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Galaxy Watch 5 Battery Drain: Fixes and Optimization

If your Galaxy Watch 5 battery drains faster than expected (under 40 hours for 40mm or under 50 hours for 44mm), these solutions will help identify and fix the issue.


Expected Battery Life

Normal battery performance for reference.

ModelTypical UseLight UseHeavy UseWith AOD
40mm40-48 hours48-60 hours24-36 hours24-28 hours
44mm50-60 hours60-72 hours30-40 hours30-36 hours

If your battery drains significantly faster than these ranges, troubleshooting is needed.


Quick Fixes

Try these first—they resolve about 50% of battery drain issues.

  1. Restart watch: Press and hold Home button Tap Restart
  2. Disable Always-On Display: Settings Display Always On Display Off
  3. Lower brightness: Set to 40-50% or enable Auto
  4. Close background apps: Press Home button twice Swipe to close all
  5. Check for software updates: Settings Software update

Major Battery Drains

The biggest consumers of battery life.

Always-On Display (30-40% impact): Disabling AOD extends battery by 12-20 hours. Navigate to Settings Display Always On Display Off

Screen Brightness (10-20% impact): Set brightness to 40-60% or use Auto. Swipe down Tap brightness icon Adjust

Continuous Heart Rate (5-15% impact): Change to every 10 minutes: Samsung Health Settings Heart rate Every 10 minutes

Raise to Wake (10-15% impact): Disable if not needed: Settings Display Wake-up gesture Off


Other Common Causes

Additional factors that drain battery faster than expected.

Stuck GPS: If GPS icon shows when not working out, restart the watch. GPS drains 8-12% per hour.

Too Many Notifications: Limit notifications to essential apps in Galaxy Wearable Notifications

Third-Party Apps: Check battery usage: Settings Battery Battery usage. Uninstall apps using excessive battery.

Poor Bluetooth Connection: Watch constantly searching for phone drains battery. Ensure phone is within range and Galaxy Wearable has battery optimization disabled.

Recent Software Update: Battery normalizes 3-5 days after updates as the watch optimizes. Wait before troubleshooting further.


Optimal Settings for Maximum Battery

Configure these settings for best battery life.

  • Always On Display: Off
  • Brightness: 40% or Auto
  • Heart rate: Every 10 minutes
  • Raise to wake: Off (use Tap to wake instead)
  • Wi-Fi: Auto (not Always on)
  • Notifications: Limited to essential apps
  • Background apps: Close regularly

With these settings, expect 50-60 hours (40mm) or 60-72 hours (44mm).


Power Saving Mode

Enable when battery is low to extend remaining life.

Swipe down from watch face Tap battery icon Enable Power saving

Power Saving Mode disables AOD, reduces brightness, limits background activity, and can double remaining runtime.


Factory Reset (Last Resort)

If all else fails, factory reset often restores normal battery life.

  1. Backup first: Galaxy Wearable Settings Backup and restore
  2. Reset: Settings General Reset Factory data reset
  3. Re-pair with phone and test battery before reinstalling apps

When to Contact Support

Seek Samsung support if:

  • Battery drains 0-100% in under 12 hours with minimal use
  • All troubleshooting steps failed
  • Battery is swelling (watch feels puffy)
  • Watch gets extremely hot during normal use

See Also: How Long Does Battery Last|How to Charge Galaxy Watch 5