How Long Does It Take To Charge The Apple Watch?

As a proud owner of a smartwatch like the Apple Watch, I can attest to the significant enhancements it brings to our lives. However, there’s one aspect of owning an Apple Watch that never fails to annoy me—the inevitable task of plugging it in at the end of each day. Honestly, it’s the most exasperating part!

Using the default charger that comes with Apple Watch, it should take you around 75 minutes to charge your Apple Watch from 0 to 100% fully.

How Fast Does An Apple Watch Series 8 Charge From 0 To 100?

apple watch magnetic charger
Charging PercentageTime Taken
40%20 minutes
80%45 minutes
100%75 minutes

The Apple Watch Series 8 is the fastest of the bunch and rightfully so. With the addendum of fast charging that’s included right out of the box, you’ll be able to enjoy the fastest charging speeds out of the entire lineup.

You’ll be able to get a quick charge in about 10-20 minutes which should be enough to last you through half the day without any problem. A full-charged battery on the Apple Series 7 lasts a day and a half with light to moderate use. Therefore, you won’t have an issue with the watch delaying your plans for the day just because it isn’t charged.

On a side note, you’ll need to use the included USB-C Magnetic Fast Charging Cable and plug it in with any of the following chargers:

  • 18W
  • 20W
  • 29W
  • 30W
  • 61W
  • 87W
  • 96W

How Fast Does An Apple Watch Series SE Charge From 0 To 100?

Charging PercentageTime Taken
40%45 minutes
80%90 minutes
100%150 minutes

The Series SE hones the same battery life as the Series 7 but sadly, does not feature fast charging. So, while you’ll be able to enjoy the watch for the same timeframe, you’ll have to spend a lot more time charging it. In fact, you’ll be spending almost double the amount of time propping your SE on the stand as compared to the Series 7.

While this may feel cumbersome, you’ll be able to use your watch for an hour or two if you need it in a hurry by charging it for 10-20 minutes. Anything greater though will require you to wait at least an hour till you get some adequate juice on your battery.

How Fast Does An Apple Watch Series 6 Charge From 0 To 100?

Charging PercentageTime Taken
40%30 minutes
80%60 minutes
100%90 minutes

Related: Do Smartwatches Drain Your Phone’s Battery?

While Series 6 does not support fast charging, it does seem to be the intermediate when it comes to charging between the Series SE and Series 7. So, you can expect the watch to last half the day with just 30 minutes of charging.

Anything greater though will require at least an hour of charge before you can comfortably leave your phone at home and use your watch’s LTE connection. If you aren’t a big fan of upgrading to the Series 7, we’ve always been fans of the Series 6’s charging time as it is fast enough to not be a particular nuisance. 

How Fast Does An Apple Watch Series 3 Charge From 0 To 100?

Charging PercentageTime Taken
40%45 minutes
80%90 minutes
100%120 minutes

To no one’s surprise, the Series 3, released in 2013, is the slowest of the bunch. Tied up with the Series SE, the battery life of the Series 3 is arguably the worst on the list. For the watch to last an entire day given its probably poor battery health, you can expect to be sitting for an hour waiting for the watch to charge to an adequate level.

Therefore, if you are ever someone who needs their Apple Watch in a pinch, the Series 3 is definitely not the iteration to go for though. However, if you don’t mind the long charging time, it still is more than able to perform all the basic tasks that you’d expect from a smartwatch even in 2022! That’s a true testament to the longevity most Apple products have.

Which Apple Watch Charges The Fastest?

Here’s a quick look at the charging time of the most popular Apple Watch models:

Watch NameSeries 3Series SESeries 6Series 7Series 8
Charging Time (0 to 100%)120 minutes120 minutes90 minutes75 minutes75 minutes

The Apple Watch Series 8 takes the least amount of time (75 minutes) to go from 0 to 100. Since the battery life of the Series SE, 7, and 8 are relatively the same, you’ll end up getting the most usage out of the Series 8.

With that said, though, both the Series 7 and Series 8 serve as great smartwatches when it comes to having them charge quick enough for them to be usable as you get ready for an important event. All the others, though, while they do serve the same function, you’ll need to be quite vigilant in terms of keeping them juiced up!

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I bought my first smartwatch in 2018 and have been wearing one ever since. It might get frustrating at times to receive 100 notifications a day. That's why we need to know how to make the best of them and how to use them to improve our daily lives, not the other way around. I write about the newest smartwatches, I create top picks, and I write helpful guides and simply explain complicated things.