Skip to main content

How to force quit Apple Watch apps

Even if you’ve got the latest Apple Watch, apps can still freeze up from time to time. With the process being notably different on watchOS compared to iOS, follow along for how to force quit Apple Watch apps.

Force quitting an app on iPhone or iPad is as simple as closing out apps from the multitasker. While it looks similar, removing apps from the Dock on watchOS doesn’t actually force quit or close the apps, but just removes them from the most recently used list of apps.

If you’ve got an Apple Watch app that is frozen or keeps crashing on you unexpectedly, you’ll want to use the following steps to force quit it.

How to force quit Apple Watch apps

  1. Make sure you’re in the app you’d like to force quit
  2. Press and hold the side button until the power screen appears
  3. Now press and hold the Digital Crown
  4. When successful, you’ll see an animation of the app closing as it fades to the watch face

If you’re still having trouble, give a shot to restarting your Apple Watch. Finally, if that doesn’t fix it, Apple recommends checking for app updates.

For more help getting the most out of your Apple devices, check out our how to guide as well as the following articles:


Check out 9to5Mac on YouTube for more Apple news:

FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.

You’re reading 9to5Mac — experts who break news about Apple and its surrounding ecosystem, day after day. Be sure to check out our homepage for all the latest news, and follow 9to5Mac on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn to stay in the loop. Don’t know where to start? Check out our exclusive stories, reviews, how-tos, and subscribe to our YouTube channel

Manage push notifications

notification icon
We would like to show you notifications for the latest news and updates.
notification icon
You are subscribed to notifications
notification icon
We would like to show you notifications for the latest news and updates.
notification icon
You are subscribed to notifications