Your Apple Watch is a valuable and versatile device, but it can be incredibly frustrating if the screen isn’t responding to your touch. This can happen for a variety of reasons, but fortunately, there are a few simple things you can try to fix the problem.

In this article, we’ll walk you through the most common troubleshooting steps for an Apple Watch screen that’s not responding. We’ll also explain why these steps work and provide additional tips to help you avoid this problem in the future.

How to fix an unresponsive Apple Watch screen

Display issues on an Apple Watch like unresponsive screen can be attributed to a software or hardware problem. To rule out common factors that might have caused your Apple Watch screen to freeze and stop responding, you can try these outlined solutions as follows.

1. Clean your hands and the watch screen.

This may seem obvious, but it’s important to make sure that your hands and the watch screen are clean and free of any dirt, oil, or moisture. Anything that can create a barrier between your finger and the screen can interfere with its responsiveness.

To clean your hands, use soap and warm water.
To clean the watch screen, use a soft, lint-free cloth. Avoid using any harsh chemicals or abrasive cleaners, as these can damage the screen.

2. Remove any screen protectors.

If you have a screen protector on your Apple Watch, try removing it. Some screen protectors can interfere with the touchscreen’s responsiveness, especially if they’re not properly installed.

3. Disable Water Lock.

If you’ve enabled Water Lock on your Apple Watch, disable it. Water Lock can prevent the touchscreen from responding to input.

To disable Water Lock, press and hold the Digital Crown until you see the “Unlocked” message.

4. Force restart your Apple Watch.

If you’ve tried all of the above steps and your Apple Watch screen is still not responding, try forcing it to restart. This can fix a variety of minor software glitches, including touchscreen problems.

To force restart your Apple Watch, press and hold the Digital Crown and the Side button simultaneously for about 10 seconds, or until you see the Apple logo.

5. Update your Apple Watch to the latest software version.

Apple regularly releases software updates for the Apple Watch that include bug fixes and performance improvements. It’s possible that a recent software update has caused the touchscreen problem you’re experiencing.

To update your Apple Watch, make sure it’s connected to Wi-Fi and has at least 50% battery life. Then, open the Watch app on your iPhone and tap General > Software Update.

6. Unpair and erase your Apple Watch.

If you’ve tried all of the above steps and your Apple Watch screen is still not responding, you can try unpairing and erasing your watch. This will reset the watch to its factory default settings and may fix the problem.

To unpair and erase your Apple Watch, open the Watch app on your iPhone and then tap General > Reset > Erase All Content and Settings.

When you unpair your Apple Watch and iPhone, the following happens:

All data and settings on your Apple Watch are erased.
Your Apple Watch is unlinked from your iCloud account.
Any Apple Pay cards that you added to your Apple Watch are removed.
You can no longer use your Apple Watch to make or receive calls, send or receive messages, or access other features that require an iPhone connection.

7. Contact Apple Support.

If you’ve tried all of the above steps and your Apple Watch screen is still not responding, you may need to contact Apple Support for further assistance.

Why these steps work?

The steps above work to fix an unresponsive Apple Watch screen for a variety of reasons. Cleaning your hands and the watch screen removes any barriers that could be interfering with the touchscreen’s responsiveness. Removing any screen protectors also helps to ensure that the touchscreen is able to register your input.

Disabling Water Lock and forcing your Apple Watch to restart can fix minor software glitches that may be causing the touchscreen problem. Updating your Apple Watch to the latest software version also ensures that you’re using the most stable and bug-free version of the watchOS operating system.

If you’ve tried all of the above steps and your Apple Watch screen is still not responding, unpairing and erasing your watch may fix the problem. This will reset the watch to its factory default settings and clear any corrupt data or files that may be causing the touchscreen issue.

If you’ve tried all of the above steps and your Apple Watch screen is still not responding, you may need to contact Apple Support for further assistance. Apple may be able to provide additional troubleshooting steps or repair your watch if necessary.

Tips to avoid an unresponsive Apple Watch screen

Here are a few tips to help you avoid an unresponsive Apple Watch screen:

Keep your Apple Watch clean and free of dirt, oil, and moisture.
Avoid using harsh chemicals or abrasive cleaners on your Apple Watch screen.
If you have a screen protector on your Apple Watch, make sure it is properly installed.
Disable Water Lock when you’re not using it.
Keep your Apple Watch software up to date.
Avoid dropping or bumping your Apple Watch.

If you do experience an unresponsive Apple Watch screen, try the troubleshooting steps above to fix the problem.

And that’s all there is to troubleshooting an unresponsive Apple Watch screen.