How to Turn on a Samsung Galaxy Watch

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 needs to restart—such as while installing a software update.

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.

To turn on your Galaxy Watch, press and hold the Power key. On Galaxy Watch 4 and later, this is the top key on the side of the watch. On Galaxy Watch 3 and earlier, this key is also on the side, but it's the lower key.

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.

Here are some troubleshooting steps to help you get your Galaxy Watch turned on:

1. 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.
   

2. 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.
   

3. Soft reset the watch by holding down the Power and the Back buttons 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.
   

4. Perform a factory reset to wipe user settings and return to factory default. To perform a factory 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 Samsung.
   

   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.

5. When all else fails, it’s best to contact Samsung Support for a service or help request.
   

How to Factory Reset the Galaxy Watch

Here's how to factory reset the Galaxy Watch from the watch's on-screen menus:

1. Open the Galaxy Watch Settings.
   

2. Navigate to General.

3. Tap Reset.
   

4. Scroll down and tap Reset again. You will be asked to confirm, so tap the ✔ to move forward.
   

5. 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 a Samsung Support Center.