How To Turn Off Your Apple Watch: A Step-by-Step Guide

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4 min. read

Published on October 22, 2025

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The Apple Watch is a fantastic device, but sometimes you need to turn it off. Whether you’re conserving battery, troubleshooting an issue, or simply taking a break from notifications, knowing how to properly power down your Apple Watch is essential. This guide provides a clear, step-by-step process for turning off your Apple Watch, regardless of the model you own.

Turning off your Apple Watch is a straightforward process, but it’s important to do it correctly to avoid any potential issues. This guide will walk you through the simple steps to power down your Apple Watch, as well as how to turn it back on when you’re ready to use it again. Let’s get started!

Want to Turn Off Your Apple Watch? Here’s How

Method 1: Turning Off Your Apple Watch

Press and hold the side button: This is the elongated button on the right side of your Apple Watch, below the Digital Crown. Continue holding the button until the power options appear.
Slide to power off: Once the power options appear, you’ll see a “Power Off” slider at the top of the screen. Slide this from left to right.
Wait for the watch to shut down: After sliding the power off button, your Apple Watch will begin the shutdown process. The screen will go black, indicating that it’s turned off.

Method 2: Turning On Your Apple Watch

Press and hold the side button: Locate the side button on your Apple Watch again.
Hold until the Apple logo appears: Press and hold the side button until you see the Apple logo appear on the screen.
Release the button: Once the Apple logo is visible, release the side button. Your Apple Watch will now begin to power on.
Wait for the watch to start: Allow your Apple Watch to fully power on. This may take a few moments. Once it’s finished, you’ll be prompted to enter your passcode (if you have one set).

Turning Off Your Apple Watch When Frozen

Sometimes, your Apple Watch might freeze and become unresponsive. In this case, a force restart is necessary.

Press and hold both the side button and the Digital Crown: Press and hold both buttons simultaneously.
Continue holding until the Apple logo appears: Keep holding both buttons down, even if the screen goes black. Wait until you see the Apple logo.
Release the buttons: Once the Apple logo appears, release both buttons. The watch will restart.

Tips

Turning off your Apple Watch can help conserve battery life when you’re not using it.
A restart can often resolve minor software glitches.
Make sure your Apple Watch is charged before attempting to turn it back on.

Here’s a comparison of the two main methods to turn off your Apple Watch:

Feature	Normal Shutdown	Force Restart (Frozen Watch)
Button(s) Used	Side Button	Side Button and Digital Crown
Purpose	Regular power down	Unfreezing an unresponsive watch
Apple Logo	Does not appear during normal shutdown	Appears during force restart

Quick Power Down Guide

Turning off your Apple Watch is a simple process that can be useful for conserving battery or troubleshooting issues. Remember the steps above, and you’ll be able to power down your watch with ease.

FAQ

How do I know if my Apple Watch is completely turned off? The screen will be completely black, and the watch will not vibrate or make any sounds when you try to interact with it.

Will turning off my Apple Watch delete any data? No, turning off your Apple Watch will not delete any of your data.

What if my Apple Watch won’t turn back on? Ensure your Apple Watch is charged. If it still doesn’t turn on, try a force restart by holding both the side button and the Digital Crown.

Is it bad to turn off my Apple Watch frequently? No, it’s not harmful to turn off your Apple Watch as needed.

How long does it take for my Apple Watch to turn back on? It usually takes a few seconds for your Apple Watch to power on completely.