How to Turn on the Apple Watch

Co-authored by Jack Lloyd Reviewed by Stan Kats

Last Updated: September 14, 2021 References

This wikiHow teaches you how to turn on an Apple Watch. If your Apple Watch won't turn on due to a dead battery, you'll first need to charge your Apple Watch.

Steps

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1
Make sure that the Apple Watch is off. If the screen lights up with a watch dial when you raise the watch or press the Digital Crown dial on the side, the Apple Watch is on.^{[1]
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- You can turn off an Apple Watch by pressing and holding the oval Power button below the Digital Crown and then swiping the "Power Off" switch to the right.^{[2]
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It's an oval button on the right side of the Apple Watch's housing, just below the dial-shaped Digital Crown button.^{[3]
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You don't need to press and hold this button—pressing and releasing it will be enough to turn on your Apple Watch.^{[4]
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4
Wait for the Apple logo to appear. If you see the white Apple logo appear on the Apple Watch's screen after a few seconds, your Apple Watch is powering on.^{[5]
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- Your Apple Watch will usually take less than a minute to finish powering on.^{[6]
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- If the Apple Watch won't power on, or if you see the outline of a battery appear instead of the Apple logo, you need to charge your Apple Watch for a few minutes before trying to turn it on.^{[7]
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5
Enter your passcode when prompted. If your Apple Watch uses a passcode, you'll be prompted to enter it as soon as the Apple Watch finishes powering on. This will unlock the Apple Watch, making it ready for use.
- The Apple Watch will stay unlocked as long as it is on your wrist.^{[8]
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Tips

If your Apple Watch isn't on your wrist, you'll need to enter the passcode any time that you want to unlock the screen.

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You can turn on the Apple Watch while it's on the charger.

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Warnings

If you determine that your Apple Watch's battery is dead, it's best to let it charge for 10 to 15 minutes before taking it off of the charger.

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