The Apple Watch is a popular wearable for iOS users that can occasionally run into glitches and bugs. It pairs with your iPhone to keep you up-to-date on notifications and health monitoring. If you’re having issues with your Apple Watch, such as connecting to your iPhone, receiving notifications, or using Apple Pay, there are solutions available for each of these problems.
Restart your Apple Watch
To troubleshoot general issues such as unusual behaviors, it can be helpful to restart your Apple Watch. Here’s how to do that:
- Ensure your Apple Watch is not on its charger, and hold down the side button until a screen appears with the Medical ID and Emergency SOS sliders.
- Select the power button in the top-right corner, then select the “Power Off” slider to power down your watch.
- Wait at least 10 seconds, then press and hold the side button again until the Apple logo appears. Release it and wait for your Apple Watch to start back up.
Ensure your Apple Watch software is up to date
Make sure your Apple Watch is running the latest official release of watchOS to fix problems and take advantage of updates. Here’s how:
- To check for watchOS updates from your Apple Watch, open the Settings app and select General > Software Update.
- To check for watchOS updates from your iPhone, open the Watch app and select General > Software Update.
- Select “Download & Install” if an update is found, or check the installed watchOS version if your device is up to date.
Apple Watch won’t update
If you experience problems getting your Apple Watch to update, try restarting both your watch and iPhone and attempting the update again. Sometimes a botched download attempt can cause this issue.
Apple Watch is stuck in power reserve or won’t charge
If your Apple Watch isn’t charging when connected to its magnetic charger, there are a few troubleshooting steps you can try, such as cleaning the back of your Apple Watch and the top of the magnetic charger to ensure there’s no interference with the magnetic contact.
Apple Watch repeatedly asking for passcode
If your Apple Watch is repeatedly asking you to enter its passcode, ensuring certain settings are enabled and changing your passcode can help resolve it.
Apple Watch doesn’t turn on when wrist is raised
If your Apple Watch isn’t lighting up properly when raising your wrist, ensuring the “Wake on Wrist Raise” setting is enabled can help resolve this issue.
Bluetooth won’t connect or frequently disconnects
If you’re having problems with Bluetooth connectivity, adjusting the location of devices and toggling Bluetooth settings can help fix this issue.
Apple Watch isn’t tracking activity
If your Apple Watch isn’t properly tracking workouts, ensuring Bluetooth, workout routes, and personal information settings are accurate can help resolve these problems.
Notifications don’t appear on Apple Watch
If notifications aren’t appearing on your Apple Watch, checking wrist detection settings, focus modes, and app-specific notification settings can help resolve this issue.
Notify When Left Behind not available on Apple Watch
If you encounter problems with the Notify When Left Behind feature, ensure your devices are using the same Apple ID and have proper location service settings to resolve this issue.
Apple Watch won’t connect to LTE
Resetting your cellular plan and reaching out to your mobile provider if problems persist can help resolve issues with connecting to LTE.
Skin beneath Apple Watch feels uncomfortable and itchy
If you experience skin sensitivity issues, loosening the strap, taking periodic breaks from wearing the watch, and switching to more breathable band materials can help minimize discomfort.
Apple Watch overheating
An overheating Apple Watch may indicate a hardware fault, and it’s best to seek professional service if you encounter this problem.
Poor battery life
Tips to improve battery life include using Wi-Fi rather than LTE, adjusting display settings, managing notifications, enabling low power mode, and optimizing battery use during workouts. Additionally, replacing older Apple Watch models may be necessary if battery capacity is significantly diminished.
Gunked-up buttons
To resolve sticky components, cleaning the Digital Crown and side button with isopropyl alcohol or warm water can effectively remove dirt and gunk buildup.
Restore your Apple Watch to factory settings
As a last resort, restoring your Apple Watch back to factory settings and re-pairing with your iPhone can resolve persistent issues.
