It’s your worst nightmare come to life. After the mandatory 90-minute internal pep talk for a 30-minute run, you’re finally ready to get out the door. Just then, disaster strikes. The music app on your Apple Watch is lagging. Will your intrusive thoughts keep you company instead?
Sometimes, it’s not that deep — just try turning your watch off and on. All you have to do is hold down the power button on the side until you see the power menu, tap the digital power button, or slide it if you have a pre-OS 9 model. Then, hold down the power button to turn your watch back on, and you should be good to go.
If you’re still confused, don’t panic! In this short and sweet guide, we’ll show you exactly how to restart an Apple Watch (with pictures!) and answer all your burning watch-related questions.
How to Restart Your Apple Watch
In tech, like in life, oftentimes the best way to do something is the most obvious way. Here’s how to restart your Apple Watch depending on your watch series.
Series 1 To 8 and SE
If you have a Series 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 or SE Apple Watch, use the following steps to restart your watch.
- Make sure your Apple Watch is not charging.
- Press the side button at the bottom right of your watch.
Press the side button. Source
- You should see three sliders pop-up: Power Off, Power Reserve and Lock Device.
Slide the Power Off option. Source
- Slide from left to right on the Power Off option.
- Your watch should show a black screen.
- Hold down the side button until the Apple logo appears.
Unfortunately, that doesn’t always cut it. Sometimes you need the extra juice of a force restart. Luckily it’s just an extra step.
- Hold down the side button and Digital Crown for 10 seconds.
Press both the side button and Digital Crown for 10 seconds. Source
- Wait until the Apple logo appears.
Voila! You’re all set. There’s nothing a bit of elbow grease and a few screenshots can’t fix.
Series 9 and Ultra
As the owner of a Series 9 or Ultra Apple Watch, you’re a serious smartwatch user. Restart your watch using the following steps:
- Press the side button until you see the sliders appear.
Press the side button. Source
- Once the sliders appear, press the power symbol on the top right.
Press the power symbol in the top right corner. Source
- Swipe the Power Off slider from left to right.
Swipe the Power Off slider. Source
- Hold down the side button until the Apple logo pops up.
To force restart your Series 9 or Ultra Apple Watch try the following instructions:
- Hold down the side button and Digital Crown for 10 seconds.
Hold down the side button and Digital Crown. Source
- Press until the Apple logo reappears.
Press and hold until the Apple logo appears. Source
Ta-da! You’re now ready to do more rugged and capable things (Apple’s words, not mine).
FAQs
If you lost or forgot your password, you can reset your Apple Watch using the following steps.
Note: Do not reset your Apple Watch if you want to keep the content on your watch. Resetting erases all data.
- Put your watch in its charger and keep it there until you complete the steps below.
- Hold the side button until you see the power button in the top right corner.
- Press the Digital Crown until you see Erase all content and settings.
- Click Reset once, wait and press Reset again to confirm.
Apple community specialists recommend force restarting your watch as a last resort and only if it’s absolutely not responding.
If your watch glitches or lags, Apple recommends restarting your watch and the paired iPhone. To restart the iPhone paired with your watch, try the following steps:
- Ensure your iPhone and Apple Watch are paired.
- Press and hold the side button and either volume button.
Press and hold the side button and the volume button.
- Drag the slide to the power off button.
Or,
- Go to Settings.
- Click on General.
- Scroll down to Shut Down.
A restart is turning your Apple Watch off and on again. A reset erases all your watch’s data and returns it to factory settings. If you would like to keep your watch data, don’t reset it when you intend to restart it.
The Wrap-Up
Like learning how to brush your teeth or save a PDF in the days of yore, figuring out how to restart your Apple Watch is just another useful life skill in your back pocket. Now you’re armed with the tools you need to best any glitches your Apple Watch may throw at you. Go forth and conquer.
So, do you love your Apple Watch, or does it get a little too finicky on you? Have you tried the restarting trick? Let us know in the comments!