Apple Watch is one of a kind when it comes to smartwatches. Until today, the Apple Watch has been a favorite of all iOS users.
However, with tremendous positive feedback from millions, a couple of complaints also popped up. Most of these reports complain that their Apple Watch won’t charge.
For instance, the Apple Watch series went low on charge, and you considered giving it a power refill. But, when you place it on its magnetic charger, your green lightning bolt does not show up. In this situation, you must try some troubleshooting steps to resolve the matter.
Read this post further to find out why your Apple Watch won’t charge and how you can fix it.
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Reasons Your Apple Watch Won’t Charge
There are a lot of reasons for your Apple Watch not charging. But, unfortunately, you can never know what went wrong with your electronic gadget until you do some troubleshooting.
The first and foremost reason your Apple Watch is not charging is because of its charger. The magnetic charger can catch some dust or get damaged for an unknown reason. In addition, the USB power adapter may be having some hardware issues.
In contrast, your Apple Watch series might be suffering from a software issue or needs an update.
Or perhaps you are not charging your Apple Watch the right way.
How to Charge Your Apple Watch the Right Way?
Charging your Apple Watch series is way trickier than charging an iPhone. The Apple Watch lacks a charging port and charging it via Apple Watch charging cable can be pretty frustrating sometimes.
To be sure if your Apple Watch is charging or not, here’s what you need to do:
- First, place the Apple Watch on a magnetic charger.
- Swipe up from the bottom of your Apple Watch screen.
- Tap the percentage icon.
In addition, you might have noticed a red or green lightning bolt appearing on your Apple Watch. You must know the difference between them to fix your charging issue.
What is Different in the Green and Red Lightning Bolts?
You may be familiar with green and red lightning bolts. However, some Apple Watch users lack a complete understanding of both bolts. Here are the differences between them:
The Green Lightning Bolt
The green lightning bolt may appear on your screen as soon as you place your watch over the Apple Watch charging cable. This is to confirm that the Apple Watch has begun to charge.
The Red Lightning Bolt
When the Apple Watch is low on power and needs to be recharged, the red lightning bolt appears with the charging cable icon on your screen. This tells you that you need to get a charger connected to your Apple Watch as soon as possible. If you ignore it, your Apple Watch dies.
What Happens When an Apple Watch Dies?
If you fail to charge your Apple Watch on time, your Apple Watch gets critically low and gets shuts down itself.
So now, when you try to recharge it, you need to wait for 30 seconds before the Apple Watch can return from that black screen.
Once it does, you will see the red lightning bolt first. But, relax, there’s nothing to worry about. After a few minutes, red lightning bolt changes green and indicates your Apple Watch is charging correctly.
What Can You Do to Fix Your Apple Watch Charging Issue?
There are a lot of remedies that can get you out of your problem. No matter what reason is causing your Apple Watch series not to charge, we have a solution for every situation.
If you find your Apple Watch not charging, consider trying the following steps:
Check if the Apple Watch Magnetic Charger is Plugged in
One simple and essential step is to check if your Apple Watch magnetic charger is correctly plugged into the USB power adapter. There is a possibility that the cable has loosened out from the adapter, causing your Apple Watch series not to charge.
In addition, do not forget to check if the USB power adapter is plugged into the power outlet firmly. If everything is in place and your Apple Watch is still not charging, move ahead with the following steps.
Try a Different Power Outlet
If your Apple Watch is not charging, you can try to plug your power adapter into a different power socket. Often, your power adapter may not fit right into the outlet, or the wall outlet does not work.
Clean Your Apple Watch
The first thing you must try for charging your Apple Watch is giving it an excellent clean-up.
Dirt, debris, and junk can often cause electronic devices to be dysfunctional or stop working. Therefore, you must try to clean the backside of the Apple Watch series because that is where your Apple Watch gets its power from.
In addition, you must also clean your Apple magnetic charging cable. If you have not cleaned your Apple Watch and its charging cable recently, plenty of oil and dust must have accumulated.
So, take a soft cloth and gently clean your gadget and Apple Watch charger. After cleaning, place your Apple Watch on the magnetic charger to check if your problem persists.
Place Your Apple Watch Properly
As we said, charging an Apple Watch needs attention. When placing your Apple Watch for charging on the Apple Watch magnetic charging cable, ensure the charger’s magnets align with your Apple Watch.
If they don’t, your Apple Watch won’t receive any power and can not charge.
Make Sure You Remove the Apple Watch Plastic Wrap
You might doubt our suggestion, but the plastic wrap on both sides of your magnetic charge can stop Apple Watches from charging.
If you have not removed these plastic wraps, peel them away from each side.
Try charging the Apple Watch series now; hopefully, it will charge now.
Check if Your Charger is Certified by MFi
Using any third-party magnetic charging cable can sometimes cause trouble charging your Apple Watch.
If you use one, make sure that it is MFi certified. This indicates that your charger is supported for use with an iOS device. If the charging cable is not MFi certified, you will receive an alert repeatedly as a warning that your charger is not compatible with the Apple Watch.
In addition, if you do not receive any alerts, you should still not trust any uncertified chargers for your Apple Watch. They can potentially damage your Apple Watch battery or overheat your smartwatch.
Force Restart, the Apple Watch Until Apple Logo, Appears
One quick and clever way to fix any technical issues with electronic gadgets is to force restart them. Yes, it sounds weird, but it works.
Similarly, if the Apple Watch SE is not charging, you may force restart it for once. Here’s how you can do it:
- First, press the watch’s side button and Digital crown simultaneously.
- Continue holding both the side button and the Digital Crown for at least 15 seconds until your Apple Watch face goes black.
- Now, an Apple Logo must appear on your screen. You can leave the buttons now.
Your charging issue will likely be resolved once the Apple Watch series has restarted.
Try Using an Another Apple Magnetic Charger or USB Power Adapter
The magnetic charging cable and power adapter you are using may have got damaged or have a hardware issue. In such situations, you must consider using an alternate charger or a different USB power adapter for charging your Apple Watch.
Try it out; it might fix the problem.
Update Your Apple Watch Series
Often, software bugs get in charging your Apple Watch series properly.
Last year, several Apple Watch users complained that the smartwatch wouldn’t charge in battery-saving or the mode for Power Reserve. This was caused by a software glitch, the company which then repaired free of cost.
Similarly, your Apple Watch might also suffer from a random software issue and needs it removed. You can do this by updating your Apple Watch SE software.
Here’s how you can update your Apple Watch:
- Launch the Settings app on your smartwatch.
- Tap General.
- Select Software Update.
- Next, you may install the most recent available version of the watchOS.
You can also update your Apple Watch via the Watch app. Then go to General and select Software Update.
Once you have updated the Apple Watch, it may generally charge now since all bugs and software glitches are removed.
Contact Apple Support
After trying all the troubleshooting mentioned above steps, your Apple Watch series is likely to charge. However, if it still does not charge, your Apple Watch may have been damaged.
In such a situation, you must contact Apple Support as soon as possible.
Head over to your nearest Apple Store and visit them. The experts and professionals will diagnose the problem for you and fix it.
Final Thoughts
Apple Watch is, without a doubt, a best friend to most Apple users. The great smartwatch has changed our lives so significantly that we can not imagine going to work without it.
However, just like any electronic device, they can also face technical issues. Luckily, there are many ways you can solve the problem.
Make sure you try each method for charging the Apple Watch series before you give up. All steps are straightforward to do and won’t cost you much time.
