Yes, Android Wear 5.1.1 really is killing your watch’s battery life

Battery life goes bad with Wear 5.1.1. Photo: Killian Bell/Cult of Android

Battery life goes bad with Wear 5.1.1. Photo: Killian Bell/Cult of Android

If you’ve upgraded to Android Wear 5.1.1 on your smartwatch, you’ve probably noticed that you’re not getting anywhere near as much battery life. Most devices appear to be affected by a bug causing abnormal drain, but Google has already acknowledged the issue and says it’s working on a fix.

Wear 5.1.1 is one of the biggest Wear updates to date, adding support for Wi-Fi connectivity, emojis, low-power mode apps, and new gesture controls. It has already reached most Wear watches, with the popular Moto 360 being the latest to get it.

But the update isn’t all good news for most users, it seems. Many have been reporting excessive battery drain since upgrading their device, and there’s little they can do to prevent it. Not even daily restarts is helping. The good news is, Google is already working on a fix.

“We are aware of this and we are working on fixing this issue,” one Googler told a Wear user on the company’s official Wear Help Forum.

It’s unclear how long it’ll take for the fix to begin its rollout, but we’ll keep you updated on its progress when we hear more.