Why Can’t I Swipe Down on My Apple Watch? Here are 4 Solutions

Are you looking for ways to fix Apple Watch won’t swipe up or down? There’re many ways you can try to fix the Apple Watch won’t swipe up or down. A member of the Apple Community has recommended either restarting or force restarting for the solution. However, this may not be the only fix always.

So the Apple swipe-down issue can be due to several reasons. In addition, none can definitively answer the solution for this issue since it can have many reasons to make it happen and several methods for fixing it. As a result, none can recommend a particular solution method.

However, in this article, we will guide you through several methods to get rid of your question- “why cant I swipe down on my Apple watch.” So, read the article from the beginning to the end, and you will be able to know about the potential reasons and learn the possible methods for solutions.

Let’s explore!

Why Cant I Swipe Down on My Apple Watch

Many users have been facing the problem of swiping up and down while controlling their Apple Watches and asking for help in the Apple Community.

Here is a member who asked for help to fix the apple watch swipe up and down problem.

I have an iWatch SE since less than a month – yesterday suddenly, the swipe down (for notifications) and swipe up (to check battery status etc.) stopped working.

The touchpad is fine – i can scroll up and down normally – it only doesn´t work for the above-mentioned.

I have tried switching notifications off and back on, put the watch on charge etc., but no progress… any advice on what might have happened?

According to several reports, the users started facing the problem after updating OS 8.5.1. However, the method of the solutions can vary depending on the different models of the apple watch. Here we will discuss all possible methods for all types of models.

Before going into details, we would like to discuss why your apple watch won’t swipe up or down.

Possible ReasonsSolutions
Software glitch or Update IssueEnsure whether the software and update fit your watch.
Water LockIf the water lock is active, swiping doesn’t work. So, ensure it.
Dirty, Sticky, and Wet HandThe touchscreen doesn’t work if your hand is dirty or wet.
Wearing GlovesWearing gloves is not touchscreen friendly.
Screen ProtectorEnsure the screen protector is clean and out of any scratches.

Now we will walk you through all possible solutions to fix the problem. Any one method may work for your watch from all of these methods. Many users have fixed their apple watches by following any of these methods.

Solution- 1: Restarting and Force Restarting

The simple way of fixing the problem is by following restarting or force restarting your apple watch.

One of the members from Reddit has suggested using either restart or force restart the apple watch if you can not swipe down to see a notification or cannot access the control center.

Restarting Apple Watch

1. First, keep holding and pressing the side button until you see the power Off option

2. Once you see the option, power off the apple watch by dragging the slider.

3. Wait for a few mins. Now keep holding and pressing the side button once again until the apple logo is visible.

4. Now let your apple watch boot up and then check if the issue is fixed or not.

Force Restarting Apple Watch

For force restart, you have to press and hold both Digital Crown and Side Button together for about 10 seconds until you can see the apple logo. Once you see the logo, then let it go.

You can also watch this video to understand better fixing the apple watch swipe up and down issue

Solution- 2:  Turning on and off the Sound & Haptics

Some people also have fixed the issue by toggling on and off the Sound and Haptics feature in the apple watch. Here a member from Apple Community says

It has worked consistently for me, anyway. Go to something that is on the “swipe” screen. Press the side button….go to Settings….go to Sound/Haptics….toggle on and off….then, as if by magic, the screen will swipe again….the real issue I think, is why my screen wont’ swipe…this happens at least twice a week and restarting my watch all the time was not something I was going to do …so every time my screen was unresponsive I tried various methods of “unfreezing”…. this one has worked…hope this helps everyone with this issue…I have Apple Watch 4 btw

Solution- 3: Turn Off Zoom

You can also try turning off Zoom on your apple watch and iPhone. To do it, follow the steps below.

1. Press the Digital Crown on your Apple Watch and select Settings. Then scroll down and tap on Accessibility

2. Now, find and tap on Zoom. Here turn off the zoom if it’s turned on.

3. On your iPhone, open the Watch App

4. Scroll down and tap on Accessibility

5. Now tap on Zoom

6. Turn off the Zoom option

Solution- 4: Unpair and Repair

You can try unpairing and repairing your apple watch if you encounter the swiping issue. This method may resolve the problem because many apple watch users have fixed their problems successfully.

1. To do this, open the Watch app on your iPhone

2. Tap on All Watches at the top left corner.

3. Now tap the info (i) icon next to your connected Apple Watch

4. Here, tap on Unpair Apple Watch

5. Enter your Apple Password and tap Unpair in the top right corner. Then wait for a min and repair them.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Why Is My Apple Watch Not Letting Me Swipe Up?

There are a few potential reasons why your Apple Watch might not be letting you swipe up. It could be a conflict between hardware and software may happen after updating the OS. You may also encounter the swiping issue if your hands are dirty, wet, or sticky because the touchscreen is friendly to it.

How Do I Fix An Unresponsive Apple Watch Screen?

If you have an unresponsive Apple Watch screen, there are a few things you can do to try to fix it. First, force quit the current app by pressing and holding the side button until the power menu appears. Then, select the app you want to close from the list and press the digital crown. If that doesn’t work, you can try restarting the watch by pressing and holding the side button until the power-off slider appears. Once your watch is off, turn it back on. If your screen is still unresponsive, you can try resetting your watch by pressing and holding the side button and the digital crown simultaneously for about 10 seconds.

Why Can I Not Swipe On My IPhone?

There are a few reasons why your iPhone might not be swiping up correctly. One reason could be Touch screen issues. If your touch screen hasn’t been damaged recently, it’s likely an iOS system problem. Another reason could be that your iPhone software is out of date, or there was a recent update to iOS 16 that caused the problem. If you’re unsure what the problem is, you can try resetting your iPhone to its factory settings. It will wipe all your data and settings, so make sure you back up your iPhone first. If you still can’t get your iPhone to swipe up after resetting it, you should contact Apple support for further assistance.

Conclusion

So far, we have discussed the main reasons for your question-  why cant i swipe down on my apple watch and the possible methods for fixing the issue. We have guided you through all steps of each method.

No one can tell you which method can be able to solve the problem because the apple watch swiping issue can vary according to the different models. As a result, the solution also can be different for each model.

Finally, we recommend applying each method we have demonstrated in the article if any one method fails to fix. And if you cannot fix the problem after trying all steps, then contact Apple Customer Support.

You Can Also Read:

Scroll to Top