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How to Check Your iPhone's Battery Life from Your Apple Watch

May 22, 2015 07:53 PM
Dec 20, 2018 04:34 PM
Smartwatch displaying battery status with 76% charge.

Considering how the Apple Watch works as an extension to your iPhone, it would've seemed like a no-brainer to include the ability to view your iPhone's battery life from the Watch, but in true Apple fashion, they did not.

Thankfully, developer Kelly Pangburn did Apple's job for them, creating a simple application that allows you to view your iPhone's battery percentage quickly and easily from your Apple Watch.

Download & Install Battery Watcher

Although Battery Watcher isn't the only app that gives us this ability, it is the only that I've found to be free, simple, and not bloated with additional and unnecessary features.

Battery Watcher app icon by Kelly Pangburn, featuring battery status indicator.

Enable the App on Your Watch

In the Apple Watch app on your iPhone, scroll down to open the options for BW. You'll need to toggle on "Show App on Apple Watch," and I'd suggest also toggling on "Show in Glances" for quicker access to your battery level.

Alternative text: "Mobile app interface displaying various app icons with 'DIY' highlighted."
Settings menu for displaying apps on Apple Watch and in Glances.
Alternative text: "Mobile app interface displaying various app icons with 'DIY' highlighted."
Settings menu for displaying apps on Apple Watch and in Glances.

Set Up Battery Watcher

Launch the Battery Watcher app on your iPhone and open its Settings. There isn't much you can adjust (or need to), but you can enable other useful battery information, like standby, Internet, and talk time.

Battery Watcher status screen showing 92% charge remaining and estimated usage times.
Settings menu with options for displaying various time formats.
Battery Watcher status screen showing 92% charge remaining and estimated usage times.
Settings menu with options for displaying various time formats.

Check Your iPhone's Battery Level

Now on the Watch, you can launch the BW app to view the battery percentage and details, or just use "Glances" to seamlessly lift up your wrist and, well, glance at it. Just note that the Glances view will not include the additional information you may have toggled on.

Battery Watcher app interface showing a battery percentage of 92% and estimated times for standby, use, and internet usage.
Battery Watcher app showing a 90% charged battery icon.
Battery Watcher app interface showing a battery percentage of 92% and estimated times for standby, use, and internet usage.
Battery Watcher app showing a 90% charged battery icon.

Apple may include this feature someday, but until then, enjoy Battery Watcher and its simplicity.

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The next big software update for iPhone is coming sometime in April and will include a Food section in Apple News+, an easy-to-miss new Ambient Music app, Priority Notifications thanks to Apple Intelligence, and updates to apps like Mail, Photos, Podcasts, and Safari. See what else is coming to your iPhone with the iOS 18.4 update.

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