I just got an Apple Watch secondhand and I can’t figure out how to power it on. I’ve tried pressing and holding the side button, but nothing happens and I’m not sure if I’m missing a step or if the watch is dead. Can someone walk me through the correct way to turn on an Apple Watch and any troubleshooting tips if it won’t start?
First thing to check is power. A secondhand Watch often ships completely drained.
Run through this step by step:
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Use the right charger
• Make sure you have an Apple Watch magnetic charger, not an iPhone one.
• Snap the back of the Watch onto the charger. The round puck should align with the back.
• Plug it into a wall adapter, not a computer USB port. Some USB ports give weak power. -
Let it sit
• Leave it on the charger at least 30 minutes.
• If the battery was deeply drained, it sometimes needs a while before anything shows.
• After 10 to 15 minutes, check for a red or green lightning bolt on the screen. If the screen is still black after 45 to 60 minutes, something is off. -
Try the correct power on method
• Press and hold the side button (the long button under the crown) for about 5 to 10 seconds.
• Do not press the Digital Crown, that one is the round knob.
• If it powers up, you see the Apple logo first. -
Force restart if it looks dead
• While on the charger, press and hold both the side button and the Digital Crown together.
• Keep holding for around 10 to 15 seconds until the Apple logo appears.
• If nothing happens after a few tries, you likely have a hardware or battery issue. -
Check for activation lock and pairing status
Once it turns on:
• If you see a screen asking for a previous owner’s Apple ID, it is activation locked. You need the seller to remove it from their iCloud account.
• If it shows the language/region setup screen or the swirling dots, it is ready to pair. Open the Watch app on your iPhone and follow the prompts. -
Test the charger and cable
• If you have access to another Apple Watch, test your charger on that.
• Or test another genuine Apple Watch charger on your Watch.
• Knockoff chargers sometimes do not provide stable power. -
Look for signs of life
• Even if the screen stays black, feel if the back of the Watch or the charger gets slightly warm after 30 minutes.
• No warmth at all plus no logo usually points to a dead battery, damaged charging coil, or logic board issue. -
When it still refuses to start
• If you know the model (on the back, like “Series 3”, “Series 4”, etc.), search the exact phrase “Apple Watch [Series] not turning on” for model specific quirks.
• If it is a very old model, the battery might be worn out. Apple and some repair shops report a lot of Series 0, 1, 2 units with batteries that no longer hold charge after years.
• At that point you are looking at a battery replacement or a board repair. A battery swap from a third party shop often runs 40 to 80 USD, official service more.
Quick checklist for you:
• Using real Apple Watch charger to wall outlet.
• Charged for at least 45 minutes.
• Tried side button hold.
• Tried force restart (side button + crown).
If you then see no Apple logo, no low battery icon, and no warmth, odds are the Watch is dead or close to it. You would need the seller to refund or help with repair.
Couple extra angles to check that @viaggiatoresolare didn’t really get into:
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Confirm what model you actually have
Flip it over and look at the tiny text around the sensors. It should say something like “Apple Watch Series 3 42mm.”- If it literally just says “Apple Watch” with no series, that’s the original model and the battery is very likely on its last legs in 2025. Not impossible to use, but don’t be shocked if it’s just gone.
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Inspect the back and ports physically
- Look at the back glass: any hairline cracks, lifting, or gaps around the edge? That can kill charging.
- Check for corrosion or gunk on the back where the charger touches. Wipe it with a slightly damp cloth, then dry. Cheap secondhand units sometimes came out of a drawer or a bathroom and the contacts are nasty.
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Don’t trust that the charger “should” work
I’d actually start by being suspicious of the charger, not the watch. Half the secondhand ones come with knockoff pucks that are garbage.- If you can, try a known good charger at an Apple Store or a repair shop.
- Or borrow a friend’s charger. Even 5–10 minutes on a legit charger can show a logo if the watch isn’t totally bricked.
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Wall adapter wattage matters a bit
Slightly disagree with the “any wall adapter is fine” vibe you sometimes hear. Very low‑power old USB bricks or random multiport adapters can be weird. Use an Apple 5W / 10W brick or a reputable phone charger, not that mystery cube from a gas station. -
Check for a super faint display
Put it in a dark room, cup your hand over the screen, and press the side button. Sometimes the brightness is turned down and it actually is on, just extremely dim. I’ve seen this with used watches that were last paired to someone who cranked brightness way down to save battery. -
Connect it to a known paired phone (if seller told you it was wiped)
If the seller claimed it was “already erased” but they didn’t remove Activation Lock, the watch might actually be stuck in a weird state.- Open the Watch app on your iPhone, go to “All Watches” and try “Pair New Watch.”
- If the watch is on but frozen at the “i” screen, pairing attempts may wake it or at least prove it has some life.
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Check for signs it might have been in water
- Any fogging under the screen glass?
- Weird white staining around the crown or side button?
If it was drowned and then sold to you, it can behave like a brick with no charge icons at all.
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Battery replacement math
If after a real charger, 60+ minutes, side button, and force restart you still get nothing and no warmth, it is probably:- dead battery
- dead charge circuit
- dead main board
Battery swap at small shops is often cheaper than people think. On older models it’s sometimes the only way to even see if it’ll boot. If the watch was really cheap, paying for a battery might still put you ahead vs buying a new one.
Given you’ve already tried a basic power on and nothing happens, I’d:
- borrow or test a different genuine charger
- leave it an hour
- try force restart a couple of times
If still absolutely zero response, I’d push the seller: either partial refund to cover a battery replacement or return it outright. A used Apple Watch that can’t show anything on screen after a full charge session is almost never just a “button press” issue.