Smart & Connected Life > Smart Watches & Wearables 148 148 people found this article helpful How to Close Apps on an Apple Watch Start with the side button on your watch to find and stop greedy apps from running down your battery (or get rid of apps you no longer need) By Amanda Derrick Amanda Derrick Twitter Freelance Contributor University of Utah Florida Tech Amanda Derrick is a mechanical engineer, business strategist, and former Lifewire writer who has also written for USAF Civil Service, ATK, and Boeing. lifewire's editorial guidelines Updated on December 18, 2022 Reviewed by Christine Baker Reviewed by Christine Baker Christine Baker is a marketing consultant with experience working for a variety of clients. Her expertise includes social media, web development, and graphic design. lifewire's editorial guidelines Tweet Share Email Tweet Share Email In This Article Expand Jump to a Section Easiest: Close Apps Quickly Force Close Resistant Apps Extra: Reboot the Watch What to Know Press and release the side button once> scroll through active apps with a finger or Digital Crown.Next, swipe an app from right to left and select the large red X to close it.To force quit, press and hold side button for shutdown screen > press and hold Digital Crown. This article explains how to close an active app on your Apple Watch Series 3 or later. It also includes information on how to force close apps and how to reboot the Apple Watch. How to Close Apps on Apple Watch If your Apple Watch slows down, loses battery charge quickly, or is stuck in a program, it may be time to close a few apps. Closing apps you're not using gives your Apple Watch a fresh start, restores its usefulness, and helps you get back to work. Follow these steps to clean up the active apps on your Apple Watch by closing those you aren't using: On your Apple Watch, press and release the side button (not the digital crown) once. Using your finger or the digital crown, scroll through the open apps. Select the app you want to close and swipe from right to left on it. Tap the large X in a red box to close the app. Closing an app does not remove it from the Apple Watch. How to Force Close Apps on the Apple Watch When an app freezes on your Apple Watch, press and hold the side button until the shutdown screen appears, and then press and hold the digital crown until the app closes. You must be in the app to force it to close. How to Reboot an Apple Watch If your Apple Watch is struggling to close an app with either of the above methods, reboot it. There are two ways to do this: Restart the Apple Watch by holding down the side button and sliding Power Off. Force restart an unresponsive watch to reboot by holding down the side button and the digital crown at the same time until it powers off. While your Apple Watch has a companion app on the iPhone, you need to manage the apps running on your Apple Watch directly from the wearable. Was this page helpful? Thanks for letting us know! Get the Latest Tech News Delivered Every Day Subscribe Tell us why! Other Not enough details Hard to understand Submit