This article explains how to turn on a Samsung Galaxy Watch. In most cases, the watch will remain on unless the battery has depleted or it needs to restart—such as while installing a software update.
What to Know
- Press and hold the Power /Home key on the side of the Galaxy watch.If the Galaxy Watch won’t turn on, check the charging dock, try charging it, or contact the Samsung Support Center.The charger’s LED will flash red if there’s a charging error, and the Watch may show a message on the display.
How Do I Turn on My Galaxy Watch?
If this is the first time you’re using the Galaxy Watch, you will need to power it on. You may also need to turn it back on if the battery died and you didn’t plug the Watch into the charger in time.
Here’s how to turn on your Galaxy Watch:
- Press and hold the Power key. On Galaxy Watch 3 and earlier, this is the lower key on the side of the watch. On Galaxy Watch 4 and later, it’s the top key.
- If this is your first time using the Galaxy Watch, you should also download and install the Galaxy Wearable app (on Android) or the respective Samsung Galaxy Watch app for your model (on iOS). For example, the Samsung Galaxy Fit has a separate app from the Galaxy Watch.
- Wait for the watch to boot.
Why Is My Samsung Galaxy Watch Not Turning On?
If your Samsung Galaxy Watch is not turning on, even after pressing and holding the Power key, you may need to charge the device. It’s possible the battery is almost entirely depleted, in which case you can set it on the dock or a compatible wireless charger.
Press and hold the Power key. On Galaxy Watch 3 and earlier, this is the lower key on the side of the watch. On Galaxy Watch 4 and later, it’s the top key.
If this is your first time using the Galaxy Watch, you should also download and install the Galaxy Wearable app (on Android) or the respective Samsung Galaxy Watch app for your model (on iOS). For example, the Samsung Galaxy Fit has a separate app from the Galaxy Watch.
Wait for the watch to boot.
Here are some troubleshooting steps to help you get your Galaxy Watch turned on:
- Verify you have a Samsung Galaxy Watch-compatible charging dock or adapter. If you are not using a Samsung-approved wall or device charger, your Galaxy Watch may not be charging correctly.
- Try charging the Galaxy Watch either with your existing adapter or a new one. If you are using a Wireless Charging Duo Stand or Wireless Charging Pad from Samsung, the LED will flash red when there’s a charging error. You may also see a message displayed on the watch.
- Soft reset the watch by holding down the Power key and the Home key until a rebooting message appears on the display. If the Watch is already on, yet frozen or unresponsive, you may need to power cycle or reset the device. Wait until the device completes its power cycle, and see if the performance has improved. If it has not, you may want to try a factory data reset.
- Perform a factory reset to wipe user settings and return to factory default. To perform a factory reset, or factory data reset, you will need to be able to access the device settings on the smartwatch. If it’s powered off or will not turn on, unfortunately, you cannot proceed. If that’s the case, your only recourse is to contact the Samsung Support Center
- Make sure to back up all important data stored on the device before you attempt a factory reset. It will wipe all user settings and content.
- When all else fails, it’s best to contact the Samsung Support Center for a service or help request.
How to Factory Reset the Galaxy Watch
Here’s how to factory reset the Galaxy Watch:
Verify you have a Samsung Galaxy Watch-compatible charging dock or adapter. If you are not using a Samsung-approved wall or device charger, your Galaxy Watch may not be charging correctly.
Try charging the Galaxy Watch either with your existing adapter or a new one. If you are using a Wireless Charging Duo Stand or Wireless Charging Pad from Samsung, the LED will flash red when there’s a charging error. You may also see a message displayed on the watch.
Soft reset the watch by holding down the Power key and the Home key until a rebooting message appears on the display. If the Watch is already on, yet frozen or unresponsive, you may need to power cycle or reset the device. Wait until the device completes its power cycle, and see if the performance has improved. If it has not, you may want to try a factory data reset.
Perform a factory reset to wipe user settings and return to factory default. To perform a factory reset, or factory data reset, you will need to be able to access the device settings on the smartwatch. If it’s powered off or will not turn on, unfortunately, you cannot proceed. If that’s the case, your only recourse is to contact the Samsung Support Center
Make sure to back up all important data stored on the device before you attempt a factory reset. It will wipe all user settings and content.
When all else fails, it’s best to contact the Samsung Support Center for a service or help request.
- Open the Galaxy Watch Settings.
- Navigate to General.
- Tap Reset.
- Scroll down and tap Reset again. You will be asked to confirm, so tap the ✔ to move forward, or the X to cancel.
- Wait for the device to complete the reset process and reboot.
If none of these troubleshooting steps help and your Galaxy Watch won’t turn on, your next action should be to visit the Samsung Support Center.
Open the Galaxy Watch Settings.
Navigate to General.
Tap Reset.
Scroll down and tap Reset again. You will be asked to confirm, so tap the ✔ to move forward, or the X to cancel.
Wait for the device to complete the reset process and reboot.
- How do I turn on a Samsung Galaxy Watch 3?
- To turn on a Samsung Galaxy Watch 3, press and hold the Power key (also known as the Home key) for a few seconds. If your Galaxy 3 watch is unresponsive, press and hold the Power key and Back key simultaneously for about 10 seconds.
- How do I turn off auto-pause on my Samsung Galaxy Watch?
- Press Home key > select Samsung Health app > scroll down and tap Settings > Workout Detection > toggle off Alerts. To turn off auto-pause only for a selected activity, go to Workout Detection > Activities to Detect > select activity > toggle off Alerts.
To turn on a Samsung Galaxy Watch 3, press and hold the Power key (also known as the Home key) for a few seconds. If your Galaxy 3 watch is unresponsive, press and hold the Power key and Back key simultaneously for about 10 seconds.
Press Home key > select Samsung Health app > scroll down and tap Settings > Workout Detection > toggle off Alerts. To turn off auto-pause only for a selected activity, go to Workout Detection > Activities to Detect > select activity > toggle off Alerts.
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