How to Force Restart a Frozen Apple Watch
The Apple Watch is a great companion to your iPhone, but all good things have bad days, and the Apple Watch is no exception. Software bugs can slow down the clock’s response, and when they do, a quick restart is usually a good solution. However, sometimes the Apple Watch stops responding completely; when it does, you can still force restart it.
When should you force restart your Apple Watch?
On Apple Watch, it usually takes a long time to complete a software update (here are some tips to help you speed up the process) . You may be worried about your Apple Watch actually freezing during a software update, but it’s probably just slow, so avoid force restarting when updating.
If your watch keeps freezing, please contact Apple Support for a solution. Apple says that a forced restart should only be used as a last resort, so if it happens frequently, it’s best to get an expert opinion.
However, if your Apple Watch seems to be frozen and you are not updating its software, go ahead and force restart it.
How to force Apple Watch to restart
To restart your Apple Watch in the normal (non-force) way, simply press and hold the side button until the power off slider appears on the screen. Move the power icon to the right to turn off your Apple Watch. Then press and hold the side button until the Apple logo appears on the screen.
This will work for most people. But if your Apple Watch is still unresponsive, here’s how you can force restart it:
- Press and hold the Digital Crown and Side Button for 10 seconds.
- Wait until the Apple logo appears on the Apple Watch screen.
- Release the two buttons as soon as the Apple logo appears.
Your Apple Watch will take some time to complete the restart; but once that happens, you will be taken back to the lock screen.