Sometimes your Wear OS watch needs to be rebooted or reset, here’s how

From time to time, it’s good to restart your smartwatch to keep it running fresh, so knowing how to reboot or factory reset a Wear OS watch is helpful. The memory inside these devices can get a bit bogged down sometimes with temporary files, and a restart can help get it all back to running in tip-top shape. Now and then, even some of the best Android smartwatches need a reboot, maybe so far as a factory reset to fix an issue. Regardless of the reason, here is how to reboot or reset your Wear OS watch.

How to reboot a Wear OS watch

1. Get to your watch settings by swiping down from the top of your screen.
2. Select the gear icon to access the settings menu.
   • The other way to access your watch settings is by pressing the watch’s side button and scrolling to settings in your apps list.

3. Once you have opened the settings, scroll down to the bottom and tap on System.

   

4. Here is where you will find the option to restart your Wear OS watch.
5. The next screen will confirm that you wish to restart or power off your smartwatch. Tap on the checkmark to proceed with your choice.

If you have chosen to simply restart your watch, your Wear OS smartwatch will be back up and running fresh and ready to go after a few moments. However, if you did fully power it off, you will need to hold the side button for a few seconds to turn your watch back on.

How to factory reset a Wear OS watch

If your smartwatch isn’t performing correctly, or if you got a new phone, you’ll want to know how to factory reset your watch to get it back up and running in tip-top shape quickly.

1. Follow steps 1 through 3 for rebooting your Wear OS watch.
2. At step 4, choose disconnect and reset.

3. When the next screen asks if you are sure that you want to disconnect and reset your device, tap on the checkmark.

   

4. While your watch is factory resetting, get the phone that your watch is paired to and open the Wear OS app.
   • If you are pairing the watch to a new phone, you can skip to step 6.
5. In the app, you can either tap on the three dots in the upper right corner of the screen and select disconnect or scroll to the bottom of the Wear OS home screen and open advanced settings then choose forget watch.
6. Once your Wear OS watch has finished the factory reset process, you’ll go through pairing to the Wear OS app on your phone.

Much like when you have to factory reset your Android phone, a factory reset on your Wear OS watch can be a little annoying due to the necessity of reinstalling your apps. Thankfully, the process is the same whether you are using something like the top-end TicWatch Pro 3 or the less expensive Fossil Gen 5E.

Performance champ

TicWatch Pro 3

$300 at Amazon
$297 at Walmart
$300 at B&H

Battery for days

As one of the few smartwatches running the Snapdragon 4100, the TicWatch Pro 3 is the king of performance, making everything on the watch run buttery smooth. Thanks to the dual-display tech, it also has some of the best battery life on the market.

No lack of style

Fossil Gen 5E

44mm From $205 at Amazon
42mm From $154 at Amazon
$169 at Walmart

Great for all occasions

The Fossil Gen 5E offers solid performance along with multiple case designs and sizes to choose from. This Wear OS watch is excellent for most all situations to keep you connected and in style.