it before bed and it continues to charge to full when I would think it would obviously see that I only need it to charge to 80% to get through a day. Am I missing something? Should I get letting it drain lower before charging, not charge daily, etc.? Just curious what you all’s experience is. Appreciate all replies in advance.
Click to expand...
had U2 since launch, used it like my U1 for ~38hrs and on the charger every 2nd night, U1 had charged to 100% for a year and U2 did the same, until I put it on the charger last n night. rather then showing the time/alarm clock time it showed a text about optimized charging.
And this morning, charged to 80%.
will have to see tonight what battery % it's showing, my concern that if I continue my usage pattern tomorrow evening, when it is time to charge, it will be well below 20% which I don't like ...
will update my findings
 
jz0309 said:
had U2 since launch, used it like my U1 for ~38hrs and on the charger every 2nd night, U1 had charged to 100% for a year and U2 did the same, until I put it on the charger last n night. rather then showing the time/alarm clock time it showed a text about optimized charging.
And this morning, charged to 80%.
will have to see tonight what battery % it's showing, my concern that if I continue my usage pattern tomorrow evening, when it is time to charge, it will be well below 20% which I don't like ...
will update my findings
Click to expand...
Thank you for the update. Curious of your findings.
 
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jz0309 said:
had U2 since launch, used it like my U1 for ~38hrs and on the charger every 2nd night, U1 had charged to 100% for a year and U2 did the same, until I put it on the charger last n night. rather then showing the time/alarm clock time it showed a text about optimized charging.
And this morning, charged to 80%.
will have to see tonight what battery % it's showing, my concern that if I continue my usage pattern tomorrow evening, when it is time to charge, it will be well below 20% which I don't like ...
will update my findings
Click to expand...
I also want to say thank you for sharing your experience. I do not need to charge my watch daily, I could go every other day easily like you, but was doing it daily because I thought that is what was required to use the optimized charge limit feature since it wants a consistent routine. Now I know I can safely just charge when needed to get the feature to engage. At least, when it works. lol
 
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elmo0629 said:
I also want to say thank you for sharing your experience. I do not need to charge my watch daily, I could go every other day easily like you, but was doing it daily because I thought that is what was required to use the optimized charge limit feature since it wants a consistent routine. Now I know I can safely just charge when needed to get the feature to engage. At least, when it works. lol
Click to expand...
so it took 2.5 weeks to "learn" my every other night charging pattern, that is fine.
And as I mentioned, I've used that pattern with my U1 for a whole year snd battery health was at 99%. I did have optimized charging "on" and maybe it did slow charging to 100%, never paid attention, but, that charging to 100% did apparently not impact battery health. And as an aside, I use my old puck from my S0 for charging so it's slow(er).

Anyway, after my morning workout battery is a 73% so I expect it will be 50-55% at bedtime ...

I will most likely follow my usual pattern (wear it during night and then put on charger tomorrow evening) but expect it to be <20% by end of day tomorrow in which case I will turn optimized charging off.
 
I'm on day 3 with my U2. Put it on Monday morning at 100%. Charged it about 20 minutes Tuesday and this morning while in the shower. Did a workout yesterday. I'm at 58%. Most of the loss was yesterday. At this rate, I may be able to get 4 or 5 days before needing to charge it back to 100%
 
Same here but with SE2 watch, which also has been enabled for charge LIMIT (not just the preexisting optimized charging) since WatchOS 10. I saw it work literally ONCE shortly after WatchOS 10 came out and my watch updated. It drew the circle with the little "leg" thing when i dropped it on the charger and when I woke up it was at 76% and holding. Which is good, IMO.

However, it hasn't worked since. Now i'm at 100% every single morning, same bedtime routine, same house, etc.
 
jz0309 said:
so it took 2.5 weeks to "learn" my every other night charging pattern, that is fine.
And as I mentioned, I've used that pattern with my U1 for a whole year snd battery health was at 99%. I did have optimized charging "on" and maybe it did slow charging to 100%, never paid attention, but, that charging to 100% did apparently not impact battery health. And as an aside, I use my old puck from my S0 for charging so it's slow(er).

Anyway, after my morning workout battery is a 73% so I expect it will be 50-55% at bedtime ...

I will most likely follow my usual pattern (wear it during night and then put on charger tomorrow evening) but expect it to be <20% by end of day tomorrow in which case I will turn optimized charging off.
Click to expand...
update: last night at 51%, this morning at 43%.
so since it dropped 29% during the day yesterday so I'd expect it to be 10-15% by eo day today.
Optimized charging will be turned off
 
My Ultra 2 started limited it charge to 80% for a few days and then quit and went back to charging to 100%. I go to bed and wake about the same time everyday but it will not go back to the 80% charge limit.
 
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