Apple's article on a watch that will not turn on or will not charge separates two pictures. A red lightning bolt, or a bolt inside a ring, means the battery is too low to start and the watch needs to sit on its charger, possibly for up to 30 minutes before it wakes. No bolt at all means the watch is not seeing the charger: Apple says to use the Magnetic Charging Cable or USB-C Magnetic Fast Charging Cable that came with the watch, push the cable all the way into the power adapter and the adapter all the way into the outlet,
reposition the back of the watch on the puck until the magnets seat, clean both surfaces and remove any plastic film from the charger, then try a different cable and adapter. If it still does nothing, force restart by holding the side button and Digital Crown for at least 10 seconds. On a 44mm, 45mm or 49mm watch on a charging dock or MagSafe Duo, Apple adds that you may need to change the charger's angle or lay it flat, and on an Ultra you can take the band off first.
Differential
Likely causes of “Apple Watch (Ultra, Ultra 2, Series 6 to 10 and SE 2) will not charge”, and how to tell them apart
- 1
The watch is not aligned on the charger
What separates it No bolt appears and the puck feels loose or slides off
How to confirm Reseat the watch so the magnets click, and on a larger dock lay it flat, as Apple advises
- 2
Dirt, film or a case on the puck
What separates it The bolt flickers or appears only when you press the watch down
How to confirm Clean the back of the watch and the puck and remove all plastic wrap from both sides
- 3
A worn cable or a low-power adapter
What separates it The bolt shows on one cable and not another
How to confirm Try a second Apple cable and a different USB power adapter
- 4
A deeply drained battery
What separates it A red bolt in a ring, or a black screen that wakes only after a long wait
How to confirm Leave it on the charger for up to 30 minutes before judging it
- 5
A country-specific charger
What separates it A message says the charger is incompatible with this Apple Watch
How to confirm Use the charger that shipped for your region, as Apple's article warns
- 6
A failing battery or charge circuit
What separates it Charging is slow, the watch is hot, or it dies within minutes of a full charge
How to confirm Book Apple service; Apple's battery service is about $99 out of warranty
Before you touch a setting
Record this first — changing settings destroys the evidence
- The model number engraved on the case back and the watchOS version if the watch is awake
- What the screen shows on the charger: no bolt, a red bolt, a bolt in a ring or the Apple logo
- Which cable, adapter and dock you used, and whether a second cable behaves the same
- How long it has been on the charger and whether the case feels warm or looks swollen
Try in this order
0 of 7 completedReseat the watch
ReversiblePlace the back of the watch on the charger, wiggle it until the magnets click and a bolt appears. On a 44mm, 45mm or 49mm watch on a dock, lay the dock flat or change its angle.
Check the whole power chain
ReversiblePush the cable fully into the adapter and the adapter fully into a working outlet. Try a different outlet.
Clean and unwrap
ReversibleWipe the watch back and the puck with a dry lint-free cloth and remove any plastic film from both faces.
Swap the parts one at a time
ReversibleTry a second Apple cable, then a second adapter, and note which change makes the bolt appear.
Wait it out
ReversibleIf the screen is blank or shows a red bolt, leave the watch connected for up to 30 minutes before deciding.
Force restart
ReversibleHold the side button and Digital Crown together for at least 10 seconds, until the Apple logo appears.
Book service if nothing shows
ReversibleWith a known-good cable, adapter and 30 minutes on the charger, a watch that still shows nothing needs Apple to test the battery and charge coil.
Model-specific
What is true of this model and not of its siblings
- Charging by model
- Apple's tech specs give about 80 percent in 30 minutes on the Series 10, about 45 minutes on the Series 9, about an hour on the Ultra 2 and about 1.5 hours on the SE 2. The Series 6, 7, 8 and the first Ultra ship with a USB-C magnetic fast charging cable.
- Which watch needs the dock trick
- Apple's charging article ties the flat-dock and remove-the-band advice to the 44mm, 45mm and 49mm cases, meaning the Series 6 and SE 2 in 44mm, Series 7, 8 and 9 in 45mm, Series 10 in 46mm and the Ultra and Ultra 2 in 49mm.
- Repair cost
- A charger or cable fault costs nothing to test. Apple's out-of-warranty battery service is $99 for a Series 4 and later, per 9to5Mac and iFixit's model table. iFixit lists batteries from about $20 to $37 and about $45 for the Ultra, and MacRumors reported launch fees of $499 for an Ultra repair, $299 to $399 for a Series 8 and $199 to $229 for an SE 2.
- Other models this page answers
- These steps also fit the Apple Watch Ultra 2, Apple Watch Ultra, Apple Watch Series 6.
Stop boundary
When this stops being a self-service repair
- !If a known-good Apple cable and adapter never show a bolt after 30 minutes and a force restart, book Apple service
- !If the case is swollen, the glass is lifting or the back is hot, stop charging and take it to Apple
- !If it charges but the battery drops fast, go to the battery drain page and check battery health before paying for service
Evidence ledger
Sources behind this answer
The red lightning bolt, the 30-minute wait, cable and adapter checks, dock angle and the force restart.
The force restart and unpair route when the watch powers up but stops at the logo.
Fast charging to about 80 percent in 30 minutes.
About 80 percent in 1.5 hours.
The Apple Watch line and its generations.
Exact questions
Common questions
How long can a dead Apple Watch take to show the charging bolt?+
Apple says up to 30 minutes on the charger before the lightning bolt appears when the battery is fully drained.
What does the red lightning bolt mean?+
Apple says it means the watch does not have enough power to turn on. When you connect it to the charger the bolt changes to a bolt inside a ring.
Can a MagSafe Duo charger fail with a bigger watch?+
Apple notes that with a 44mm, 45mm or 49mm watch you may have to change the charger's angle or lay it flat so the magnets align, and on an Ultra you can remove the band first.
Which models charge fastest?+
Apple lists the Series 10 at about 80 percent in 30 minutes, the Series 9 at about 45 minutes, the Ultra 2 at about an hour and the SE 2 at about 1.5 hours.
Why does my watch only charge at an angle?+
The magnets are not seating. Clean the back and the puck, remove the case or band that is tilting it and reseat it, or try a second puck.
What is the country-specific charger message?+
It appears if you use a WPT-compliant charger bought in China or Indonesia with an incompatible Apple Watch. Use the charger sold for your region.
Should I charge overnight?+
Apple's battery article describes Optimized Battery Charging, which learns your routine so the watch waits before finishing a charge. It does not stop you charging overnight.
What if the watch charges but is warm?+
A little warmth is normal. A hot case, a screen that lifts or a swollen back means stop using it and go to Apple.