Apple Watch Series 4 Not Charging or Charging Slowly? Try These Fixes

Is your Apple Watch Series 4 charging painfully slow — or not at all — even after connecting it to its charger? Whether you’re seeing a red lightning bolt, no icon at all, or the battery percentage won’t budge, don’t panic. Here’s how to figure out what’s wrong and get it charging again.

First: Make Sure It’s Actually Charging

Once your watch is connected to the magnetic charging cable:

A green lightning bolt means it’s charging.
A red lightning bolt means the battery is drained, but charging has started.
If you see no icon after a few minutes, it likely isn’t charging at all.

Swipe up from the watch face to open Control Center, then check the battery percentage to confirm.

Check These Four Key Charging Components

Your Apple Watch relies on four parts to charge:

The watch software
The magnetic charging cable
The charging sensors on the back of the watch
The power source (wall charger, USB port, etc.)

If any of these fail, your watch won’t charge properly.

Quick Pre-Troubleshooting Checks

✅ Remove the Plastic Wrap

If you just unboxed your watch, make sure the protective plastic isn’t blocking the charger connection — especially on the sides of the charging puck.

✅ Use the Official Charger

Only use Apple’s Magnetic Charging Cable and the included power adapter — or an MFi-certified replacement. Cheap third-party cables can be unreliable or even unsafe.

Try a different charger if you can. If one works and the other doesn’t, the cable is likely the issue.

✅ Try Different Charging Methods

You can charge your Apple Watch using:

A wall charger
A USB port on your computer
A car charger

Try each one to rule out a bad power source. Make sure the USB is securely plugged in on both ends.

✅ Clean the Charger and Watch Back

Dirt or dust can block the magnetic connection. Use a soft microfiber cloth to gently clean both the back of the watch and the magnetic charger. For the USB plug, use a soft anti-static brush or new toothbrush.

Fixes for Apple Watch Not Charging or Charging Slowly

1. Restart Your Apple Watch

Restarting can resolve minor software glitches.

To restart:

Disconnect your watch from the charger.
Press and hold the Side button until you see “Power Off.”
Drag the slider.
Wait 1–2 minutes, then press the Side button again to turn it on.

2. Update Your Apple Watch Software

Charging issues might be fixed by a software update.

Using your iPhone:

Open the Watch app.
Tap General > Software Update.
If an update is available, plug in your watch and install it.

Your watch must be charged to at least 50%, connected to Wi-Fi, and placed on the charger.

Using your Apple Watch:

Open Settings > General > Software Update.
Tap Install if an update is available.

3. Force Restart the Watch

If a normal restart didn’t help, try a force restart.

To do this:

Press and hold the Digital Crown and Side Button together.
Keep holding until the Apple logo appears, then release both buttons.

4. Hard Reset (Erase All Contents and Settings)

If software issues are still causing charging problems, reset the watch.

Warning: This erases everything and resets the watch to factory defaults. Backup first if needed.

To reset:

Go to Settings > General > Reset.
Tap Erase All Content and Settings.
Enter your passcode and confirm.

This won’t remove the Activation Lock — you’ll still need to pair it again with your iPhone after reset.

Still Not Charging? It Could Be the Battery

If nothing works — even after cleaning, trying different chargers, and updating software — the battery might be failing. While rare on newer devices, older watches or heavily used ones can have battery issues.

Visit an Apple Store or authorized service provider to have it checked. If you’re covered by AppleCare+, you might even get a free charger replacement.