Your Apple Watch might need a rest sometimes. Switching it off can not only help preserve the battery when you're not wearing it, but a restart can troubleshoot issues that may crop up with your smart watch too.

In this article, we'll show you how to turn your Apple Watch on and off, how to force restart it, and how to fix any power-on problems.

It doesn’t take loads of time. You can turn off your Apple Watch in just a few seconds without having to menu dive or anything like that.

Normal power off

Just follow these steps to turn off your Apple Watch the standard way:

1. Press and hold the button on the side of your device.

2. Let go when you see a slider appear on the screen.

3. Tap the power icon and drag it from left to right to switch off your Apple Watch.

Force restart

If your Apple Watch has become unresponsive and won't allow you to turn it off normally, you'll have to force restart it to fix the issue. Here’s how to do it:

1. Press and hold the side button and Digital Crown together.

2. Wait for about 10 seconds and let go when you see the Apple logo appear on your screen.

To get your Apple Watch ready to wear on your wrist again, you won’t have to wait long for it power up. Just carry out these easy steps:

1. Press and hold down the side botton.

2. Let go when the Apple logo appears on the screen.

Troubleshooting power-on issues

If your Apple Watch won't turn on, it's probably due to a depleted battery. But it could be something else, so try the following potential fixes to get it running like clockwork again:

• Turn or press the Digital Crown: It's possible that your Apple Watch has some kind of setting causing its screen not to activate. So, try adjusting the Digital Crown and see if the screen wakes up.

• Check your settings in the Watch app: You can open the Watch app on your iPhone to check your wearable's ‘Display & Brightness’ settings. Double check that 'Wake on Wrist Raise' and 'Always On' are toggled on.

• Charge your Apple Watch: A flat battery is the most common cause for why an Apple Watch won't turn on. So, put yours on charge, wait a few minutes, then try turning it on.

• Check the charger works: If your Apple Watch won't charge up, it might be because the charger itself has a fault. Check the cable for damage, and see if your watch is seated correctly on the charger. If someone else in your household has an Apple Watch, you can use theirs to check if the charger is the problem or not too.

• Force restart your Apple Watch: Hold down both the side button and Digital Crown at the same time, then wait at least 10 seconds until the Apple logo shows up on the display.

Need help keeping tabs on your Apple Watch's battery? Read our how to check battery life on an Apple Watch piece. Or for more troubleshooting tips, check out our Apple Watch troubleshooting guide.

We've already covered how to force restart your Apple Watch to help fix a frozen screen or your watch not turning on. Simply press and hold the two side buttons down and wait for that iconic Apple logo to appear.

But for a more conventional restart to fix a smaller issue, like sluggish apps, you just have to turn your Apple Watch on and off. Here's what you'll need to do:

1. Hold down the side button on your Apple Watch and wait for the power slider to appear.

2. Drag the power icon to the right to turn it off.

3. Turn your Apple Watch back on by holding the side button again.

Paired iPhone restart

It's possible you'll have to restart your paired iPhone as well to fix a bug. This is really easy too though, and will hopefully make things run a lot smoother:

1. Switch your iPhone off by holding down the side button and one of the volume buttons.

2. Drag the power slider from left to right.

3. Wait a few seconds, then turn it back on by holding down the side button.

iPhone not responding? Try force restarting it instead by following these steps:

1. Press and then quickly release the volume up button.

2. Do the same for the volume down button.

3. Hold down the side button until the Apple logo appears on your phone's screen.

It's not necessary to turn your Apple Watch off regularly to maintain good performance. But switching your Apple Watch off every once in a while can have some benefits:

• Saves battery life: Turning off your Apple Watch when you're not using it will help preserve battery life. It’s an especially good idea if you're not planning to use your watch for a long while.

• Makes troubleshooting easier: If your Apple Watch is behaving strangely, then turning it off and on again can often fix the issue.

• Prevents overheating: If your Apple Watch feels unusually warm while you're wearing it, then it's a good idea to turn it off to prevent it from overheating. Your Apple Watch should display a warning if it does get too hot though.

Do I need to turn off my Apple Watch?

No, you don't have to switch off your Apple Watch overnight or at any time if it’s running well and the battery is efficient. In fact, recharging it overnight is probably the best way to go about wearing it day to day. It's only necessary to switch it off if you're trying to actively save battery, fix an issue, or you're not planning on wearing it for a while.

How can I save Apple Watch battery life?

If your Apple Watch’s battery is depleting faster than normal, then don't panic — it doesn't mean your device is running out of time! Here are a few things you can do to try and preserve battery:

• Adjust display settings: An easy way to make your device's battery last longer is by lowering the brightness of the watch face. Just open the Settings app, tap 'Display & Brightness', and drag the brightness slider to the left.

• Use Power Saving Mode: All Apple Watch models have a Power Saving Mode, which turns off heart rate tracking and limits notifications to help extend the battery life. To turn on this feature, go to the Settings app, tap 'Battery', and turn on 'Power Saving Mode'.

• Check for updates: Apple will frequently release software updates to improve the efficiency of your watch and its battery. To check for the most recent update, open the Watch app on your connected iPhone, head to 'My Watch', select 'General', then choose 'Software Update'.

To learn more about keeping your Apple Watch up with the times, read our how to update your Apple Watch article.

What if my Apple Watch won’t turn off?

If your Apple Watch's screen has frozen and is unresponsive, it's best to try and force restart it by holding down the side button and the Digital Crown for at least 10 seconds until the Apple logo appears.

Any more questions?

Want to give your watch a facelift? Check out our best Apple Watch faces and how to use them article. Or find out how to remove and change your Apple Watch band for an even bigger makeover.