Smart & Connected Life Smart Watches & Wearables How to Close Apps on an Apple Watch Stop apps from running down your battery by Amanda Derrick Freelance Contributor Amanda Derrick is a mechanical engineer, business strategist, and former Lifewire writer who has also written for USAF Civil Service, ATK, and Boeing. our editorial process Twitter LinkedIn Amanda Derrick Updated on December 09, 2020 reviewed by Christine Baker Lifewire Tech Review Board Member Christine Baker is a marketing consultant with experience working for a variety of clients. Her expertise includes social media, web development, and graphic design. our review board Article reviewed on Oct 11, 2020 Christine Baker Smart Watches & Wearables Working From Home Headphones & Ear Buds Smart Home Smart Watches & Wearables Travel Tech Connected Car Tech iPods & MP3 Players Tweet Share Email If your Apple Watch is slowing down, loses battery charge quickly, or is stuck in a program, it may be time to close down a few apps. Closing down apps you're not using gives your Apple Watch a fresh start, restores its usefulness, and helps you get back to work. Here's a look at how to close apps on an Apple Watch quickly and easily. Information in this article applies to Apple Watch Series 3 and later. bombuscreative / Getty Images How to Close Apps on Apple Watch If you're ready to clean up your active applications, follow these steps. On your Apple Watch, press the side button once. Using your finger or the Digital Crown, scroll through your active apps. Select the app you want to close and swipe from right to left. Tap the large red X to close the app. 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, try rebooting it. There are two ways to do this: Hold down the Side Button, and then slide to Power Off.If the watch is unresponsive, force it 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'll 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 Email Address Sign up There was an error. Please try again. You're in! Thanks for signing up. There was an error. Please try again. Thank you for signing up. Tell us why! Other Not enough details Hard to understand Submit