Apple Watch Won’t Charge or Turn On? Try These Fixes

Common causes

• A battery too low for the watch to turn on
• A watch that is too hot, which can slow or stop charging or make it turn off
• An aged battery that can’t supply enough power, especially when charge is low or it’s cold
• A country-specific charger that doesn’t work with your watch model

Step-by-Step Solutions

Start by checking what the screen shows, then work through the charger checks in order before you force restart or look into service.

1. 1

   Step 1: Check what the screen shows

   The symbol on the screen tells you whether the watch is simply out of power.

   A red lightning bolt means your watch doesn’t have enough battery power to turn on. When you connect the watch to its charging cable, the red lightning bolt changes to a red lightning bolt inside a ring.

   If the screen stays blank even when you press the side button, or the charging cable icon appears, your watch might need to charge for up to 30 minutes before it will turn on.

   Good to know

   A red thermometer with the time means the watch is too hot. Skip to the step about letting it cool down.

2. 2

   Step 2: Connect the charger properly

   Make sure every plug is pushed all the way in, from the outlet to the charger.

   Use the Apple Magnetic Charging Cable or USB-C Magnetic Fast Charging Cable that came with your watch.

   Plug the charging cable all the way into the USB Power Adapter first, then plug the adapter all the way into a power outlet. Place the charger on a flat surface in a well-ventilated area.

   Good to know

   Don’t use a damaged cable or charger, and don’t charge when moisture is present. Apple warns that either can cause fire, electric shock, injury or damage.

3. 3

   Step 3: Reposition the watch on the charger

   The charger’s magnets need to line up with the back of the watch.

   Place the back of your watch on the charger. The concave end of the charger magnetically snaps to the back of the watch and aligns it. When the magnets align correctly, a lightning bolt should appear on the watch face.

   If you use the Apple Watch Magnetic Charging Dock or the Apple MagSafe Duo Charger with a larger watch (44mm, 45mm or 49mm), you might need to adjust the charger to a different angle, or lay it completely flat, so its magnets line up with the magnets in your watch.

   Good to know

   If you have Apple Watch Ultra or later and it won’t connect reliably with those chargers even when they’re lying flat, try removing the band before you place the watch on the charger.

4. 4

   Step 4: Clean the back of the watch and the charger

   Apple asks you to check both surfaces and remove any plastic wrap from the charger.

   Make sure the back of your watch and the magnetic charger are clean. Completely remove any plastic wrap from both sides of it.

5. 5

   Step 5: Try a different cable and power adapter

   If the first charger still doesn’t work, Apple suggests swapping both the cable and the adapter.

   Try a different Apple Watch Magnetic Charging Cable or USB-C Magnetic Fast Charging Cable, and a different USB Power Adapter.

   Good to know

   If you see “Unable to charge. This is a country-specific charger. It is incompatible with this Apple Watch.”, you’re using a WPT-compliant charger sold in China mainland or Indonesia, which only works with certain Apple Watch models. Its packaging says WPT Compliant and the side of the charger says WPT.

6. 6

   Step 6: Leave it on the charger for up to 30 minutes

   A fully drained watch can take a while to show that it’s charging.

   Leave your watch connected to its charger for a while. If it’s out of power, you might need to wait up to 30 minutes for the lightning bolt to appear.

   Good to know

   A yellow charging symbol means your watch is in Low Power Mode. Low Power Mode turns off when the battery is charged to 80 percent.

7. 7

   Step 7: Force restart your watch

   If it still won’t charge or turn on, a force restart is Apple’s next step.

   Press and hold both the side button and the Digital Crown at the same time for at least 10 seconds, until the Apple logo appears.

   Apple suggests a force restart only when you can’t restart your watch normally. You can’t restart it the normal way while it’s charging.

8. 8

   Step 8: Let a hot watch cool down

   When the watch gets too warm, it regulates its temperature, which can slow or stop charging.

   If needed, Apple Watch regulates its internal temperature. While it does, charging times might increase or charging might stop.

   If it shows only a red thermometer and the time, take it off your wrist and remove it from the charger. It turns off a few seconds later. Move it to a cooler place and let it cool down before you put it back on or continue charging. When it cools down, it turns back on.

   Apple Watch Series and Apple Watch SE models work best between 32° and 95° F (0° and 35° C). Charge Apple Watch Ultra in the same range.

   Good to know

   Don’t leave your watch in direct sun for long periods or in a car on hot days, and don’t cover it while it charges.

Frequently Asked Questions