Expanded Low-Power Mode in watchOS 9 Will Work With More Apps and Features

watchOS 9 will feature a new power-saving mode that will let users use an Apple Watch and its apps and features without taking up a significant amount of battery life, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reported today.

watchOS 8 Green BG Feature
Currently, the Apple Watch features "Power Reserve" mode, which greatly limits Apple Watch functionality to only show users the time. With watchOS 9, Apple is looking to port over Low Power Mode from the iPhone to the Apple Watch, letting users use apps and features while using less battery life.

For watchOS 9, Apple also is planning a new low-power mode that is designed to let its smartwatch run some apps and features without using as much battery life. Currently, Apple Watches in low-power mode -- known on the device as Power Reserve -- can only access the time. The company is also planning to refresh many of its built-in watch faces currently shipping with the device.

The added new feature in watchOS 9 is part of Apple's overall efforts to improve battery life on the Apple Watch, which has remained mainly stagnant over the years.

watchOS 9 will also include a new detection feature for atrial fibrillation that will track how long an individual has been in a state of atrial fibrillation, according to Bloomberg. Apple will preview iOS 16, iPadOS 16, macOS 13, and watchOS 9 during WWDC from June 6 through June 10.

Related Roundups: watchOS 11, watchOS 26
Related Forum: Apple Watch

Popular Stories

iPhone 17 Pro Dark Blue and Orange

iPhone 17 Release Date, Pre-Orders, and What to Expect

Thursday August 28, 2025 4:08 am PDT by
An iPhone 17 announcement is a dead cert for September 2025 – Apple has already sent out invites for an "Awe dropping" event on Tuesday, September 9 at the Apple Park campus in Cupertino, California. The timing follows Apple's trend of introducing new iPhone models annually in the fall. At the event, Apple is expected to unveil its new-generation iPhone 17, an all-new ultra-thin iPhone 17...
iPhone 17 Pro Iridescent Feature 2

iPhone 17 Pro Clear Case Leak Reveals Three Key Changes

Sunday August 31, 2025 1:26 pm PDT by
Apple is expected to unveil the iPhone 17 series on Tuesday, September 9, and last-minute rumors about the devices continue to surface. The latest info comes from a leaker known as Majin Bu, who has shared alleged images of Apple's Clear Case for the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max, or at least replicas. Image Credit: @MajinBuOfficial The images show three alleged changes compared to Apple's iP...
iphone 16 pro ghost hand

iPhone 17 Pro: 5 Reasons Not to Upgrade This Year

Monday September 1, 2025 4:35 am PDT by
Apple will launch its new iPhone 17 series this month, and the iPhone 17 Pro models are expected to get a new design for the rear casing and the camera area. But more significant changes to the lineup are not expected until next year, when the iPhone 18 models arrive. If you're thinking of trading in your iPhone for this year's latest, consider the following features rumored to be coming to...
xiaomi apple ad india

Apple and Samsung Push Back Against Xiaomi's Bold India Ads

Friday August 29, 2025 4:54 am PDT by
Apple and Samsung have reportedly issued cease-and-desist notices to Xiaomi in India for an ad campaign that directly compares the rivals' devices to Xiaomi's products. The two companies have threatened the Chinese vendor with legal action, calling the ads "disparaging." Ads have appeared in local print media and on social media that take pot shots at the competitors' premium offerings. One...
iOS 18 on iPhone Arrow Down

Apple Preparing iOS 18.7 for iPhones as iOS 26 Release Date Nears

Sunday August 31, 2025 4:35 pm PDT by
Apple is preparing to release iOS 18.7 for compatible iPhone models, according to evidence of the update in the MacRumors visitor logs. We expect iOS 18.7 to be released in September, alongside iOS 26. The update will likely include fixes for security vulnerabilities, but little else. iOS 18.7 will be one of the final updates ever released for the iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, and iPhone XR,...

Top Rated Comments

xyz369 Avatar
44 months ago
Finaly just make them work without depending on the iPhone.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
_Spinn_ Avatar
44 months ago
Sounds good to me. I really wish I could get at least 2 days off my watch battery.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
munpip214 Avatar
44 months ago
Would be nice to see 3-4 day battery while on low power mode
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
kevcube Avatar
44 months ago

seriously, make it 2 mm thicker and double the battery life, your consumers would prefer that to an imperceptibly thicker device.
count me out. I don't want a chunky tech watch protruding from my wrist.

I agree that current battery life isn't good enough, I had a Xiaomi Mi Fit that could do like 14 days, but also did about a tenth of the things my AW does.

At this point I've gotten used to finding an hour in my day to charge my watch. Whether it's during my shower, while sleeping, or working from my desk.

Upgrading from a s6 to s8 this year and I'm looking forward to the increased charging speeds that were introduced with s7. Even though I already charge over USB-C and I take advantage of the charge-speed improvements that came with series 6, it could always be better!
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Kylo83 Avatar
44 months ago
Just let us make our own watch faces from
3rd partys
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Robert.Walter Avatar
44 months ago

It’s gonna be called…Ultra Low Power Mode.
I can see the ads now:

“Limbo Power Mode …
… how low can you go?”
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)