In this guide, we’ll explain why restarting your Apple Watch can be beneficial. We’ll also provide different methods for restarting your watch and some advanced tips. This information will help you manage your Apple Watch more effectively, ensuring it operates smoothly.
Why Might You Want to Restart Apple Watch?
You don’t need to turn off or restart your Apple Watch often. Usually, if it’s functioning well, there’s no necessity to restart it. However, if you encounter trouble, restarting can resolve some common issues. Here are a few problems that restarting your Apple Watch can fix:
Apps take a long time to open, or they don’t open at all.An app seems to be installed, but you can’t see it.A feature you expect to see on the watch face isn’t there.The battery drains much faster than usual or expected.
How to Restart Apple Watch?
Restarting your Apple Watch is straightforward, but the steps may vary depending on your watch’s operating system version. Whether you have the latest OS or an older one, we’ll guide you through the steps to ensure a seamless restart. Essentially, restarting your Apple Watch involves turning it off and back on.
Step 1: Take your Watch off the Charger
First, remove your Apple Watch from the charger. Keep in mind that you can’t restart the watch while it is charging. Also, if your watch is currently updating its operating system, let the update complete. Your watch will automatically restart as part of the update, so you might not need to do anything further. Once your watch is no longer charging, proceed to the next step.
Step 2: Turn off the Watch
Press and hold the side button or the power button to turn off your watch.
↪ For WatchOS 8 or Earlier
Follow these steps if your Apple Watch uses WatchOS 8 or an older version. Once you press and hold the side button, you’ll find three different options:
↪ For watchOS 9 or Newer
If you’re using WatchOS 9 or a newer version, just follow these simple steps after pressing and holding the power button:
Step 3: Press and hold the button until the Apple logo appears
Once the screen of your watch goes completely dark, it means the watch is off. Now, press and hold the side button to turn it back on. Hold this button until you see the Apple logo on the screen. This means your Apple Watch is starting up again, and you have successfully restarted it.
How to Restart Apple Watch from Settings?
You can also easily restart your Apple Watch directly from its settings menu. Here’s how:
How to Force Restart your Apple Watch?
Sometimes, your Apple Watch might not respond when you try to turn it on with the side button or by charging it. Also, if it’s already on but frozen, you might be unable to turn it off because the screen isn’t working. In such cases, you can perform a hard reset:
