Smartwatch Not Working? Fixes for Sync, Battery and Pairing

Find Your Problem: Symptom, Cause and First Fix

The table lists eight smartwatch problems, from connection to updates, with the most likely cause and the first fix the makers' support pages give for each.

Symptom	Most likely cause	First fix	Full steps
Won't connect to your phone	Bluetooth off, Airplane Mode on, or the watch out of range	Bring the watch next to your phone, check Bluetooth is on and Airplane Mode is off, then restart both.	smartwatch Not Connecting to Phone
Won't turn on after charging	A fully drained battery	Leave it on the charger for up to 30 minutes, then force restart it (Apple Watch figures; brand timings below).	smartwatch Not Charging
Not charging	Watch off-center on the charger, dirty contacts or the wrong cable	Use the charger that came with your watch, line it up so a charging sign appears, and clean both surfaces.	smartwatch Not Charging
Battery drains fast	The display, distance from the phone, or background tasks after an update	Turn on your watch's low-power mode and keep it near your phone.	smartwatch Battery Draining Fast
Frozen, or needs a reset	A glitch that a restart clears	Use a force restart if the screen is frozen, and a factory reset only as the last step.	How to Reset Any Smartwatch
Not syncing	Lost Bluetooth link, or a power-saving mode limiting background data	Keep the watch near your phone, open its app, and restart both.	smartwatch Not Syncing
Not getting notifications	Apple Watch: iPhone in use, watch locked or disconnected, or a Focus turned on	Lock your iPhone and make sure your Apple Watch is connected and not locked; then check Focus and the app's notification settings.	Apple Watch Not Getting Notifications
Stopped working after an update	A new watch, phone or app update, or a service outage	Check the known issues listed for your watch's latest update.	wearable updates on the Update Tracker

Each first fix is the opening step of the linked page, which carries the rest of the order for your brand.

Smartwatch Won't Connect to Your Phone or Keeps Disconnecting

A smartwatch that won't connect or keeps disconnecting needs the gentle fixes before a new pairing. Apple's order for Apple Watch: keep the watch and iPhone close together, make sure Airplane Mode is off and Wi-Fi and Bluetooth are on, then restart the watch and the iPhone. On an Apple Watch, a red iPhone icon or a red X in Control Center means the two aren't connected, and the green iPhone icon appears once they connect again. To relink an Apple Watch that still won't connect, unpair it from your iPhone and pair it again, as the last step. Google's first checks for a Pixel Watch match: Bluetooth on and Airplane Mode off on both devices. Each brand's order is on smartwatch Not Connecting to Phone.

Why Won't My Smartwatch Turn On After Charging?

A smartwatch that won't turn on after charging is usually drained flat and needs more time on its own charger. On an Apple Watch, charge for up to 30 minutes, reposition the watch on the charger, remove any plastic wrap and try a different cable and adapter; then force restart it by holding the side button and Digital Crown for at least 10 seconds. Samsung tells Galaxy Watch owners to charge for at least 1 hour, then press the Home (Power) key. Garmin's fix is to connect the watch to a wall outlet or computer and hold the power button for a full 60 seconds. The steps for each brand are on smartwatch Not Charging.

Smartwatch Not Charging?

For a smartwatch that's not charging, or won't turn on after charging, Apple's and Samsung's support pages start with three checks: the right charger, clean contacts and the watch's position on the charger.

• Use the charger that came with your watch, plugged all the way into the adapter and the outlet.
• Clean the back of the watch and the charger, and remove any plastic wrap.
• Reposition the watch on the charger until a charging sign appears.

Samsung also warns that some metal bands interfere with charging and suggests removing the band while it charges. A watch that still won't charge goes to the maker's support team (see the end of this page).

Smartwatch Battery Draining Fast?

Apple and Google both tie smartwatch battery drain to the always-on display, and Apple adds distance from the iPhone and background tasks after an update. Apple says an Apple Watch is most efficient on a Bluetooth link to its iPhone, so keep the two within range, and Low Power Mode turns off the Always On display. On a Google Pixel Watch, Battery Saver in Settings → Battery turns off the Always-on Display and limits background activity. After a watchOS update, Apple says some tasks keep running in the background: wait a few days, then check again. The full brand list is on smartwatch Battery Draining Fast.

How to Reset a Smartwatch (Restart vs Factory Reset)

A restart turns the watch off and on and usually keeps your data; a factory reset erases the watch, so you set it up and pair it again afterwards. Restart first. Garmin warns that its restart steps can lose some data, such as recent steps or the current time. Reset only when a restart and the fixes above have failed, or before you sell or give the watch away. On an Apple Watch, erase it on the watch in Settings → General → Reset → Erase All Content and Settings, or unpair it from the iPhone: unpairing restores factory settings and removes Activation Lock. The buttons and menus for every brand are on How to Reset Any Smartwatch.

Smartwatch Frozen or Won't Turn Off?

A frozen smartwatch needs a force restart, which is a different step from a factory reset. On an Apple Watch, hold the side button and Digital Crown for at least 10 seconds, or until the Apple logo appears. For an unresponsive Garmin watch with a physical button, restart first: hold the power button until the watch turns off (up to 30 seconds), then press it again to turn it back on. On a Samsung Galaxy Watch, a force reboot means holding the Home (Power) key and the Back key together until "Rebooting..." appears. The reset section above and the brand table below cover the other models.

Smartwatch Not Syncing With the App?

