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Stop Apple Watch display for sleeping

HaruAoki

HaruAoki

macrumors member
Original poster
Oct 14, 2014
87
4
Australia
Hello,

My friend has a question about the Apple Watch display sleeping, when he raises this arm to wake the Apple Watch after about 7 seconds with out clicking on anything the display will go back to sleep.

Is this meant to happen (for power saving) and is there anyway to changes the time for the display to go to sleep?

He ask this because when looking at something on the watch it bugs him that it goes to sleep when trying to read or other things.

Thank you for your time and I hope you have a great day.
 
The OS is about aggressive power management. It is too aggressive at times - especially when you get the spinning wheel on 3rd party apps and the display times out constantly while waiting for data.
 
The only way to keep the screen on is to rest a finger on the screen or continually turn the digital crown.
 
I know this is my son's only gripe about his watch. He's an EMT and uses his to take vital signs on patients, and has had to get into the habit of flicking his wrist to keep the screen active. Hopefully this can be changed in a future update.
 
there should be an option to specify how long the display stays on. Hopefully will change over time.
 
I agree! Display going to sleep is not convenient or that good of idea. I know that main reason for this is to save on battery, but why not give option for people that want to have display stay on permanently? After all, I wanna show off my cool watch face.

These are the things I would like to see Apple do for us:
1. Give us the option to have watchface stay on permanently
2. Let developers create new watchfaces. Everyone will get tired of the ones we have available now
3. Maybe some kind of keyboard for texting, or writing with finger than converting it to text
4. Reply to email with siri
 
bh85 said:
I agree! Display going to sleep is not convenient or that good of idea. I know that main reason for this is to save on battery, but why not give option for people that want to have display stay on permanently? After all, I wanna show off my cool watch face.

These are the things I would like to see Apple do for us:
1. Give us the option to have watchface stay on permanently
2. Let developers create new watchfaces. Everyone will get tired of the ones we have available now
3. Maybe some kind of keyboard for texting, or writing with finger than converting it to text
4. Reply to email with siri
Click to expand...

If they let people configure it to stay on all the time, you're going to get a ton of idiots complaining about the battery life, and even more blogs posting about bad battery life, etc... It doesn't matter if they chose to do it or they agree to some popup warning them about it, they will still complain and complain. The number of people I see complaining about battery on iPhones or iPads is ridiculous when all of them have the brightness turned up to the max.
 
Thanks for all the help guys, sad to hear it can't change I would like some how to change it, they could leave it like it is by default and allow you to change it in the settings I would love to change it.

I know its like that to save power but I would like to choose how long I can look and it and just lower my arm to put it to sleep.

But we will just have to wait and see. Anyway thank you all for the help and I hope you all have a great day / and or night.
 
joemc72 said:
I know this is my son's only gripe about his watch. He's an EMT and uses his to take vital signs on patients, and has had to get into the habit of flicking his wrist to keep the screen active. Hopefully this can be changed in a future update.
Click to expand...

Yikes. I don't know how I feel about an emergency professional relying on the Watch just yet. You've brought up one relevant point. Imagine if he were able to increase the screen time, and the watch ran out of power before his shift was over, as a result, or even in general. Or what if an accident requires him to expose the watch to submerging in or pressurized water streams, and the watch fails? Or exposure to excessive heat shutting the watch down? Or the screen shatters from a minor impact as has been shown is common with the Sport? These basic issues should be worked out by non-critical users before they get employed in the field in life or death situations.
 
orev said:
If they let people configure it to stay on all the time, you're going to get a ton of idiots complaining about the battery life, and even more blogs posting about bad battery life, etc... It doesn't matter if they chose to do it or they agree to some popup warning them about it, they will still complain and complain. The number of people I see complaining about battery on iPhones or iPads is ridiculous when all of them have the brightness turned up to the max.
Click to expand...

First of all, battery life is Apple's problem. That's why, and no doubt in my mind, they will work on battery to making it last longer. I bet, when they release next version of Apple Watch, it will last at least 24 hours or more. Up at least 6 hours from their current estimated time. Now, if people complain that its still not enough, then they really need to get a life. But, to cut display power is not the best solution. I can't imagine that just the watchface uses that much battery. Its a basic function. I really wouldn't mind losing 2 hours of battery life if the watch stayed on.
 
The stop watch needs a setting atleast. this shouldn't be that hard for them to change but if they will is the question.
 
