Occasionally, the Digital Crown on your Apple Watch may experience issues such as being stuck, or being resistant to rotation. If you encounter these issues, here’s a guide to resolving them and restoring the functionality of your Apple Watch Digital Crown.
Clean your Apple Watch
Apple says that if the Digital Crown on your watch gets stuck or won’t move, it’s likely due to dirt or debris, dust, lotion, etc. If you’re experiencing such a problem, Apple recommends lightly running warm, fresh water over the Crown for no longer than 15 seconds. Repeat if necessary.
Here are a few important things to keep in mind:
- Turn off your Apple Watch and ensure it’s not on its charger.
- If you’re using a leather band with your Apple Watch, remove it before putting your watch under running water.
- Press the Digital Crown under lightly running fresh water, and it should help clear stuck dirt and debris.
- Don’t use soap or other cleaning products.
- Finally, dry off your Apple Watch using a soft cloth.
Related:
- How to safely clean your Apple Watch bands
- 7 things to do after showering or swimming with Apple Watch and getting it wet
Remove the Apple Watch case
If you’re using a full body case or thin plastic cover on your Apple Watch, consider removing it, and it should help restore rotational motion to the Digital Crown.
Restart or force restart your Apple Watch
For those who can rotate and press in on their Digital Crowns but their Apple Watch itself isn’t responding, Apple recommends turning the device off and then on again or performing a force restart.
Unpair and re-pair your Apple Watch
If the Digital Crown is not responding because of watchOS bugs or other system abnormalities, go ahead and erase your Apple Watch using your iPhone. Once that’s done, you can pair it again.
Take it to an Apple Store
Finally, if nothing helps, take your Apple Watch to an Apple Store or an authorized service center and get it inspected.
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