Apple Watch has great features such as fall detection, heart rate monitor, ECG, and many others. But it all comes to no use if you cannot swipe up on it. There are multiple reasons why you can’t swipe up on Apple Watch, but first, I would suggest cleaning the screen and edges, removing the screen protector, and swiping up with clean hands.
If this doesn’t help, move on to the fixes listed in this article.
How to fix Apple Watch that won’t swipe up or down
- Restart Apple Watch
- Try slow swipes
- Unpair and re-pair Apple Watch
- Change watch face
- Check for cracks on the screen
- Contact Apple Support
1. Restart Apple Watch
Restart is that one magic spell we always rely on whenever a gadget freezes or does not respond properly. Since your Apple Watch is not letting you swipe, I suggest you restart your Apple Watch. But if that doesn’t help, or your Apple Watch is not responding, the next best way is to restart it.
2. Try slow swipes
Since you can’t swipe on your Apple Watch like usual, I recommend trying to do the same a bit slower. It could be a software bug preventing the watchOS from detecting the normal swipes, and until a fix update is pushed, you can try slow swipes.
However, if this doesn’t fix the issue, move on to the following fixes.
3. Unpair and re-pair Apple Watch
The next best fix is to unpair Apple Watch and pair it again. But before that, I highly suggest taking a backup of your Apple Watch so that you can restore it later.
4. Change watch face
Sometimes, it isn’t a software or hardware issue but a watch face preventing your Apple Watch from registering swipe gestures. So, try changing the watch face of your Apple Watch and see if it helps.
Lift your wrist to light up the screen. You may also tap once. Swipe horizontally from the left or right edge to easily switch between different watch faces.
5. Check for cracks on the screen
Since Apple Watch rests on our hands, it’s easy to get scratches or minute cracks around the bezels and corners, thus affecting the areas where you swipe. Check if there are scratches or cracks; if you notice anything, it’s time to visit Apple Support.
6. Contact Apple Support
If you have noticed scratches or cracks on your Apple Watch or could not find a solution through all these fixes, chances are it’s a hardware issue. Your last resort is to contact Apple Support and inform them about the problem. I hope that you can fix the issue from there.
The red dot in your Apple Watch indicates unread notifications, but if you cannot swipe them on your Apple Watch, restart the device and see if it helps. If it still doesn’t fix, force restart and check again.
If your Apple Watch is not responding properly, force restart and see if that fixes the issue.
That’s it!
Since the swipe gesture is an important way to control your Apple Watch, its productivity loses greatly if it’s not working. That’s why I have tried to bring you the tried-and-tested fixes. Were you able to fix the issues? Let me know in the comments below.
Read more Apple Watch fixes and tips:
- 16 Things you can do on Apple Watch without iPhone
- Apple Watch not responding or turning on? 8 Fixes to resolve it
- Apple Watch not getting notifications? How to fix it
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