Some people are experiencing various Apple Watch charging issues after installing Apple’s recent watchOS 8.3 software update. Are you one of them?
HIGHLIGHTS
- watchOS 8.3 may be causing Apple Watch charging issues
- The problem affects an unknown percentage of users
- Other people are not reporting any charging issues at all
watchOS 8.3 causing Apple Watch charging issues for some
But how do we know that watchOS 8.3 is the culprit? Because those Apple Watch charging problems date back to December 13, the day Apple released the watchOS 8.3 software update to the public. So that’s your connection right there.
As MacRumors notes, users flocked to online forums such as Reddit and Apple’s own Support Communities to document the problems they’re having with the update.
In many cases, the Apple Watch will charge for a few minutes, and then charging will suddenly stop. Restarting the Apple Watch can help jump start charging, but it does not appear to be a permanent solution for most people, with the charging issues recurring.
Does the problem only manifest itself with non-Apple chargers, like Belkin?
Which chargers are affected?
Here’s what one user wrote the Apple Support Communities:
Is anyone else experiencing erratic behavior on their Series 7 Watch after the 8.3 update with a third-party wireless charger (Belkin)? Right after the update my watch started flashing between screens (charging screen, unlock pin pad, watch face) and eventually drained the battery to ten percent. Once I put it on the charger that came with the watch it charged fine, problems went away. I don’t want my charger to become obsolete because of an update.
It appears that’s not the case: Some folks have the same problem with genuine Apple-branded chargers. On top of that, as users note, some of the alternative Apple Watch chargers that are available on Amazon are also causing the device to fail to charge.
Interestingly enough, watchOS 8.3 also seems to interfere with Apple’s fast-charge function on Apple Watch Series 7. As one MacRumors Forums user wrote, their Series 7 took a whopping ten minutes to charge by just two percentage points.
How to resolve Apple Watch charging issues
If you have already installed the watchOS 8.3 update on your watch, there’s nothing you can do except wait for Apple to deliver a software fix mitigating the situation.
Apple has yet to comment on the situation, meaning we don’t know when this fix might arrive. If history is any indication, it should be a timely update. Until it drops, however, try using a first-party charger instead of a third-party one.
If you haven’t installed watchOS 8.3 just yet, the best course of action is to postpone updating your device until a new watchOS update is available that mitigates the issue.
As of the time of writing, Apple has yet to make a formal statement on the matter. It’s unclear how long a software update will be released to help mitigate the situation. Until that time, it’s best to air on the side of caution, avoiding the watchOS 8.3 update, especially if you are primarily using a third-party Apple Watch charger.
What about watchOS 8.1.1 update
As MacRumors notes, charging problems actually began arising since the rollout of the watchOS 8.1 update which arrived on November 18, 2021. The only enhancement mentioned in Apple’s release notes for watchOS 8.1.1 “fixes an issue where Apple Watch Series 7 may not charge as expected for some users.”
But as it turns out, watchOS 8.1.1 hasn’t managed to make these charging issues go away completely, at least for those people who have continued complaining about charging problems even after updating their Apple Watch to watchOS 8.1.1.