Closing an Apple Watch app can be done in two ways: the normal standard way when you are done with an app or force it if an app has crashed or no longer works properly. In the worst case, your Apple Watch may be completely frozen and it is necessary to force restart your Apple Watch. In this tip we explain how this works.
- Exit app
- Quit stuck app
- Why force shut down
- Forced restart
Exit an Apple Watch app
If you want to launch an app, you can do so from a complication on the watch face, the Apple Watch Dock or by pressing the Digital Crown once to go to the app screen. From there, choose the app you want to open. When you’re done with the app, you can close it by pressing the Digital Crown again. Depending on the situation, you will then return to the app screen or to the watch face. When you’re on the app screen, press the Digital Crown again to return to the watch face.
In principle, it is not necessary to press the Digital Crown to return to the watch face, as the Apple Watch can also do this automatically. For example, you can choose that the watch face is automatically shown again 2 minutes after the last use as soon as you activate the screen (by turning your wrist or by tapping the screen). You can find this setting in the Watch app on the iPhone via My Watch > General > Back to clock.
Force close Apple Watch app: Steps for stuck app
To force close an app on the Apple Watch, you need two buttons: the flat button on the side and the Digital Crown. You use this in a number of situations:
- The app completely crashed. It no longer responds to touch and scrolling is also not possible.
- The app is not updated. It contains old information and opening it again is useless.
- Certain functions of an app no ​​longer work (properly).
Take these 4 steps to close an app on the Apple Watch:
- Open the app that is giving you problems.
- Press and hold the side button. Do not release until the exit screen appears.
- Release the side button and hold down the Digital Crown.
- The app closes and the app overview appears. You can now open it again.
Why do I have to force close Apple Watch apps?
Force closing apps on the Apple Watch can solve many common problems, but it’s not always a solution to improve your battery life. If you continuously close apps, which then have to be started again, it costs extra battery life. That is why it is especially recommended for apps that have crashed. It not only costs extra battery life, but it also costs extra time because you have to do many more actions. So only do it if an app is stuck or not working properly.
If you open the same app again, you will notice that it needs to load for a while. This is normal because you just deleted the app from the Apple Watch’s recent memory.
Force restart Apple Watch
If the Apple Watch is stuck and nothing works anymore, it’s time to force restart the Apple Watch. This works as follows:
- Press and hold both the side button and the Digital Crown together for at least 5 seconds, until the screen goes black.
- When the screen goes black, let go of the Digital Crown, but keep holding the side button.
- Release the side button when the Apple logo appears and wait for your watch to start up.
- Don’t forget to unlock the Apple Watch after startup.
More information about restarting and force restarting your Apple Watch can be found in our separate article:
Force quit on other devices
In the tips below you can read how you can force an app to close on other devices:
- Quit apps on iPhone and iPad
- Close apps on Apple TV
- Quit apps on Mac
You can also remove apps from the dock on the Apple Watch, but that doesn’t close them.
