If your Apple Watch or Apple Watch Ultra is experiencing a problem, turning it off and on again or forcing it to restart is one of the simplest and most effective fixes.
In our experience, restarting the Apple Watch will solve most issues. If you do suspect your Apple Watch needs a reboot, your first step should always be to either give it a simple off-and-on or force-restart in an attempt to unfreeze it.
In this guide, we'll explain how to do both on watchOS 10.
Just note that this isn't the same as giving your Apple Watch a soft reset or hard reset, which should be the next step in your troubleshooting adventure.
How to turn off the Apple Watch
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Turning off and restarting the Apple Watch has changed with watchOS 10, though it still follows roughly the same steps as older software versions. Before you begin, just ensure your Apple Watch isn't on charge.
Follow these steps to turn the Apple Watch or Apple Watch Ultra off:
1. Hold the side button on the watch until the sliders appear - usually a couple of seconds.
2. Tap the power icon in the top-right corner.
3. Drag the 'Power Off' slider from left to right - the Apple Watch will then turn off.
Note: To turn the Apple Watch back on, press and hold the side button until the Apple logo appears.
Force restart the Apple Watch
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Forcing a restart of your Apple Watch or Apple Watch Ultra isn't advised in every scenario, such as when you're updating your Apple Watch to the latest software.
However, it is a handy skill to have in your troubleshooting arsenal for when the device is failing to respond.
We would advise forcing your Apple Watch to restart if it's frozen when turned on, or won't respond when you try and turn it on.
To force restart the Apple Watch:
- Hold the side button and Digital Crown for around 10 seconds, only releasing when the Apple logo appears
More Apple Watch guides
How we test
Conor moved to Wareable Media Group in 2017, initially covering all the latest developments in smartwatches, fitness trackers, and VR. He made a name for himself writing about trying out translation earbuds on a first date and cycling with a wearable airbag, as well as covering the industry’s latest releases.
Following a stint as Reviews Editor at Pocket-lint, Conor returned to Wareable Media Group in 2022 as Editor-at-Large. Conor has become a wearables expert, and helps people get more from their wearable tech, via Wareable's considerable how-to-based guides.
He has also contributed to British GQ, Wired, Metro, The Independent, and The Mirror.