Why is My Apple Watch Touch Screen Not Working? – 6 Smart Tips

The Apple Watch was released worldwide on April 24, 2015 and has become the spearhead of Apple’s wearable smartwatches. It has built-in fitness tracking, and wireless telecommunication, easily integrated with iOS and other Apple products. However, many people find that the Apple watch touch screen is not always working.

If your Apple Watch touch screen is not working, it isn’t easy to do anything using the smartwatch. Luckily we have many methods of fixing the issue, provided you know the root cause of the problem. Always look for physical damage in your watch; if there is none, you may sort it out for other possible reasons.

This guide will take you through the primary reasons for the problem and tricks to solve “Why is my Apple Watch touch screen not working?”

Main Causes For Apple Watch Touch Screen Not Working

If you notice a freeze in your Apple Watch touch screen, it is common, and many users undergo the same struggle as yours. The reasons for the Apple Touch screen not working can be due to the following issues

• Water lock mode on your Apple Watch
• Dirty screen, wet or sticky hands Apple Watch touch screen
• Frozen Apple Watch
• Using the accessibility touch accommodation settings
• Wearing gloves that are not friendly 
• Incompatible screen protector or screen case
• Unresponsive app on your Apple Watch

Let’s briefly explain the causes of the touch screen not working on the Apple Watch and how to fix the issues.

Your Fingers Are Stained

If you are operating your Apple Watch by wearing gloves or covering your fingers, the Apple Watch mightn’t recognize the touch. Also, if your fingers are stained by oil or dirt, your Apple watch may not be able to realize your touch. This causes the Apple Watch touch screen is not working. So, you should wipe up your fingers before you try another time.

Soiled Apple Watch Screen

The Apple watch’s responsiveness diminishes if your Apple watches touch screen is oily, dirty, or wet. You can gently rub the screen using a lint-free cloth to keep your gadget free from dirt.  

Remove the Tempered Glass 

If your touch screen accessories like tempered glass or a scratch cover don’t fit properly on your device, it results in the Apple Watch touch screen not working. In such situations, you can remove and re-apply the screen protector or take it to the Apple store.

Apple Watch Frozen

If your apple watch is frozen, it may not respond to your touch when working with it. In that case, press and hold the digital crown and side button to resolve your apple watch series 3 touch screen not working.  

After knowing the reasons, it’s time for you to know the tricks for the touch screen on Apple watch not working.

Trick #1: Update iPhone And Apple Watch

An outdated operating system version causes glitches on your Apple Watch. An older OS version will be subjected to bugs causing problems on your watch’s touch screen. So, update your devices to overcome the touch screen not working on Apple Watch because the OS update may contain a few latest bug fixes and security enhancements. The new version of Apple Watch OS 8 provides new ways to stay healthy, connected, and active.

Here are the steps for updating iPhone

• Enable the network connection on your iPhone 
• Tap the “Settings” icon on the home screen
• Choose “General”
• Select “Software update”
• If your screen shows any updates, “Download and install it”

Updating your Apple Watch by the following steps

• First, charge your Apple Watch and ensure to have 50 % of the charge on your watch
• While updating, disconnect your watch from the power
• Activate the Wifi connection on your phone
• Place your Apple Watch near your iPhone
• Then, launch “Apple Watch app” on your iPhone
• Next, click “My Watch Tab.”
• Choose “General” → “Software update.”
• If there is any update available on your device, download and install it
• If it prompts you to type a password. Then, enter your password on your screen
• Tap “Agree” to accept the terms and conditions 

Trick #2: Reset Apple Watch

You can restore your watch by simply unpairing and repairing Apple Watch. You don’t need to worry about the backup of the Apple watch because the iPhone automatically stores the information. Before unpairing your watch, it is advisable to turn on the network connections (Wifi or cellular data).

• Keep your iPhone and Apple Watch at a certain distance (not too far)
• Open the “Apple Watch app” on your device
• Tap “My watch tab” on iPhone
• Click your Apple watch when it shows on the top screen
• For unpairing your watch and iPhone, select the “(i)” info symbol next to your watch
• Choose “Unpair Apple Watch”
• After unpairing, the message appears to re-pair it again
• Now, re-pair your Apple watch with iPhone

Trick #3: Clean Apple Watch

If the Apple Watch touch screen is dirty, it doesn’t respond to your touches. You can overcome the Apple watch touch screen that is not working by wiping the watch with a lint-free cloth. Avoid cleaning products, compressed air, soaps, and external heat sources when cleaning the Apple Watch. These products may damage your watch’s screen.

• Switch off your Apple Watch
• Then use a non-abrasive cloth to polish your Apple watch’s screen
• You can lightly wet your cloth with fresh water before wiping

Trick #4: Restart Your iPhone and Apple Watch

Simply restarting your iPhone and Apple Watch will refresh your RAM space and keep the device operating at its best. So you might try this method to solve the problem of why my apple watch touch screen is not working.

• Simultaneously, switch off your iPhone and Apple Watch 
• Then, turn on your iPhone first
• After that, turn on your Apple Watch

Trick #5: Force Restart

Restarting your device will fix many problems on your Apple Watch and other gadgets. Hence, a hard restart will resolve the Apple watch touch screen not working. This is the easiest step and requires only a few seconds of your time to execute. Also, force restarting your device will not delete any of your stored information and data. Here is the step for how to do a hard restart

• For 10 seconds, press and hold the “Side and Digital Crown” button together until the Apple logo appears on your screen

Trick #6: Checking The Accessibility Settings

Accessibility options on your Apple watch touch screen will cause difficulty on your device taps.

• Open the “Settings” app on your Apple Watch
• Select “Accessibility” and move down to “Touch Accommodations.” 
• If it shows off, click to turn on the option
• Scroll down and deactivate the toggles that include “Touch Accommodations, Hold duration, Ignore Repeat.”
• Tap “Assistance” on your device

Conclusion

A non-responding Apple Watch touch screen is not a desirable one. Still, there are easy ways to fix your unresponsive device. Sometimes even a small restart might help on your Apple Watch. The fixes we listed here may find you at the right moment and get you out of trouble. We hope this article helps!