Smartwatches are a fun way to keep track of your day-to-day life. They monitor your heart rate, monitor your fitness, and even monitor how much your sleep. Depending on the model, they may also tell you the time and give you notifications from your phone.
If you own a Fossil smartwatch, it won’t keep track of anything unless you charge it first. These devices don’t have traditional batteries; instead, they use a small, replaceable watch battery as an alternate power source.
It may not seem like a big deal at first glance, but without a smartwatch charger, it’s pretty inconvenient to keep up with one of these things. Fortunately, there are plenty of different ways that anyone can charge their Fossil smartwatch without using the included charger.
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Smartwatches have USB ports, don’t they?
Yes, and no. First, we need to understand that all smartwatches that have a screen – and that’s most of them – run on batteries.
The battery is the primary energy source that drives all of the features that make your Fossil watch smart, such as the touchscreen display, GPS tracking, heart rate monitor, and operating system.
These batteries, to be small enough to fit into the watch’s body, have very low wattage capacity. Even the highest-end smartwatches have about 280mAh of battery capacity – that’s milliamp-hours. That’s a minimal amount of energy.
That’s also why smartwatches also come with a charging cradle that attaches to a wall socket. The cradle uses a traditional 110-120V AC, which is very high wattage – and that’s what’s needed to charge up the battery.
Use your phone’s USB port to charge
This is the easiest way to charge your smartwatch without a charging cable. All you need is the cord to your phone’s charger. Plug the USB port on the charger into your smartwatch’s charging port. All smartwatches have a charging port on the side of the watch.
This is not the best way to charge your smartwatch, and most manufacturers do not recommend it. The reason is that the wattage of your phone charger is considerably less than that of the charging cradle.
Your phone’s charger is typically about 5 watts, while a smartwatch charging cable is about 10 watts. That’s a massive difference in wattage – and it’s too much for your smartwatch’s battery.
Hook up a wireless charging pad to your phone
This is one of the best ways to charge your smartwatch without the cradle. You’ll need a charging pad designed to work with wireless charging. Pad chargers come in a few different varieties.
Some have a cord plugging into your phone’s charging port, while others have a wireless charging coil. You’ll then need to grab a wireless charging cover for your smartwatch.
This is a cover that goes over the charging port on your smartwatch. With the pad connected to your phone and the cover on your watch, you should be able to charge it up.
Hook up a micro-USB cable to your smartwatch strap
If your smartwatch has a removable strap, you can use a micro-USB cable to charge it. Be careful not to over-charge the watch by letting the charging light stay on for too long.
This is a little less convenient than attaching a charging pad to your phone and then attaching the watch to the pad, but it’s another way you can charge your smartwatch without the charger.
Hook up an AUX cord to your smartwatch
If your smartwatch has a 3.5 mm audio port – most do – you can plug in your phone’s AUX cord to the watch and charge it that way. You’ll have to find the right jack on your smartwatch and plug it in.
You’ll have to ensure the volume is off on your phone and plug the AUX cord into the phone’s headphone jack.
This is a little cumbersome, and you must keep switching devices while trying to listen to music and charge your smartwatch. It’s not the best way to charge, but it’s an option.
Use a Universal Smartwatch Charger
The easiest way to charge a Fossil smartwatch is with a universal smartwatch charger. This little device plugs into a wall or power source, and then you can plug your Fossil watch into the charger with the included cord.
You can charge the watch through the wall or via USB, and many universal chargers come with a handful of adapters to help you make sure your watch will always have the right cord for just about any wall outlet.
If you want to charge your Fossil watch but don’t want to buy a new charger, you can try looking for one at your local store. Many people who own older Fossil smartwatches later forget that they can still be charged by plugging them into a wall. There’s also a chance you can find one online, so keep your eyes open.
Use a Portable Battery Charger
Most portable battery chargers are designed to charge your smartphone, but a few of them can also recharge your Fossil smartwatch. If you own a charger with enough juice, plug it in, and then plug your Fossil watch into the charger.
Plug the charger into a wall or power source, and then wait for your smartwatch to charge. Most portable battery chargers can charge a Fossil watch, but some models may take longer than others.
For example, the Energizer portable battery charger can recharge a Fossil watch, which takes anywhere from three to six hours. If you need to charge your watch immediately, you’d better use a different charger.
Wrapping Up
Whether you accidentally forget to charge your smartwatch or leave the charging cradle at home, there are a few ways to charge your watch without its cable. You can charge it with your phone’s USB cable, a wireless charging pad plugged into your phone, or a micro-USB cable plugged into the watch band. One of these methods will get the job done if you are in a hurry and need a quick charge. Remember that charging your watch with a less powerful source will take longer.
