If you have an Apple watch and it won’t swipe up this article is recommended for you. We will consider why and how to fix the Apple Watch won’t swipe up in this article.
The Apple Smartwatch is one of the latest products from Apple Inc. The watch has great features just like most smart devices such as snapping a picture on your iPhone, answering your calls, used as a remote control for your Apple TV, or even monitoring your heart rate.
However, as versatile as this device is, some users complained recently about not being able to swipe up their smartwatches which prevents them from using the control centre or changing modes. Several reasons can hinder you from swiping up your Apple Watch, some of which have been listed below.
It can be frustrating when your Apple Watch won’t swipe up. Once you experience this glitch you can try these first-hand troubleshooting steps like cleaning the edges and screen before exploring the advanced solutions like hard resetting and updating the watchOS. You can as well remove the screen protector, and swipe up with thoroughly clean hands.
Until you can fix the Apple watch won’t swipe up issue, you can’t use the control centre or notifications, change modes, or even locate your iPhone. It’s that serious. However, this can be fixed easily. This post will walk you through different troubleshooting steps you can try to fix the Apple Watch won’t swipe up.
Why won’t my Apple Watch Swipe Up?
Apple Watch users have reported recently about their inability to swipe up their smartwatches. Several reasons could be responsible for this problem such as
- Software Update: Many Apple Watch users reported that the problem started shortly after they installed the watchOS 8.5.1. version.
- Once you see a red dot appears on your Apple Watch: This indicates that you have yet to read notifications.
- To remove this red dot, swipe down on your Apple Watch’s screen and check for the latest notifications.
- You can as well turn off the red dot permanently via the Watch app on your iPhone.
Check to see if any of the aforementioned points are the reason why your Apple watch won’t swipe up.
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How to Fix Apple Watch won’t Swipe up?
There are several tried and tested troubleshooting steps that can help fix the Apple watch won’t swipe up problem. Some of them have been listed below:
Restart or Reboot your Apple Watch
Whenever gadget freezes or malfunctions, the first thing that comes to mind is to Restart it. If your Apple Watch won’t swipe up, then you have to restart your Apple Watch. To restart the Apple watch, follow the steps below:
- Ensure your Apple Watch is not charging while you restart it (since restarting doesn’t work while charging).
- Long-press on the side button (oval shape) close to the Digital Crown on your Apple Watch.
- Once you can see the power off slider displayed, make use of the slider to switch it off.
- If you have a watchOS 9, click on the power button at the top right corner, then slide the slider.
- Finally, press and hold the side button again until you see the Apple logo to complete the entire process of restarting your Apple watch.
That’s it! However, in case your Apple watch won’t still swipe up after restarting it, then you can try a force restart.
Force Restart the Watch
In case the normal restart didn’t work for you, you can as well try force restarting it. Instead of performing a normal restart, many users have tried and fixed the issue of the Apple watch won’t swipe up by force restarting. You should note that force resetting is also the same as hard resetting, so don’t get it twisted.
Never perform a force restart if your Apple watch is in the middle of an OS update. To force restart the Apple watch, follow the steps below:
- Long-press on both the Side Button and the Digital Crown for a minimum duration of 10 seconds.
- Let go of these buttons once you see the Apple logo displayed on the screen.
- Now, wait for a few minutes to allow the smartwatch to boot up.
Once the watch has successfully booted up, check if your Apple Watch can now swipe up. If it doesn’t fix it, proceed to the next solution below.
Try Swiping your Apple Watch Slowly
In case you still can’t swipe up your Apple Watch like before, you can try swiping the screen at a slower pace. It’s possible that a software bug can stop the watchOS from detecting the usual swipes, and until a fix update is implemented, you can try slow swipes.
However, if this doesn’t fix the issue as well, move on to the next fix below.
Change your Apple Watch Face
Changing or switching the watch face sounds a bit absurd and irrelevant, it has been reported that this fix has solved the issue of the Apple watch won’t swipe up. You may as well give it a try. To switch between your Apple Watch faces, follow the steps below:
- Swipe left or right on your current watch face.
- Cycle via the watch faces that you already have and stop swiping once you get your desired watch face.
It’s not always a software or hardware issue, sometimes it could be that a watch face is preventing your Apple Watch from registering swipe gestures. Therefore, go ahead to change the watch face of your Apple Watch and see if it works.
You can as well lift your wrist a bit to light up the screen and tap it just once. To easily switch between the different faces of the watch, swipe horizontally from the right or left edge.
Update your WatchOS
Apple designed watchOS 8.6 for supported Apple Watches. In case you still have issues swiping up your Apple Watch, you can try to install the most recent watchOS and update your Apple Watch. To do that, follow the steps below:
- Navigate to the Watch app.
- Select General.
- Click on Software Update.
- Finally, Download and install the update.
That’s all! You have successfully updated your Apple Smart Watch. Peradventure, this doesn’t work, try to un-pair and re-pair your Apple Watch.
Unpair and re-pair Apple Watch
Unpairing and Re-pairing your Apple watch are one of the best fixes to solve the problem of the Apple watch won’t swipe up. However, before you proceed with the steps, ensure to backup the files on your Apple Watch so you will be able to restore them later.
Many users who have encountered this issue have testified positively after unpairing Apple Watch from iPhone. It might be time-consuming, but in case you can’t get the gestures that reveal Control Center and notifications, it’s sure worth it. Follow the steps below:
- Place your iPhone and Apple Watch side by side, then open the Watch app on your iPhone.
- Click on All Watches on the My Watch tab.
- Click on the info (i) button close to the watch that you wish to unpair.
- Select Unpair Apple Watch (For GPS+ Cellular models, select to keep your cellular plan).
- Click again for confirmation.
- You might be directed to input your Apple ID password to disable the Activation Lock.
Before you delete all content and settings on your Apple Watch, ensure you create a new backup of your Apple Watch on your iPhone. It’s possible to use the backup to restore a new Apple Watch.
Once your Apple Watch successfully unpairs, you will get the Start Pairing message. Then you can go ahead to pair your watch again to your iPhone just the normal way. Follow the steps below to re-pair Apple Watch
- Long-press on the side button of your Apple Watch until you see the Apple logo.
- Wait till you get the “Use your iPhone to set up this Apple Watch” message on your iPhone.
- Then click on Continue, in case you don’t get this message, open the Watch app on your iPhone, click on All Watches, and then select Pair New Watch.
- Follow the on-screen instructions step-by-step to re-pair your Apple watch.
That’s all about unpairing and re-pairing your Apple Watch. In case you still can’t swipe up your Apple watch, check out the next fix below. 
Check for Cracks on the Apple Watch Screen
Since Apple Watch is usually worn on the wist, it’s easy to get scratches or little cracks around the bezels and corners. These cracks can further affect the areas where you swipe.
Ensure that there are no scratches or cracks; in case you notice any, then, it’s time to visit Apple Support.
Contact Apple Support
Did you find scratches or cracks on your Apple Watch or you’ve tried all you could but you still can’t find a solution through all the aforementioned fixes? Then, it may be a hardware issue.
Your last resort is simply to contact Apple Support for repair or replacement after informing them about the issue. I hope you get a lasting solution to fix the issue from there.
If you were able to solve the issue of the Apple Watch won’t swipe up, it may be a temporary fix, and you might have to wait for Apple to fix whatever is not right in a future update.