Apple watch won t swipe up

Question:

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

[Re-Titled by Moderator]

Apple Watch Series 4, watchOS 6

Posted on Jan 13, 2020 5:51 AM

User profile for user: gwynndolynhp

Question: Apple Watch won’t swipe up or down

Question:

From time to time I can't swipe up or down to reveal the Notifications or the Control Center on my Series 5 Apple Watch. My wife doesn't seem to have the same issue on her Series 6 but I see where other users have reported having the problem on 6 so don't think issue is related to hardware but more likely watchOS.

While the workaround is to restart the watch, the frequency of it becoming unresponsive to these swipe gestures, I'm currently having to restart over two days when the problem happens. No, I haven't wiped the watch completely clean and started over again, can't say I've ever had an issue resolved with that step but looking to see if others have this, other workarounds and will look to report this as a bug that hopefully can be addressed in an update to WatchOS.

Apple Watch Sport

Posted on Sep 23, 2021 7:17 PM

Answer:

Answer:

The first (and simplest) thing to try if something isn’t working right is to restart your Apple Watch and its paired iPhone. If necessary (device not responding), try a forced restart. Both methods can be found here:

How to restart your Apple Watch - Apple Support

Restart your iPhone - Apple Support

If that doesn't help, the next steps would be to unpair and pair your watch again and restore from the backup just created. This should result in no loss of data. It deletes all temp and corrupted files and re-indexes the file system.

Unpair and erase your Apple Watch - Apple Support

Set up your Apple Watch - Apple Support

BTW - I assume you have also tried cleaning the watch and removed the screen protector (if any).

How to clean your Apple Watch - Apple Support

Posted on Sep 23, 2021 8:05 PM

User profile for user: commanderclif_me

Question: Can't Swipe Up or Down on Apple Watch

Question:

I have an Apple Watch series 3 42mm running watchOS 6.1.1. I experience a problem where the watch face goes 'deaf' every few days; swiping down from the top to view notifications does nothing. Similarly, swiping up from the bottom does not bring up the control center. I've only been able to resolve this by restarting the watch.

Any thoughts on what is causing this? Bug in watchOS?

[Re-Titled by Moderator]

Apple Watch Series 3, watchOS 6

Posted on Dec 19, 2019 9:00 AM

User profile for user: SGraff

Question: Apple Watch swipe up not working

It’s not fun when your Apple Watch won’t swipe up. When that happens you cannot use the control center, change modes, or locate your iPhone.

Fortunately, this can be a relatively easy problem to fix. This guide walks you through several troubleshooting steps you can try to fix the problematic swipe-up gesture on your Apple Watch.

Why Will My Apple Watch Not Swipe Up?

Several reasons like a software update may explain why you cannot swipe up on Apple Watch. For instance, many Apple Watch users have reported that the issue started after they installed the watchOS 8.5.1.

Before we get into troubleshooting your Apple Watch gestures problems, we recommend cleaning the screen and edges, removing the screen protector, and swiping up gently.

How Can I Fix My Apple Watch Won’t Swipe Up?

If you are experiencing the same issue, this article will discuss various solutions you can use to fix the “Apple Watch won’t swipe up” problem.

1. Force Reboot the Apple Watch

Rebooting the Apple Watch may solve many minor issues, such as swiping up/down gestures. 

1. Press and hold the Side Button.
2. Slide the Power Off slider to turn off your Apple Watch. 

Power Off Apple Watch. Screenshot: Farhad Pashaei/Gotechtor

3. Wait at least 5 minutes and press and hold the Side Button to turn on the Apple Watch. 

4. Let the Apple Watch boot and check if the problem has been solved or not.

2. Force Restart the Apple Watch

Many users reported force restarting the watch solved the problem with the swipe-up gesture not working.

1. Press and hold the Digital Crown + Side Button simultaneously. 
2. Keep doing it until you see the Apple logo on the screen.
3. Release the buttons. 
4. Wait for the Apple Watch to boot up completely. 
5. Check if the problem has been solved.

3. Unpair and Re-Pair the Apple Watch

If the problem of swiping up the Apple Watch didn’t solve by restarting, you must try another fix.

Unpairing your Apple Watch and re-pairing it may solve many issues. Remember, when you want to re-pair your Apple Watch, set it as a new watch, and don’t restore it from the backup.

1. Open the Watch app.
2. Choose General.

Apple Watch General menu. Screenshot: Farhad Pashaei/Gotechtor

1. Scroll down and tap on Reset.

Reset Apple Watch. Screenshot: Farhad Pashaei/Gotechtor

1. Choose Erase Apple Watch Content and Settings.

Select Erase Apple Watch Content and Settings. Screenshot: Farhad Pashaei/Gotechtor

1. Confirm the pop-up message.

Confirm reset. Screenshot: Farhad Pashaei/Gotechtor

1. Enter your Apple ID Password and let the process finish.

Type in your Apple ID. Screenshot: Farhad Pashaei/Gotechtor

1. Pair your watch again and check if the problem persists. 

4. Change the Watch Face

Perhaps you’re wondering how changing the Apple Watch’s face relates to the swipe-up gesture not working. However, some users have reported success after changing the face of their Watch. So let’s give it a shot.

1. Go to the Watch app on your iPhone.
2. Choose Face Gallery (the tab in the bottom middle).

Choose Face Gallery. Screenshot: Farhad Pashaei/Gotechtor

1. Choose one face from the gallery and tap Add to make it your current watch face. 

Select add to add new Apple Wach Face. Screenshot: Farhad Pashaei/Gotechtor

1. Swipe left or right on your Apple Watch to change the watch face.
2. Check if the problem is solved. 

5. Check for watchOS Update

Apple published watchOS 8.6 for compatible Apple Watches. If you have a problem swiping up your Apple Watch, try to install the latest watchOS and update your Apple Watch. 

1. Go to the Watch app.
2. Choose General.

Go to the Apple Watch General menu. Screenshot: Farhad Pashaei/Gotechtor

1. Tap on Software Update.

Select Software Update. Screenshot: Farhad Pashaei/Gotechtor

1. Download and install the update. 

Do you have trouble updating your Apple Watch? Here’s what you need to do when your Apple Watch is unable to check for update.

6. Clean and Dry the Apple Watch

Sometimes, soaps, alcoholic hand sanitizers, chemicals, sharp materials, compressed air, cleaning tools, and external heat sources may damage your Apple Watch screen, and they must be avoided.

If you feel your Apple Watch Digital Crown is stuck and can’t move, there must be dirt or gunk on your watch.

Immediately start cleaning or drying your Apple Watch with a damp and clean cloth. Remove the band, the screen protector, or any other extra accessories, and clean all parts of your Apple Watch gently and carefully. 

Conclusion

Although many users have reported the problem that the Apple Watch won’t swipe up, Apple didn’t publish an official statement on this.

Users claimed this problem occurred after updating their Apple Watch to watchOS 8.5.1, and Apple Support Community didn’t say anything about the fix. watchOS 8.6 is now available, and it seems the problem has been solved after the update.

Updating your Apple Watch first is recommended to check if the problem is solved. If the issue persists, try other solutions mentioned above or contact Apple Support.

Let us know if this helped fix this problem. If you found success doing something else, leave me a comment down below!

How do I get my Apple Watch to swipe up?

Why can't I swipe up my Control Center?

Why wont my iPhone swipe up?