As a touch-based device, this problem could also happen to your Apple Watch. If the touchscreen display of your Apple Watch works sluggishly or isn’t responding at all, there are could be a few possible causes. It could be a hardware issue, software glitch or just an easy-to-fix problem. Here are things to do:
Check for the obvious
The problem could be obvious and easy to fix. If the display is wet or very dirty, it may become unresponsive. Use a clean cloth to wipe the display and check whether it responds to your taps and swipes. If you are wearing gloves, the display will also won’t work. If your fingers are oily or wet, this could be a problem as well.
Soft reset
Often, you can resolve this issue only by resetting the Apple Watch. To power off your Apple Watch, look for the side button and long press it, until Power Off slider is displayed. Drag the slider and your Apple Watch will switch off. Wait for five seconds and turn on the Apple Watch again. Long press the side button to restart the device. Check if the display becomes responsive again.
Hard reset
If soft restart doesn’t solve the problem, you need to force restart the device. Press and hold both the Digital Crown and the side button for about 10 seconds. The Apple logo should appear and your device will start. Check if the display becomes responsive again.
Restore from backup
Restoring your Apple Watch to a last-known working state could resolve this problem. You need to do the following:
On the paired iPhone, open the Apple Watch app.
Choose your Apple Watch and tap “Pair Apple Watch”.
Tap “Restore from Backup” and choose a last-known backup that works.
After agreeing to the terms and conditions, type in your password.
Wait until the syncing process is completed and your Apple Watch is fully loaded. Check if the display becomes responsive again.
Reset to factory settings
If the display still doesn’t respond to your taps and swipes, the next step is to reset the Apple Watch to factory settings. Remember that this solution will erase your data completely. Keep the paired iPhone close to your Apple Watch during this process.
Open the Apple Watch app on your paired iPhone. Tap My Watch.
Choose General>Reset. Tap “Erase Apple Watch Content and Settings”. Confirm your decision. Type in your password.
Wait until factory reset gets finished. The Apple Watch will return to its original state. Check if the display becomes responsive again. If this resolves the problem, you can restore the backup with the Apple Watch app on the paired iPhone.
If none of the above could resolve your problem. The watchOS could be bricked or there’s hardware issue with your Apple Watch. If you accidentally dropped the watch recently, this could be the cause of the problem. It’s better to contact the retailer or the nearest official Apple repair centre. If your Apple Watch is still in warranty, the repair centre will fix it for free, depending on your situation.
