Digital Life Central is reader-powered. We are a participant in the Amazon LLC Associates Program and other affiliates programs. As an Amazon affiliate, we earn from qualifying purchases.
The Apple Watch is overall a reliable device, but you may end up with bugs or issues from time to time. For example, you already know that you need to swipe up or down on the screen to access the control center or notifications centers.
From time to time, you will find yourself unable to access other screens even if you swipe up or down. For example, the Apple Watch will stay locked on the watch face. Several users reported on the Apple Forum encountering such an issue, and I faced it myself. I can testify that this is frustrating.
Luckily, we found the trick to get out of this dead end.
The solution is simple: Reset your watch! This is often a magic trick that will solve many issues.
As a reminder, let us tell you how to proceed.
How to Reset the Apple Watch?
In a nutshell, resetting often means restarting the watch.
Doing so is easy. Just press the crown and the Apple Watch button at the same time. Keep them pressed and release them both only when the Apple logo appears on the face of the watch. It should take between 5 and 10 seconds for the watch to switch off and restart.
To be perfectly honest, you can release them as soon as the Apple Watch screen turns black, but to be safe, we suggest that you wait a couple more seconds.
Try Restarting the Watch
Restarting the watch is also a good option, and some users reported that they were able to fix the swipe up or down issue this way.
You probably know how to restart the Apple watch, but just in case you need a little reminder, here is the procedure.
Start by pressing for a couple of seconds on the Apple Watch button located underneath the digital crown. You will then see the watch switching to the power off and medical alert screen.
Slide the “Power Off” slider. The watch will switch off.
The final step is to keep the side button pressed to switch the watch back on.
If Nothing Works: The Unpair/repair Ultimate Trick
It is not something that we recommend you begin with if you have a swiping issue with your Apple Watch but keep in mind that if nothing else works, unpairing and repairing your watch with your iPhone may be the last resort tentative.
- Open the Watch App on the iPhone
- Tap on “All Watches” on the top left corner of the screen
- Tap on the “Information” icon next to the watch you wish to unpair
- Tap on “Unpair Apple Watch”
- Start the pairing process again from scratch
To Wrap Up
Having an unresponsive Apple Watch that will not let you swipe up or down can be a frustrating experience. Usually, a simple reboot will solve the issue. Another trick that we consider more anecdotic is to change the watch face. But why not try it?
We strongly recommend that you do not start with the more drastic unpair/repair method. After all, nobody wants to kill a fly with a canon.
