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5 Easy Fixes for Apple Watch Swipe Up Not Working

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Every Apple Watch has a Control Center that gives you quick access to useful features necessary to get the most out of the smartwatch. However, none of the features matter if the swipe up function is not working.

This article looks at why Apple Watch swipe up is not working, and then it recommends possible fixes to get you back on track.

Why Won’t My Apple Watch Swipe Up or Down?

A dirty display, an unresponsive screen protector, an outdated watchOS, and wrong watch face selection are the most common reasons why you can’t swipe up or down on your Apple Watch to open and close the Control Center.

In some cases, the swipe up function fails to respond because the smartwatch frozen. Freezing is a common Apple Watch problem caused by an outdated watchOS version or using the smartwatch for long without bothering about periodic, manual restarts.

How to Fix an Apple Watch That Won’t Swipe Up Or Down

Clean the screen, replace or remove the screen protector, select the right watch face, update watchOS, and restart or reset the smartwatch if the swipe up function isn’t working. 

1. Clean the Apple Watch

A dirty display is one of the reasons why Apple Watch touchscreen doesn’t work. And you can’t swipe up if the screen is unresponsive. 

So the first fix is to clean your Apple Watch. Dampen a clean cloth with a little bit of alcohol and wipe the display to remove dirt caught on the screen from regular use.

Avoid outdoor heat, cleaning agents such as soap, and abrasive materials because these can damage the screen.

2. Remove or Replace the Screen Protector

You don’t need a screen protector for Apple Watch per se. The watch’s display is made of sapphire crystals, the strongest transparent material besides diamond.

Still, a screen protector is a good accessory because it adds a layer of protection to shield the screen underneath against cracks and scratches.

However, if your Apple Watch is clean and swipe up is not working, unpeel the screen protector from the watch and wipe the display with a clean piece of cloth dampened in alcohol. Alternatively, replace the screen protector with a new one if you must have one on your Apple Watch.

3. Select the Right Watch Face

Get an alternative Apple Watch face if you’ve cleaned display, peeled out the screen protector, restarted the watch, and updated watchOS to the latest version but you still can’t swipe up or down.

Lift your wrist to awake the display, or press the Digital Crown if wake on wrist raise is not active. Swipe the screen from the right to the left and switch to a different watch face.

4. Update to watchOS 11

You need to update your Apple Watch to watchOS 11 to fix potential bugs that may be preventing the screen from responding to swipes.

Open the Apple Watch app on your iPhone. Go to General under My Watch tab and tap Software Update. Check if there’s a red notification button for released updates and install the watchOS 11 updates.

5. Restart or Reset Your Apple Watch

Sometimes the Apple Watch jams and freezes, making it difficult to swipe up to access the Control Center. Restart your Apple Watch if this is the case.

Backup your Apple Watch if you still can’t access the Control Center, especially if you have restarted the watch multiple times.

Reset the watch to erase all content and settings. And then complete the Apple Watch set up by restoring data from your backup.

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Michael Jonathan

Michael Jonathan is the brainchild of Apelo Studio. He loves talking about wearable devices, and he is passionate about helping you push your wearable device to its limits.

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