The Apple Watch is a popular smartwatch that runs on watchOS software. Like any gadget, it may occasionally freeze, become unresponsive, or need troubleshooting. Restarting and rebooting your Apple Watch can help resolve many issues.
Table of Contents
When to Restart or Reboot Your Apple Watch
There are a few instances when you may want to restart or reboot your Apple Watch:
- It is frozen or unresponsive – If the screen is frozen or apps do not open, a restart can get the Apple Watch working again. This resets the software and memory.
- After a watchOS update – Apple recommends restarting the Apple Watch after installing a watchOS update. This ensures the new update is properly initialized.
- Troubleshooting issues – Restarting the watch can fix problems like slow performance, apps crashing, or connectivity issues with iPhone or WiFi.
- Before resetting – If you need to reset your Apple Watch to factory settings, Apple advises restarting it first.
How to Restart an Apple Watch
Restarting the Apple Watch resets the software and memory, without deleting any data. Here is how to restart an Apple Watch:
- Using the Apple Watch app on iPhone
- Open the Watch app on your paired iPhone
- Go to the My Watch tab
- Scroll down and tap General
- Tap Restart
- Using the Apple Watch settings
- Press the Digital Crown to access the apps screen
- Tap the Settings app icon
- Scroll down and tap General
- Scroll down again and tap Restart
After initiating a restart, your Apple Watch screen will go black for a few seconds. The Apple logo will appear as it restarts. Within 30-60 seconds the watch face will be visible again, and you can start using it.
How to Force Reboot an Apple Watch
If your Apple Watch screen is frozen and unresponsive, you may need to force reboot it:
- Press and hold both the Side button and Digital Crown simultaneously for at least 10 seconds, until the Apple logo appears.
This will force your Apple Watch to restart. Keep holding the buttons if the Apple logo does not immediately appear.
How to Reboot an Apple Watch
Rebooting the Apple Watch does a deeper reset by powering it off and back on. Here are the steps to reboot an Apple Watch:
- Swipe up from the bottom edge of the watch face to access Control Center
- Tap the Settings icon
- Scroll down and tap General
- Scroll down further and tap Shut Down
- Wait for the screen to go black and the Apple Watch to power off
- To turn it back on, press and hold the Side button until you see the Apple logo
After rebooting, your Apple Watch will take a few minutes to power back on and load the watchOS software. You may need to enter your passcode. Allow some time for apps and data to reload before using features.
When Restarting or Rebooting Does Not Resolve Issues
While restarting or rebooting can fix many common Apple Watch issues, sometimes that may not be enough. If you continue having problems, try these next steps:
- Force quit apps that are not working properly by swiping up and holding the app screen.
- Check if watchOS needs a software update and install if available.
- Reset sync data between your Apple Watch and iPhone in the Watch app.
- Unpair then pair your Apple Watch with iPhone to sync again from scratch.
- Reset your Apple Watch to factory settings and setup as new watch.
For hardware problems like screen damage or battery issues, you will need to contact Apple Support for repair options.
How to Prevent Apple Watch Issues
You can avoid many Apple Watch issues by following best practices:
- Install all watchOS updates for latest fixes and improvements
- Charge daily so battery never fully drains
- Force quit apps not in use to free memory
- Restart weekly to clear memory cache
- Reboot monthly for deeper system reset
- Backup Apple Watch data to iCloud in case reset is needed
