How to Force Restart Your Apple Watch

Follow these steps to force restart your Apple Watch when the device is frozen or unresponsive. Resolve performance issues in minutes.

1. Verify the screen status. Attempt a standard power off by holding the side button. If the Power Off slider does not appear or the screen remains unresponsive to touch, proceed to the force restart sequence.
2. Locate the side button and Digital Crown. Identify the side button, which is the long, flat button located beneath the Digital Crown on the side of the watch casing. You will need to press and hold both the Digital Crown and the side button simultaneously.
3. Initiate the force restart. Press and hold both the side button and the Digital Crown at the same time. Keep holding both buttons firmly for at least 10 seconds. Do not release the buttons until the screen goes black.
4. Observe the display. Keep your fingers on the buttons until the screen turns off completely. Release both buttons the moment the Apple logo appears on the display. This confirms the device has successfully initiated a hard reboot.
5. Confirm system recovery. Wait for the watch to load the watch face. Once the system finishes booting, test the touch interface and side button functionality to ensure the device is fully responsive.