Why Force Close an App on Apple Watch?
watchOS is generally a very stable operating system, and Apple effectively manages background memory to keep your smartwatch running smoothly. However, third-party apps—and occasionally even native Apple apps—can sometimes freeze, become unresponsive, or get stuck in an endless loading loop. When a specific app stops working, you don’t necessarily need to restart the entire Apple Watch. Instead, you can force close the problematic app, completely removing it from the device’s memory so it can reboot cleanly the next time you open it.
How to Force Close an App
The method to force close an app on an Apple Watch requires a specific combination of button presses. It is slightly different from how you close apps on an iPhone.
- Open the Frozen App: First, ensure that the app you want to force close is currently open and actively displayed on your Apple Watch screen. You cannot force close an app from the home screen or watch face.
- Press and Hold the Side Button: Press and hold the flat, elongated Side button (located just below the Digital Crown) until the power menu screen appears. This screen will display the Medical ID and SOS sliders, and a power icon in the top right corner.
- Release the Side Button: Once you see this power screen, let go of the Side button.
- Press and Hold the Digital Crown: Now, press and hold the Digital Crown (the circular dial on the side of the watch). Keep holding it down for a few seconds.
- Wait for the App to Close: The screen will briefly flash, and the frozen app will instantly close, returning you to the main watch face.
When to Force Close vs Restart
You should only use this force close method if a specific application is completely unresponsive or behaving erratically. If your entire Apple Watch is frozen (meaning you cannot open any apps, the screen is unresponsive to touch, and the Side button doesn’t bring up the power menu), force closing a single app will not work. In that scenario, you must perform a hard reset by pressing and holding both the Side button and the Digital Crown simultaneously for about 10 seconds until the Apple logo appears.