My Gear S2 (non phone version) has been running with no battery issues where it would last up to 36 hours. Bluetooth active, Sleep as Android etc. I started to get a cache full on my S7 in late January 2017 so I told it to clear cash and it seemed to start the problem. I did have music on my watch and had about 1 gb of memory left.
The battery started to last maybe 5 to 6 hours. I did a full reset/rebuild on the watch and went to base settings but it only added a couple of hours.
Based on use and past performance I have to believe that it was a recent update to either the watch or phone.
Please advise as to issue cause and how to restore the watch to it's former battery capacity.
1) disconnected my watch(& unpaired), set back my smartphone to the state I started it after setup & migration;
2) checked my location settings; no improved location setting activated, so reconnect/pair my watch (batt 100%) ran the first "session" untill warning low battery: 3 days & 14 hrs!
3) some app updates came along; kept no record which...
4) recharge while on; next it only runs 1 day 5 hrs... well now what???
5) disconnect & unpair; disable bluetooth, charge it and let it run stand alone 6) took the NEO watch, which runs fine on the (spare) S5(almost 4 days all the time), recharged & paired/connect it with the S8+
monitoring time the S2 (now disconnected/bluetooth off) running excellent although a bit silent (no notifications & stationary on my desk);
monitoring the NEO now paired & active & wearing; rather quiet as it is evening(notifications etc.) wow, battery already lost 11 % after 110 minutes; estimate cycle time thus less then a day I guess.
So my conclusion here; it points to something on the smartphone that wants "to talk to much" with the watch
1) problem started some months ago - on my S7 connected to my Gear S2 - around the time it received Android 7
2) first noticed some different behaviour with my email-client; minor & not seen as an issue
3) after that I noticed my watch charge lasted shorter, but not empty in a day
4) compared to my partner's config - her S7 & her Gear S2- that too got Android 7, no issues, no battery drain on the watch.
5) did some tweaking and some removal's from apps, helped a bit.
6) swithed watch with spare S5 (paired with a S2-NEO) & connected the NEO to my S7 smartphone; battery drain disappeared on my S2(paired with S5) and the NEO now paired with S7 did run battery empty faster...
7) switched both back and all looked fair again for a while
😎 September: upgraded the 2 S7's to a brand new S8+; later 1 S7 & old S5 gone; left 1 S7 as spare; watches: 2 S2's paired with S8+ & NEO paired with -now- spare S7. No changes to apps...
9) again my watch started to loose battery charge much faster after a while, compared with the other S2 or the NEO.
10) so, what the difference? A) my email client running on my S8+
B) & my email-client is not active on the spare S7 (but same config) C) my partner, her email client: aha; lightly different setup: 'mine is pop-client with tradional ports, her's is not!
11) so, I temporarely disable notifications for my email client to my watch; low & behold; my battery drain suddenly disappeared!
So, after Android 7, email-client configured as pop client (what did feel/behave a bit different after update) and the Gear watch seem to have an issue.
Great if that the cause.
As the watch is normally near my smartphone in order to be connected, my smartphone notifies when email arrives, email now a days is to big to read confortably on a watch, so heck, I disable that...
And enjoy using the other functions with normal battery charge life-time 4+ days again.
Still, the "improved accuracy" for location enabled is a big NO for me, for privacy & security reasons...
(and that one will put more demand on the watch apperently as well if active)
(update oct-22)
full charged @ oct-19 22.07 hr; progress up till oct-22 17.10 hr: in round figures after 65 hours battery is @ 49%; estimated now to run at least 5 days before recharge needed....
I am curious to read other people's experience after reading this last post....
I am happy that this resolver YOUR issue but it did not resolve mine. I have had issues from day one with the battery drain, initially with my 7 Edge and now with my Note 8. This watch has been a time waster and custed way to much frustration. My suggestion to all Samsung watch potential buyers is buy something else!
I did a factory reset, rebuild and deleted all watch faces that I never use. I also reinstalled the gear app, it did not fix the problem 😞 any other ideas for a fix?
how do I get this info? My watch dies quickly there is no music or anything. All i use is my sons picture in the back ground, but I am lucky if it stays on for 3 hours I try to utilize it in power saving mode which seems to help, but causes issues because I lose some of the features when doing it.
If all of us have the same issue and starts suddenly its a software problem. The battery does not pass from lasting 1+ day to hours feom one day to another. The batteries usually dead progressively.
And all of us have the same problem ant with the contacts app consuming most of the battery. So this is not a hardware problem but a software problem.
So Samsun HAS to solve it ASAP to keep their customers happy.
For me my watch is now an expensive piece of iron since noon.
No solution and no answer from Samsung in two months with a lot of people affected as you can see in this forum.
Most of us has tried trial and error solutions while is Samsun task to provide a solution instead of the complete silence of months.
Just thinking not to update to S9+ and changing to other brand.
I have this issue since around 3 weeks and sent it for repairs 2 times already without success. Battery dies within 12 hour when paired with my phone (S8). It's actually a pain in the neck
Watched charged over night.. fully charged 100% YAY! Put it on this morning.. and well long story short.. forgot my phone at home.
With my phone, not connected to the watch.. it has been more than 7 hours now.. and only 10% drop in battery on the watch.
Once again.. this is a non 3g watch. The only way that it gets texts or notifications like calls, is when it is connected to the phone via blue tooth or wireless. That being said.. today.. my watch is 'just a watch' and the battery drain is minimal. When the phone and the watch are 'speaking' via bluetooth or wireless.. the watch's battery will drain 100% in less than 9 hours.
THIS is what needs to be looked at from Samsung. Why when connected, is the watch's battery comprimised and drained so quickly.
Steps taken -
Watch has been factory reset more than once
Gear app removed from my Note and reinstalled multiple times
Tried killing the 'contacts' application in the gear app. helps sometimes.
Issues I have noticed. The watch will start to get really warm on my wrist for no reason at all and the battery will start to drain at an alarming rate, 10% every 10 minutes.
I am willing to try any suggestions from Samsung, I will be a happy beta tester for new firmware, or new gear apps to fix this issue. Love my watch, love the phone. Hate the battery issue.
Brought my phone with me today.. 2 hours off the charger. 74% battery remaining.
Yesterday with the phone at home - 7 hours off the charger. 90% battery remaining.
Samsung?? Anyone??
Seriously.. Update something to fix this problem. How hard is it.. Want me to send you my phone and watch so you can see that this is really a problem? With the phone and the watch connected.. the Watch's battery drains to 0% within 8 hours. With the phone and the watch not connected.. the watch battery drains to 90% after 7 hours. Why are the phone and the watch 'talking' constantly.. and why does the watch get 'warm' on my wrist 5 minutes after texting my wife from my phone?
Exactly same issue with me and tested in all possible ways. Battery drain only happens when connected with the phone and the contacts app reports the max usge.
There is practically no safe way to revert to an older gear app, which I assume might have fixed it.
Samsung tech support - request you to take notice please .
