In this guide, we go over several reasons why your Apple Watch is slow, and we share some handy tips to fix it, making your experience faster.
A slow Apple Watch takes longer to start workouts, launch apps, and navigate around. Additionally, the screen may take a while to wake up when you lift your hand. We show you multiple solutions to make things snappier.
Note that this guide applies to all Apple Watch models, including Apple Watch Series 9, Ultra, and SE, running a recent version of watchOS.
Why your Apple Watch feels slow and takes time to perform tasks
- You have not restarted it in a long time.
- Your Apple Watch is running an outdated version of watchOS.
- You have too many apps installed on your Apple Watch.
- There are many running apps using more battery and leaving little free RAM.
- You do not have enough free space on your Apple Watch.
- The configured Apple Watch settings are performing several automatic tasks in the background that slow the daily experience.
- You have multiple demanding complications on the Apple Watch face.
- The Apple Watch battery is old and degraded.
- Your Apple Watch is an older model from some years back.
When is it ok for the Apple Watch to feel slow
Your Apple Watch may feel sluggish and appear as if things hang or freeze immediately after installing a watchOS update. To fix this, restart your watch.
Secondly, your Watch will feel a bit slower after you have just restarted it. Even pressing the side button or rotating the Digital Crown will appear to take a second extra to show the action on screen. However, after a minute of restarting, the experience should be quick and snappy.
How to fix a slow Apple Watch and make it faster
Make sure you follow only those tips that you are comfortable with. For example, if the ever-updating weather complication slows your Apple Watch, but you must have the latest report on your watch face, please skip that tip and focus on others.
1. Restart your Apple Watch periodically
Like all devices, it helps to restart your Apple Watch at least once every few days. Doing this will ensure it stays refreshed and offers a delightful experience. In case problems continue even after a basic restart, consider checking out the easy steps to force restart your Apple Watch.
2. Close unwanted open apps
If you have several apps open on your Apple Watch, it can take a toll on the system resources. To make sure your Apple Watch experience improves, close apps you no longer need.
3. Uninstall unnecessary apps from Apple Watch
You can delete apps straight from the Apple Watch or the Watch app on the paired iPhone.
- Press the Digital Crown to see the app grid.
- Touch and hold on the screen until all apps enter jiggle mode.
- Tap the tiny X next to an app and hit Delete App.
- Repeat these steps to remove all unused apps. Finally, press the Digital Crown to return to your watch face.
4. Update to the latest version of compatible watchOS
Up-to-date watchOS ensures your Apple Watch has the best version of the operating system Apple currently offers. This equates to optimized performance and newer features.
You can update your Apple Watch from the Watch app on your iPhone or by going to Apple Watch Settings > General > Software Update > Download and Install.
5. Turn off Background App Refresh
Background App Refresh works behind the scenes to regularly fetch new data for your apps. This affects the battery life, and constant work can make your watch feel slow. To fix this, turn it off using one of the methods below.
- On Apple Watch: Go to Settings > General > Background App Refresh and turn it off.
- On paired iPhone: Open the Watch app > My Watch > General > Background App Refresh and turn it off.
6. Remove complications that update frequently
Even after you disable Background App Refresh, the apps whose complication you are using on the current watch face continue to refresh, fetch new data, use more battery, and can be a minor contributor to making your watch feel slower.
To address this, you can switch to a simpler watch face with no or fewer complications or add such complications that do not refresh often. Note that complications like weather, astronomy, maps, stocks, etc., refresh frequently.
7. Prevent automatic app installs from iPhone to Apple Watch
When this option is enabled, if the new app you download on your iPhone has its companion watchOS version, it will automatically install on the Apple Watch as well.
This is unnecessary as, in many cases, you might not want the app on your watch. For example, I want my bank app only on my iPhone and not the tiny watch screen. Plus, automatic app installs fill the watch storage and can negatively affect the battery life.
You can address this by turning off automatic app install. This will also ensure your iPhone and Apple Watch do not need to sync significant data constantly and thus make your watch feel faster.
Open the Watch app > My Watch > General and turn off Automatic App Install.
8. Turn off automatic app updates
To ensure that your watch has fewer automatic tasks to perform, go to the Settings app > App Store and turn off Automatic Downloads and Automatic Updates. After this, you will have to update apps manually on your Apple Watch.
9. Turn off automatic software update
We recommend that you have the latest version of watchOS on your Apple Watch. But if your device is unbearably slow, you can disable all automatic tasks, including software updates.
- Go to Apple Watch Settings > General > Software Update > Automatic Updates and turn it off.
- You can do the same from the iPhone Watch app >My Watch > General > Software Update > Automatic Updates and turn it off.
Of course, remember to update your Watch manually.
10. Clear website data on Apple Watch
Your Apple Watch does not have the Safari browser app, given the tiny screen. But if you receive a link on iMessage, you can open it on your Apple Watch.
In case you have been doing that, go to watch Settings > General > Website Data and tap Clear Website Data > Clear Data to remove cookies, credentials, and other browsing data.
11. Turn off the Handwashing Timer
When the Handwashing Timer is enabled, your Apple Watch uses the microphone (to hear the running tap water sound) and hand motion to detect you are about to wash your hands. And once it catches that, it starts a 20-second timer.
Handwashing is a helpful feature. But since we are going all extremes to prevent Apple Watch from doing extra tasks, you can turn it off.
- On Apple Watch, go to Settings > Handwashing and turn off the Handwashing Timer.
- Or, open the iOS Watch app > My Watch > Handwashing and toggle off the Handwashing Timer.
12. Turn off workout reminder
With this enabled, your Apple Watch reminds you to start a workout when it senses you are walking, running, swimming, cycling, are on the elliptical or the rower.
If you aren’t into workouts, you can go to the Apple Watch Settings > Workout and turn off Start Workout Reminder. It can also be done from the Watch app > My Watch > Workout.
13. Disable location services on Apple Watch
I won’t recommend this tip to most people. So, please read this section carefully before proceeding.
Location is needed for weather, workout routes, maps, etc. But if your watch feels too slow, you can turn off this demanding feature from the Apple Watch Settings > Privacy > Location Services.
Important: The downside is this will also turn off the location for the paired iPhone. As a result, several essential things like delivery apps, Uber, Find My, etc., are affected.
14. Turn off automatic photo sync
Your iPhone automatically syncs featured photos and memories to your Apple Watch. If you do not care about this, go to the Watch app on the paired iPhone > My Watch > Photos and turn off Photo Syncing.
15. Disable music sync
Your iPhone can automatically add recent music or Apple Music recommendations to your Apple Watch. This is a handy feature. But if you want some less stress on your wearable, go to the iPhone Watch app > My Watch > Music and turn off Recent Music. You can tap Add Music and manually sync your liked playlists & albums to your Apple Watch.
16. Reduce motion and animations on Apple Watch
Fluid animations when you press the Digital Crown and navigate around the watch are one of its highlights that looks pleasant. But if your slow Apple Watch struggles with these, go to Settings > Accessibility > Reduce Motion and turn on Reduce Motion.
17. Reset Apple Watch and set it up again
Finally, if none of the above solutions work for you or you do not want to go all extremes and turn off several features you like, one reliable solution is to start fresh.
To do that, you will have to reset or unpair your Apple Watch. This will remove everything from it. Once that’s done, set up your Apple Watch again.
On a related note: