Platform-specific support
Apple Watch troubleshooting
Apple Watch pairing, battery, water lock, sensor and update problems, and what a force restart or an unpair does and does not erase.
Most Apple Watch problems clear with a restart, which you do by holding the side button and choosing the power slider, or a force restart by holding the side button and the Digital Crown together for about ten seconds. Keep the watch and the paired iPhone on the latest watchOS and iOS, because pairing and sync problems often follow a version mismatch.
Apple Watch activity rings are not updating
Missing activity can follow loose fit, wrist-detection settings, paused workout, calibration or Health permission—not necessarily a dead sensor.
Open record Apple Watch · notificationsApple Watch is not receiving notifications
Notifications normally go to iPhone when it is unlocked and to Apple Watch when the phone is locked and the watch is worn/unlocked. Focus, app mirroring and connection state can change routing.
Open record Apple Watch · sensorsApple Watch heart-rate and health sensors behaves incorrectly or produces the wrong result
Open record Apple Watch · sensorsApple Watch heart-rate and health sensors fails with one app, game, host or connection
Open record Apple Watch · sensorsApple Watch heart-rate and health sensors is not working
Open record Apple Watch · sensorsApple Watch heart-rate and health sensors is unusually slow or delayed
Open record Apple Watch · sensorsApple Watch heart-rate and health sensors keeps disconnecting or working intermittently
Open record Apple Watch · sensorsApple Watch heart-rate and health sensors stopped working after an update, outage or hardware change
Open record Apple Watch · chargingApple Watch magnetic charging behaves incorrectly or produces the wrong result
Open record Apple Watch · chargingApple Watch magnetic charging fails with one app, game, host or connection
Open record Apple Watch · chargingApple Watch magnetic charging is not working
Open record Apple Watch · chargingApple Watch magnetic charging is unusually slow or delayed
Open record Apple Watch · chargingApple Watch magnetic charging keeps disconnecting or working intermittently
Open record Apple Watch · chargingApple Watch magnetic charging stopped working after an update, outage or hardware change
Open record Apple Watch · pairingApple Watch pairing with iPhone behaves incorrectly or produces the wrong result
Open record Apple Watch · pairingApple Watch pairing with iPhone fails with one app, game, host or connection
Open record Apple Watch · pairingApple Watch pairing with iPhone is not working
Open record Apple Watch · pairingApple Watch pairing with iPhone is unusually slow or delayed
Open record Apple Watch · pairingApple Watch pairing with iPhone keeps disconnecting or working intermittently
Open record Apple Watch · pairingApple Watch pairing with iPhone stopped working after an update, outage or hardware change
Open recordTroubleshooting an Apple Watch
Battery life depends on the model and settings: Always-On display, cellular use, workouts with GPS and many notifications use the most. Settings, Battery shows usage. For a watch that will not charge, clean the back and the charger, check the charger is plugged into a working adapter and place the watch flat on the puck. Liquid or a swollen battery is a repair for Apple.
How do I force restart an Apple Watch?
Hold the side button and the Digital Crown together for about ten seconds until the Apple logo appears.