Apple Watch: How to Hard Reset or Force Restart

There are a number of things you can try if your Apple Watch stops responding for whatever reason. This article outlines your options.

The first and most straightforward solution is to reset your Apple Watch, which is basically a way of turning it off and on again. This is useful if, say, an app has crashed and a standard force quit doesn't work, or if the live data transfer between your iPhone and Apple Watch seems inconsistent.

Note that you can't restart an Apple Watch if it is charging, so undock it first before attempting the following steps.

How to Restart an Apple Watch

If that didn't solve your issue, you can try a force restart on your Apple Watch. Note that this should only be used as a last resort. And whatever you do, don't perform a force restart if your Apple Watch is in the middle of an OS update.

How to Hard Reset an Apple Watch

What to Do if You Forget Your Passcode

If you forget your Apple Watch passcode, you'll need to erase the device and then restore from a backup. You can perform this action by launching the Watch app on your paired ‌iPhone‌: tap the My Watch tab if it's not already selected, tap General -> Reset, then select Erase Apple Watch Content and Settings .

Alternatively, you can start the erase and restore process on your Apple Watch by connecting the device to its charger and following these steps.