Dilum Senevirathne · February 5th, 2025 · 5 min read 
Are you experiencing issues with your Apple Watch? Is the watch freezing, or are some apps unresponsive? Restarting the device or initiating a force reboot could fix the problem. This step-by-step tutorial will show you how to restart an Apple Watch and reset it to factory settings.
Note: The instructions in this tutorial apply to all Apple Watch series running watchOS 9 and later.
Why You Should Restart or Force-Restart Your Apple Watch?
Like other Apple devices such as the iPhone, iPad, and Mac, the Apple Watch is prone to occasional malfunction. As you use the watch, you’ll encounter random freezes, app crashes, and other software glitches. Luckily, a normal reboot or a force restart can resolve these issues.
Restarting or force-restarting your Apple Watch clears the system cache of obsolete data and resolves various unexpected problems. Restarting the iPhone paired to your Apple Watch can also fix performance or synchronization issues. However, we recommend restarting your watch first before trying other troubleshooting fixes.
How to Restart Apple Watch
watchOS doesn’t have a “Restart” or “Reboot” option in the power or settings menu. You must first turn off your Apple Watch, wait for it to shut down, and then turn it back on.
Note: You can’t turn off an Apple Watch if it’s actively charging. Disconnect the device from its charger before you go ahead.
- Press and hold the Side button (it’s right below the Digital Crown) for 3-5 seconds until the power screen appears.
- Next, tap the Power icon in the top-right corner.
- Drag the Power Off slider and wait 15-30 seconds for your Apple Watch to shut down.
- Press the Side button or place your Apple Watch on its charger to turn it back on. When starting up, your watch should display the Apple logo.
You can also shut down your Apple Watch from its Settings app. Go to Settings > General > Shut Down, tap the Power icon in the top corner, and drag the Power Off slider.
How to Hard Reboot or Force Restart Your Apple Watch
If a normal restart of your Apple Watch doesn’t resolve the malfunction, force restart the device instead. The process briefly cuts power to the internal components and triggers an automatic restart, resolving even more underlying issues.
So, if your Apple Watch is stuck on a black screen or its buttons are unresponsive, you may have to force-restart the device. Follow the steps below to force-restart your Apple Watch.
- Press and hold the Digital Crown and Side button for 10+ seconds.
- Release the Side button and Digital Crown when the Apple logo reappears on your watch’s screen.
Effective Ways to Troubleshoot Your Apple Watch
Rebooting or force restarting your Apple Watch complements general troubleshooting. However, you shouldn’t count on a system reboot alone to fix issues you may encounter with the smartwatch.
If your Apple Watch continues malfunctioning after a reboot, try other troubleshooting fixes like unpairing/disconnecting it from your iPhone. When you reconnect/pair it to your iPhone, your watch should work without issues. If the problem persists, reset your Apple Watch to factory settings. Unpairing your Apple Watch requires your Apple ID password to turn off Activation Lock and back up the watch’s data. You can still reset your watch without a passcode, though. We’ll show how to do so in the section below.
FAQs
How Can I Reset My Watch Without the Password?
Place your Apple Watch on its charger and hold the Side button until the power menu appears. Next, press and hold the Digital Crown for 2-5 seconds and tap Reset on the “Erase all content and settings” screen. Tap Reset again on the confirmation screen to proceed.
When Is It Necessary to Force Restart a Watch?
You should force reboot your Apple Watch if it’s frozen, unresponsive, or will not shut down. Apple recommends force restarting your watch only if it won’t restart.
To force reboot your Apple Watch, press and hold the Side button and Digital Crown simultaneously for 10+ seconds. Release the Digital Crown and Side button when the Apple logo appears on the watch’s screen.
How Can You Restart the iPhone Paired With Your Watch?
Restarting the iPhone paired/connected to your Apple Watch is straightforward. Restart your paired iPhone if your Apple Watch still malfunctions after performing a system reboot.
Go to Settings > General > Shut Down and drag the Power slider to shut down the iPhone.
Alternatively, open your iPhone’s Control Center, tap and hold the Power icon for two seconds, then drag the Power slider.
You can also restart your paired iPhone using its physical buttons. If your iPhone has Face ID, press and hold a Volume button + Side/Power button and drag the power slider.
To shut down iPhones with Home buttons, press and hold the Side button for 3-5 seconds and drag the power slider.
Wait at least 30 seconds for your iPhone to shut down. Afterwards, press and hold the Side button for 5-10 seconds to turn it back on.
What’s the Key Difference Between Restarting and Resetting?
Restarting your Apple Watch shuts down the watch and turns it back on—your watch remains paired to your iPhone. Conversely, resetting your Apple Watch restores the watch to factory settings, unpairs it from your iPhone, and deletes its content. Additionally, resetting your Apple Watch turns off Activation Lock, which prevents anyone else from using your watch.
Conclusion
Apple Watches offers various features and functionalities across different models, including the ability to restart and unpair the watch from an iPhone. If you’ve read this tutorial to this point, you now know various ways to (force) restart your Apple Watch. Contact Apple Support if your watch won’t restart or if it still malfunctions after a restart.
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