Why Is My Apple Watch Only Charging to 80 Percent? The Reason Behind the Crazy-Making Feature

No technology companies have managed to harness the excitement and devotion of a fan base quite as efficiently as Apple. From iPads to iPhones, (ancient) iPods to televisions, and more, the technology company labeled with a friendly fruit has become ubiquitous and beloved.

People can even wear Apple products as accessories now that the Apple Watch has become so omnipresent and acceptable. But users online have shared that they are frustrated to discover their watches will sometimes only charge to 80 percent. Here's why that happens and what you can do to fix the frustrating problem.

It may or may not come as a surprise to learn that over-charging your battery can be a bad thing. Although it's generally safe to leave your device plugged in for extended periods of time, there is some concern that the types of batteries used in cell phones, watches, and other technological devices can over-charge and catch fire. Additionally, too much charging can reduce the lifetime and efficiency of the battery.

To combat this issue, Apple has a feature for their watches known as Optimized Battery Charging. When the device detects a situation where it might be left on the charger for an extended period of time, such as overnight, it will only charge the battery to 75 percent to 80 percent before no longer taking on energy. Over time, your device will learn your charging habits and adjust accordingly to keep the battery from over-charging.

This is meant to protect the battery from over-charging and reduce the risk of damage to the device or worse, a fire. Of course, it can be frustrating to wake up in the morning and realize the full charge you thought you would be getting only resulted in an 80 percent charge instead.

Luckily, there's something you can do about it. Apple Support has provided this information:

In order to bypass the Optimized Battery Charging:

1. Make sure your Apple Watch is connected to its charger.

2. Tap your watch to display the charging screen, then tap the circle with the green or yellow charging icon.

3. Tap "Charge to Full Now."

If you want to turn off the Optimized Battery Charging, there's an option for that too.

1. Open the Settings app on your Apple Watch.

2. Scroll down, then tap "Battery."

3. Tap "Battery Health."

4. Turn off Optimized Battery Charging.

5. Choose "Turn Off Until Tomorrow" or "Turn Off."

There is also the option to turn off the Optimized Charge Limit, per Support, which means that Optimized Charging stays active but it won't stop at 80 percent anymore:

1. Open the Settings app on your watch.

2. Scroll down, then tap "Battery."

3. Tap "Battery Health."

4. Turn off Optimized Charge Limit.

5. Choose "Turn Off Until Tomorrow" or Turn Off."

Although the feature is meant to protect your device's battery life, it's understandably frustrating when you can't get to that full charge. So with a number of options to combat the annoying feature, it's easy to fix it and get back to full.