A smartwatch that's not syncing with its app has most likely lost its Bluetooth link to the phone, or a power-saving mode is limiting its background data. Keep the watch near your phone with Bluetooth on and open the companion app. Google's first step for a Fitbit is to uninstall the Google Health app (formerly the Fitbit app) from other nearby phones and tablets signed in to the same account, then restart the Fitbit and sync it by hand. The Fitbit app became the Google Health app starting May 19, 2026. Garmin watches sync through the Garmin Connect app, and Garmin's first step is to turn on Bluetooth on your phone and watch, make sure the phone is online, then restart both devices. Every brand's order is on smartwatch Not Syncing.

Suddenly Not Getting Notifications?

Missing notifications usually mean the watch has lost its phone connection, or a Focus such as Do Not Disturb is on; Apple and Google both list missing notifications as a sign of a disconnected watch. On an Apple Watch, alerts go to the watch only when the iPhone is locked or asleep and the watch itself isn't locked, which is why Apple Watch Not Getting Notifications, linked in the table above, starts with locking your iPhone.

Fixes by Brand: Apple Watch, Garmin, Fitbit, Pixel Watch, Galaxy Watch and Oura

Smartwatch steps depend on the exact brand and model, because each maker uses its own companion app and menu names. The table gives each brand's app, where the model name shows, and the brand page with the full fixes.

Brand	Companion app	Where the model name is shown	Brand fix page
Apple Watch	Apple Watch app	Apple Watch app → My Watch → General → About → Model Number (tap it to see the number starting with "A")	Apple Watch Problems and Fixes
Garmin	Garmin Connect app	Settings → System → About shows the Unit ID on most models; Garmin identifies a model by its full product name	Garmin Watch Problems and Fixes
Fitbit	Google Health app	Listed by name under Connections in the Google Health app	Fitbit Problems and Fixes
Google Pixel Watch	Google Pixel Watch app for setup; Google Health app for fitness data	Settings → System → About shows the serial number; the Google Store's Your Devices page lists the model for most Google devices	Pixel Watch Problems and Fixes
Samsung Galaxy Watch	Galaxy Wearable app	On the watch: Settings → About watch (or About device) → Model number	Samsung Galaxy Watch problems and fixes
Oura Ring	Oura app	Oura app → battery icon → My Devices shows the ring model, size and generation	Oura Ring Problems and Fixes

Menu names differ by brand, so use the fix page for your own watch.

Not Sure Which Model You Have?

Each brand shows the model name in a different place, and the third column of the table above tells you where to look. For Apple Watch, the full list of model numbers is in Which Apple Watch Do I Have.

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Updates, Outages and Other Causes

Some smartwatch problems start outside the watch, with a software update or a service outage, and a few aren't faults at all.

Did an Update or Outage Cause It?

A smartwatch that suddenly stopped working often follows a watch, phone or app update, or a service outage. An Apple Watch update needs the watch at least 50 percent charged and left on its charger, with the iPhone connected to Wi-Fi and kept near the watch until the update completes. If you still need help with the update, Apple's first checks are that the watch is connecting properly to its charger, then a restart of the watch and the iPhone. We list current versions and known issues under wearable updates on the Update Tracker. If a Garmin watch stopped syncing all at once, check the Garmin Connect Status page before you reset anything, and see Garmin Connect sync problems during an outage. Get an email when a smartwatch update breaks something, and when it's fixed.

Smartwatch Not Tracking Sleep or Steps?

Missing sleep or step data starts with two device checks: the tracking setting and the sync. On an Apple Watch, sleep data needs Sleep Tracking turned on, and Apple asks you to charge the watch to at least 30% before bed; the watch then adds sleep data to the Health app on your iPhone. Steps that show on the watch but not in the app point to sync: Garmin lists daily steps not updating in the app as a sign the watch isn't syncing. Apple's Track your sleep on Apple Watch and use Sleep on iPhone and the Apple Watch User Guide's Track your sleep page cover setup, and our guide How to Track Sleep on Apple Watch walks through it. This covers device settings only and isn't medical advice.

Set Up and Customize Your Watch

A watch face or setting that changed isn't a fault, so no fix on this page switches it back. Setup and customization tasks, such as picking a new face on an Apple Watch, live in our how-to guides, starting with How to Change the Apple Watch Face.

Earbuds or Headphones Acting Up Too?

Earbuds and headphones use the same phone and the same Bluetooth connection as your watch, so when both act up, start with the phone: Apple, Google, Samsung and Garmin all include a phone restart in their watch steps. The earbuds and headphones not working guide then routes each audio symptom.

When to Contact the Manufacturer

Contact the maker when the table and the linked page have both failed, in this order:

1. Try the next fix on the linked page for your symptom.
2. Reset the watch with the steps on How to Reset Any Smartwatch, and pair it again afterwards.
3. Contact official support for your brand: Apple Support, Garmin Support, Google Health Help for Fitbit, Google Pixel Watch Help, Samsung Support or Oura Support.
4. Ask about repair or warranty service. Water damage and a cracked screen go straight to this step.

Smartwatch Problems: Quick Answers

These two answers cover a wet watch and a watch that keeps dropping its phone connection.

Can a water-damaged smartwatch be fixed?

A water-damaged smartwatch goes to its maker for service. Apple says an Apple Watch is water resistant, but not waterproof, that its water resistance can diminish over time, and that it can't be rechecked or resealed. To remove water, Apple says to wipe the watch with a nonabrasive, lint-free cloth. If it still misbehaves once dry, contact your brand's support.

Why does my smartwatch keep disconnecting from my phone?

A smartwatch keeps disconnecting when it moves out of Bluetooth range, when Airplane Mode or Bluetooth is off, or when a power-saving mode cuts the link. Garmin says Battery Saver and Stealth Modes on some watches disable Bluetooth. Keep the watch near the phone, check both settings, then restart the watch and the phone.