5 common problems with Apple Watches

The Apple Watch is one of the best companions for iPhone users with exclusive features. With it you can receive notifications at a glance, have an overview of your health during the day or during workouts, and it is also a stylish wearable that you can pair with different bracelets. However, like any technology, the Apple Watch is not perfect and many users report problems with it. Among the most common problems, Apple Watch users may have trouble connecting it to an iPhone, or even pairing it with a newer model, the battery may drain quickly, or it may not track activities properly.

As an Apple Watch user for almost a decade, I’ve also encountered some of these issues, and identifying what’s wrong with your device can sometimes be difficult. Still, for the most common issues, users can rest assured that they can fix the problem themselves rather than requiring advanced support or even contacting Apple for a replacement.

If you’re currently having issues with your Apple Watch, or are considering getting one of the latest models, like the Apple Watch Series 11, Apple Watch SE 3, or Apple Watch Ultra 3, here are some of the common issues that most users face or have faced and how you can quickly resolve them and get your Apple Watch working again.

If you just bought an Apple Watch or your old reliable friend suddenly stopped connecting to your iPhone, you don’t need to panic because there is a solution to get them working together again. Firstly, if your already paired Apple Watch fails to connect to your iPhone and you see a red X icon or the red iPhone icon, make sure both devices are close to each other and unlocked. On your iPhone, it’s important that Airplane Mode is turned off and Wi-Fi and Bluetooth are turned on. Additionally, on your Apple Watch, make sure Airplane mode is turned off by opening Control Center. If these settings are correct, you need to restart your devices and see if it works. Otherwise, you may need to unpair it from your iPhone and re-pair it.

If you pair a new Apple Watch to your old phone or a new iPhone to your Apple Watch and the process doesn’t work, there are some things you need to do. For example, both devices must be running the latest available software update. The second thing is to check if you are connecting both devices under the same Apple account. The third option is to restart your devices and start the pairing process again. If none of these solutions work, you may need to erase your Apple Watch so that it can connect to your new iPhone.

Another common problem that Apple Watch users constantly face is rapid battery drain. Although testing indicates that Always-On Display may impact your overall experience, it is meant to be disabled. However, there are a few indicators as to why your battery is draining too quickly. For example, if your watch is already a few years old, the battery may have deteriorated. In your watch settings, go to Battery and scroll down to see Battery Status. Scrolling down again, you can see the battery percentage. If it needs to be replaced, Apple will let you know that it no longer works as it used to. Getting a new one is enough to get everything working perfectly again.

If battery capacity isn’t the issue, you may be using your Apple Watch while you’re away from your iPhone. With this, the watch will attempt to collect data on its own, which could drain the battery faster. Other issues include keeping your Apple Watch connected to cellular data, making calls with it, or even using its speakers to listen to songs and podcasts. If you work out without your phone while streaming music, your battery will drain much faster. If none of these fixes fix your battery drain, it’s possible that only updating, restarting, or even unpairing and re-pairing your watch with your phone can fix the problem.

If you have a password on your Apple Watch and you’ve forgotten it (trust me, this happens more often than you think), the only way to use it is to reset the device and set it up again. While Apple was rumored to add Touch ID to a future Apple Watch model, it looks like that might not happen, meaning the only way to authenticate your device is with that four-digit passcode.

That said, if you forgot it, you will need to reset your Apple Watch. Here’s what you need to do: While charging, turn it off. To do this, hold down the side button and then turn it off by pressing the power button in the upper right corner. Next, the Digital Crown should be pressed and held until the “Erase All Content” option appears. After that, tap Reset, confirm and wait for the process to complete. Then, simply reconfigure your Apple Watch with your Apple account.

Keep in mind that if you don’t know your Apple account password, you may have to go through a lengthy verification process because recovering it involves several steps. However, for the Apple Watch, you just need to reset it.

It’s a classic problem with the Apple Watch, and one that has also plagued CNET staff for years. The most common time it doesn’t track activities is during running workouts, because for a few seconds (sometimes a good few minutes), your Apple Watch can’t track your heart rate. While this may affect your overall data, since you won’t have a detailed map of your workout, there are several ways to ensure that your Apple Watch can track your activities and overall health more accurately.

For example, it’s best to use the Apple Watch on your left arm because it’s closer to your heart. However, you also shouldn’t use it if you have tattoos on your wrist, as they could make reading your vital signs unreliable. In this case, if you cannot place the watch a little higher or lower, you should wear it on your right arm. The Apple Watch band should also fit snugly and not too loose, and you should make sure the sensors on the bottom of your watch are clean and the area isn’t sweaty.

If you’re doing all that and still having trouble tracking your health and activities, Apple has released a $249 solution: the AirPods Pro 3. These earbuds can track your heart rate while you work out. I wore these AirPods while running and never had a problem with missing data because Apple combines the readings from the watch and headphones.

Another common problem faced by Apple Watch users is Apple Watch updates. While Apple may sometimes be to blame, there are a few requirements for your watch to be running the latest software update. For example, watchOS 26 requires an Apple Watch SE 2, Apple Watch Series 6, or Apple Watch Ultra or later. You also need to have an iPhone 11, iPhone SE (3rd generation), or later running iOS 26 to update your device.

If you have older models of Apple Watch and iPhone, make sure your iPhone has the latest software update so you can update the watch as well. Other requirements include that your Apple Watch be at least 50% charged and that an iPhone be connected to Wi-Fi when the two devices are near each other.

If you can’t update the watch because you don’t have enough storage space, you can delete music, photos, or even apps to free up space. You can shake apps in your App Library and then delete them. For photos and music, you need to delete the synced media from your iPhone. In the Apple Watch app on your phone, you can manage the photos you want to sync and the songs you want to store when you don’t have your smartphone available.