9 tips for improving battery life on your Garmin watch

In a span of just a few years, smartwatches have turned from novelty to a mainstay on the wrists of athletes and casual users alike.

Among the many brands making the best smartwatches around, Garmin is undoubtedly one of the most well-liked. The company offers a wide range of devices, catering to users that need specialized fitness tracking, as well as regular people looking to track their daily activity and health.

However, even with all the amazing features Garmin smartwatches offer, they’re prone to the same shortcoming all wearables suffer from: limited battery life. While regular watches require a battery change once every few years, smartwatches need charging every few days, and that’s the best case scenario. Fortunately, there are a few ways you can significantly increase the battery life of your Garmin watch.

1 Enable Battery Saver Mode

Your first stop

Some Garmin watches allow you to turn on Battery Saver Mode. With a single tap, you can significantly extend the battery life of your device. Unfortunately, Battery Saver Mode is not available on all Garmin smartwatches, but if you own a more recent model, you’re probably in luck. The following models include Battery Saver Mode:

• Forerunner 165
• Forerunner 255
• Forerunner 255S
• Forerunner 265
• Forerunner 265S
• Forerunner 945
• Forerunner 955
• Forerunner 955
• Venu 2
• Venu 2S
• Venu 2 Plus
• Venu Sq 2
• Venu 3
• Venu 3S
• Vivoactive 5

2 Lower the screen brightness settings

A little can go a long way

Lowering the brightness of your watch’s screen is an easy way to make the battery last longer. Of course, there’s an obvious drawback; it will be more difficult to see what’s on the screen, especially when it’s bright outside. However, getting a few hours more out of your watch can be worth it when battery life is essential.

3 Disable Wi-Fi and LTE

Both can be a major drain

When it comes to phones, Wi-Fi and cellular connectivity don’t tend to be a big drain on battery life. Smartwatches are a different story. Due to their comparatively small batteries, even leaving Wi-Fi on can be a significant drain.

That’s why turning off Wi-Fi and LTE (if it’s available on your model) can be a great idea if you need keep your watch alive for as long as possible.

4 Disable GPS

Some activities don’t need it

Even though having a GPS module built into your smartwatch is an incredible thing, it’s also a feature that can quickly drain your device’s