Mac 128 said:
Yikes. I don't know how I feel about an emergency professional relying on the Watch just yet. You've brought up one relevant point. Imagine if he were able to increase the screen time, and the watch ran out of power before his shift was over, as a result, or even in general. Or what if an accident requires him to expose the watch to submerging in or pressurized water streams, and the watch fails? Or exposure to excessive heat shutting the watch down? Or the screen shatters from a minor impact as has been shown is common with the Sport? These basic issues should be worked out by non-critical users before they get employed in the field in life or death situations.
Click to expand...

He says, "That's why i carry a cheap Timex in my backpack". :)
 
bh85 said:
First of all, battery life is Apple's problem. That's why, and no doubt in my mind, they will work on battery to making it last longer. I bet, when they release next version of Apple Watch, it will last at least 24 hours or more. Up at least 6 hours from their current estimated time. Now, if people complain that its still not enough, then they really need to get a life. But, to cut display power is not the best solution. I can't imagine that just the watchface uses that much battery. Its a basic function. I really wouldn't mind losing 2 hours of battery life if the watch stayed on.
Click to expand...

Display lighting is absolutely the largest battery consumer in any device, unless you're doing some heavy data processing which of course is not happening on the Watch. CPU, wifi, bluetooth, etc... all use extremely minor amounts of power.
 
Last edited:
I think Apple may give us a few settings options (maybe 10s, 15s) in the future once they fine-tune the algorithm for raising your wrist to see the time. If it turns on accidentally too often now with normal movement, then having the timer set longer could really kill battery life. Future versions should also have better battery life so it will probably be possible. And that's probably also why intentional touches keep the screen on longer. They're far less likely to be a false positive and waste battery life while you're walking or whatever.
 
bh85 said:
First of all, battery life is Apple's problem. That's why, and no doubt in my mind, they will work on battery to making it last longer. I bet, when they release next version of Apple Watch, it will last at least 24 hours or more. Up at least 6 hours from their current estimated time. Now, if people complain that its still not enough, then they really need to get a life. But, to cut display power is not the best solution. I can't imagine that just the watchface uses that much battery. Its a basic function. I really wouldn't mind losing 2 hours of battery life if the watch stayed on.
Click to expand...

I can tell you with phones, the display is the largest draw on the battery. I doubt it's any different on the watch. Have you seen some of the tear-downs? The battery is TINY. There's very little real estate in there, and you know they're going to want to make the next one thinner.

We haven't had a breakthrough in battery tech in 20 years. (maybe hydrogen cell, but that isn't feasible yet). Apple's doing shaped batteries for their MacBooks, to try to get as much as they can in there. We've been lucky that the CPU's and memory have been getting smaller and more energy efficient.

Expecting another 6 hours (current 18 hours) in the next rev? (not unless they keep the same footprint and increase the battery size significantly). Then, they'll likely have a more powerful CPU, a better wifi radio, etc, etc. All of these things eat battery life.

It wouldn't take 2 hours away from your batter life if you left it on all day. My guess? You'd get between 6 and 8 hours of use, tops.
 
orev said:
If they let people configure it to stay on all the time, you're going to get a ton of idiots complaining about the battery life, and even more blogs posting about bad battery life, etc... It doesn't matter if they chose to do it or they agree to some popup warning them about it, they will still complain and complain. The number of people I see complaining about battery on iPhones or iPads is ridiculous when all of them have the brightness turned up to the max.
Click to expand...

Yep right 100%.

I was walking in the mall yesterday and I noticed an iphone sticking out of a girls back pocket and the LED light was on! I tried to tell her but she looked at me like I was crazy and almost ran from me. She did not speak English (getting more and more common). I followed her for another minute of so and when she turned around I had my iPhone LED on and pointed to mine and then hers. She pulled her phone out and saw the light on and understood what I was up too and gave me a big smile!
 
Newtons Apple said:
Yep right 100%.

I was walking in the mall yesterday and I noticed an iphone sticking out of a girls back pocket and the LED light was on! I tried to tell her but she looked at me like I was crazy and almost ran from me. She did not speak English (getting more and more common). I followed her for another minute of so and when she turned around I had my iPhone LED on and pointed to mine and then hers. She pulled her phone out and saw the light on and understood what I was up too and gave me a big smile!
Click to expand...

Tell me you didn't point to her ass and make strange gestures :p

I'd run away from you too haha.
 
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