If you’ve ever looked down at your Apple Watch and found a pitch-black screen staring back at you—don’t panic. That’s exactly what happened with my Series 6, and here’s how I brought it back to life.
Please see the following site for the Japanese version.
The Day Before It Died
Nothing seemed wrong the day before. I used my Apple Watch like always:
- 1-hour golf practice
- Swimming (250m) and running (3km) at the gym
Everything worked fine until I went to bed.
The Morning It Went Black
The next morning, my watch vibrated along with my iPhone alarm—but the screen stayed completely black.
I tried holding the Digital Crown. Nothing.
Just like that, I thought: “Yup, it’s dead.”
What I Tried (But Didn’t Work)
I quickly searched online for solutions. Two methods came up:
- Force restart: hold Digital Crown + side button for 10+ seconds
- Unpair Apple Watch from iPhone
Tried both. Still dead.
But I noticed one thing: the watch vibrated when I pressed the side button.
That gave me hope. Maybe the screen was gone, but the watch wasn’t totally dead?
I Almost Gave Up…
I even thought about selling it as a broken unit for around $20.
But I couldn’t shake the feeling that it might recover.
I decided to contact Apple Support.
Apple Support Experience
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Translate Japanese to English
Hi, my Apple Watch Series 6 screen suddenly went black and won’t display anything.
I already tried force restarting and unpairing it from my iPhone, but no luck.
Could you please advise me on what to do next?
Thanks for reaching out! I’ll connect you with a specialist.
Feel free to step away while you wait—we’ll message you once they’re available.
Just a quick note: This chat may be recorded for quality assurance and training purposes, and to improve our support systems.
So, just to confirm—you’re saying your Apple Watch Series 6 screen is completely dark, showing nothing at all?
Thanks for already trying the restart and unpairing steps!
Yes, that’s right.
Got it—thanks! I’ll just ask a few quick questions so we can help you as fast as possible 🤝
✅ To get started with chat support, could you provide the following:
1️⃣ The serial number of your Apple Watch
(Don’t worry—this page shows how to find it even if the screen isn’t working):
https://support.apple.com/HT204308
2️⃣ The iPhone model and iOS version it was paired with
(Settings > General > About)
Sure!
Apple Watch serial: ************
iPhone: iPhone 15 Pro Max, iOS 18.0.1
Thank you!
Just to confirm—did your restart attempts include a force restart?
Yes, I did the 10+ second press of both buttons.
Since the screen is blank, that’s all I could really try.
Understood…
Thanks for trying that.
It looks like this might be a hardware issue, so we’ll need to move forward with a repair.
Your Apple warranty has expired—do you happen to have any other coverage, like a store warranty or third-party protection?
Nah, I only had the two-year AppleCare when I first bought it like four years ago.
So I guess this one’s on me, huh…?
Got it.
Since the warranty has expired, yes—repairs would be paid. Would you like to proceed with that?
Thanks, but actually I was already planning to upgrade to the Ultra 2 next month,
so I’ll pass on the repair for now.
Really appreciate your help though!
Oh, I see.
Thanks for considering another Apple Watch!
Thank you again for your time.
Do you have any other questions before we wrap up?
Nope, that’s everything.
Thanks again for being so helpful—I’ll reach out again if I need anything!
You’re very welcome
Thanks for chatting with us today! Take care—hope you stay well as the seasons change.
This concludes our support for now, but if anything else comes up, feel free to reach out again.
We’re always here to help.
If you have no further issues, we’ll end the chat here.
We’d really appreciate any feedback you’d like to share about today’s support.
Since I had already tried all troubleshooting steps, the support agent quickly suggested a repair. Not surprising.
Still, I liked their tone. It was warm and casual—not overly robotic.
If you’re not expecting five-star service, it’s totally fine.
The Watch Magically Came Back
The next night, around 10 PM, I randomly tried the force restart again.
Boom—screen came back to life.
I had to re-pair it with my iPhone, but the setup was smooth.
After 30 minutes, all apps were reinstalled and everything was back to normal.
Battery did drop from 91% to 82% during that time, though. Guess age is catching up.
Quick Timeline Recap
- Oct 20The Day Before It Broke
- Golf, swimming, treadmill. Everything normal.
- Oct 21The Day It Broke
- Watch screen was black in the morning. No display, but it still vibrated.
- I just left it on the charger, hoping it might come back.
- Oct 22The Day It Came Back to Life
- Tried force restart again at 10 PM. It worked!
What I Learned
Apparently, this “black screen” issue is common with Series 6.
Units made between April and September 2021 (40mm) may be eligible for free repair from Apple.
I also read that after 4+ years of use, water resistance might weaken.
So maybe swimming with an older Apple Watch isn’t the best idea.
Final Thoughts
If your Apple Watch screen goes black—don’t give up immediately.
Let it rest, try everything again, and keep an eye out for subtle signs of life like vibration.
Sometimes, a little patience is all it takes.
