Apple Watch won't turn on? 7 fixes to try
A watch that looks dead may be drained, in Power Reserve or simply in Theater mode with the screen off.
The fix
7 fixes, in order
- 1
Charge it for 30 minutes.
A fully drained watch may not show anything until it has charged for a while. Use the Apple charger that came with it.
- 2
Check the lightning bolt.
Green means charging. Red means very low battery: keep charging. No bolt at all means a charger problem.
- 3
Clean the back and the charger.
Wipe both with a soft, dry cloth and peel off any plastic film from a new charger.
- 4
Press and hold the side button.
Hold it until the Apple logo appears. This also exits Power Reserve.
- 5
Force restart.
Press and hold the side button and the Digital Crown together for at least 10 seconds, until the Apple logo appears.
- 6
Check Theater mode and Screen Curtain.
If the watch taps or vibrates but the screen stays dark, tap the screen or press the Digital Crown. On your iPhone, open the Watch app › Accessibility › VoiceOver and make sure Screen Curtain is off.
- 7
Try another charger and outlet.
Test a different Apple Watch cable, USB adapter and outlet.
Frequently asked questions
What is Power Reserve on Apple Watch?
Power Reserve shows only the time to save battery. On older watchOS versions it turns on automatically when the battery is very low. Press and hold the side button until the Apple logo appears to leave it, after charging.
My watch screen is black but it vibrates. Why?
Theater mode or Screen Curtain may be on. Theater mode keeps the screen dark until you tap it. Screen Curtain, a VoiceOver feature, turns the display off completely. Check both in Control Center and Accessibility on your iPhone’s Watch app.
What to try next
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