Introduction
If your Apple Watch’s touchscreen is broken or doesn’t respond to touch, you can’t power it down using the slide-to-power-off controls. Instead, follow this guide to switch off your Apple Watch using the side button and digital crown. After turning off your watch, you can proceed with repairs.
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If your Apple Watch is charging, unplug it from the charger, or this procedure won't work.
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Press and hold both the side button and digital crown simultaneously.
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Continue holding while the Apple Watch reboots.
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When you see the Apple logo, release the digital crown. Continue holding the side button.
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When the Apple logo disappears, release the side button.
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The Apple Watch is now powered off.
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Conclusion
That’s all! With your Apple Watch safely powered down, you can proceed with repairs.
Team
Step 1 of 3
1. Turn on your Apple Watch
Press and hold the Side button until your Apple Watch is turned on.
Step 2 of 3
2. Turn off your Apple Watch
Press and hold the Side button.
Step 3 of 3
2. Turn off your Apple Watch
Press and drag the power off icon right.
Press and hold the Side button until your Apple Watch is turned on.
2. Turn off your Apple Watch
Press and hold the Side button.
Press and drag the power off icon right.
No matter if you just got your wearable or haven’t had to turn it off in a while, follow along with our guide on how to turn off Apple Watch.
It’s not that common that you’ll need to turn off Apple Watch but whether you’re trying to fix a glitch or just need to shut it down fully, we’ll cover how to power off your wearable as well as how to turn it back on.
How to turn off Apple Watch
- Locate the side button (oval/pill shape) next to the Digital Crown
- Press and hold the side button for 3-5 seconds
- Now slide the power off slider to the right (watchOS 8 and earlier)
- For watchOS 9, tap the power icon button in the top right corner, then slide the power off slider to the right
- If the side button or touch screen is not working normally, you can try a force restart
If you’re still having trouble, reach out to Apple Support or head to an Apple Store or Apple Authorized Service Provider
Here’s the side button:
To turn on Apple Watch, press and hold the side button until you see the Apple logo appear.
- If it doesn’t power on, place your watch on the charger
- If it doesn’t charge, try a different outlet and/or a different charger if possible
- Ideally, use the original charger that came with your watch
- Make sure your wearable and charger are both clean
- If the battery is very low, a red lightning bolt will appear, that will turn green when it starts charging
- Let your Apple Watch charge for at least 30 minutes
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About the Author
Michael Potuck
@michaelpotuck
Michael is an editor for 9to5Mac. Since joining in 2016 he has written more than 3,000 articles including breaking news, reviews, and detailed comparisons and tutorials.