Step 1 of 5

Charge your smartwatch fully

A completely dead battery is the most common cause of a black screen.

⏱ 30–60 minutes

Plug your watch's charger into a power outlet
Make sure the watch's charging pins are clean — wipe them gently with a dry cloth if dusty
Place the watch on the charger and leave it for at least 30 minutes
Look for any charging indicator light on the watch or charger
After 30 minutes, take the watch off the charger and look at the screen to check if it turns on

Don't assume the watch is dead if the screen is black. Always try charging first
Don't keep force restarting over and over — do it once, wait for the boot sequence, then check
Don't charge with a loose connection. Make sure the charger contacts are firmly seated

Step 2 of 5

Force restart your smartwatch

If the screen is frozen, a force restart clears it. The exact method depends on your watch model.

⏱ 1–2 minutes

For most smartwatches: press and hold the side button or power button for 10–15 seconds until you see the brand logo or a restart screen
For some models, you may need to hold the button for 30 seconds
Release the button and wait for the watch to restart
Check if the screen now lights up with the watch's startup screen

Step 3 of 5

Check if wrist detection is turned on

If wrist detection is off, the screen won't light up when you raise your wrist. But you should still see something on screen when you tap it.

Try pressing any physical button on the watch multiple times
If the screen responds to button presses but not wrist raises, wrist detection might be off
From your phone's companion app, go to Watch Settings and look for Wrist Detection or Screen Wake
Make sure it shows as ON or Enabled
Check your watch screen to see if anything appears now

Step 4 of 5

Check if Do Not Disturb or Theater Mode is on

These modes can turn off the screen display or block it from lighting up.

Step 5 of 5

Restart your watch again after charging

After charging fully, a complete restart sometimes helps the display come back.

⏱ 2–3 minutes

Smartwatch screen stays black and won't turn on