My Apple Watch’s screen and watch face is upside down! It’s an easy fix

upside down Apple Watch screen and face

If your Apple Watch’s display is suddenly upside down and you can no longer read all your stats without twisting your head and arm, there is an easy fix.

When your screen is upside down, it usually indicates a mismatch with your watch orientation settings.

So to fix it, head over to those settings and update them to match the wrist you wear your watch on and where you want the watch’s Digital Crown placed. Yup, it’s almost always that easy!

And even if it isn’t, we have some tips for you too! 

So let’s get to those steps.

Related reading

Why is my Apple Watch displaying upside down? Apple watch face upside down on the watch screen

Like a traditional watch, Apple designed its watch to house the Digital Crown on the right side of the case. That’s the default setting and assumes that the watch wearer is right-handed and/or wants the Digital Crown on the right side of the watch.

But not everyone is right-handed and not everyone wants that Digital Crown at the bend of their wrist. And that’s where Apple’s screen orientation settings come in. They help you personalize your Apple Watch for your body and your preferences.

So if your Apple Watch’s screen is upside down, it’s likely that these screen orientation settings need adjustment.

How to change your Apple Watch screen orientation Settings for Apple Watch screen orientation on the watch

You can change these settings on your watch or via the iPhone’s Watch app.

We suggest you put your watch on your wrist in the position you want it to be (even if the screen is upside down.)

Then, use the Watch app on your paired iPhone or the Settings app on your watch and see the changes live as you update your watch’s settings.

  1. Open either your watch’s Settings app or go to your iPhone’s Watch app and select the My Watch tab at the bottom.
  2. Choose General > Orientation or Watch Orientation. Watch app on iPhone screen orientation settings for apple watch
  3. Select the wrist you want to wear your Apple Watch on.
  4. To flip the screen vertically, change the location of the Digital Crown from left to right or right to left.

Adjust either of these settings until your watch looks like you want it–screen in the correct position and Digital Crown in the location you want. 

I like my Apple Watch on my left hand with the digital crown at the bottom left, so it’s away from my wrist! Chane apple watch screen orientation so digital crown is at the bottom left side of the watch

Not working and your Apple Watch’s screen is still upside down?

If you changed the settings but it’s not working, try restarting (power off, wait a few seconds, and power back on) both your watch and your paired iPhone, and then try again.

We recommend restarting your iPhone first, then restarting your watch.how to restart the apple watch (not forced restart)

  • Restart your Apple Watch by pressing and holding the side button and then choose to power off. Wait a few moments and press and hold the side button again to turn it back on–release when the Apple logo appears on the screen.
  • Restart your iPhone by pressing and holding one of the volume buttons and the power button at the same time. Slide to power it off, then wait a few moments. Press and hold the side button only to power it back on.

If restarting didn’t do the trick, change your watch face to a different one.

You can do that via the Watch app or on your watch itself.

To change your watch face on the watch itself:

  1. Show your current watch face on the Apple Watch’s screen.
  2. Tap and hold the screen until you see the watch face tiles. Add a watch face to your Apple Watch using the watch
  3. Swipe to see all your available watch faces and tap one to switch your watch face.
  4. To add a new watch face, tap the plus sign (+). Apple Watch add a new watch face

To change your watch face using your iPhone’s Watch app:

  1. Open the Watch app and choose the My Watch tab.
  2. Look under My Faces and tap a watch face you want. My Faces in Apple Watch app on iPhone
  3. Set any options and complications you want for the watch face. customize an Apple Watch face in the Watch app
  4. Scroll down and tap Set as current Watch Face. Remove or Set an Apple Watch face using iPhone Watch app
  5. To add a new watch face, tap the Face Gallery tab at the bottom.iPhone Watch app Face Gallery tab

Finally, if none of these tips helped get your Apple Watch back to its correct position, we suggest you unpair and then re-pair your Apple Watch using the Watch app on your paired iPhone.

When you unpair using the Watch app, it automatically takes a backup of your current watch’s settings and data, so you can restore it. restore Apple Watch from backup after re-pairing it to iPhone

If the unpairing and re-pairing using your backup kept the problem, unpair and re-pair again but this time don’t restore your watch backup.

Why I changed the position of my watch’s Digital Crown

I personally like to wear my Apple Watch on my left hand with the Digital Crown on the lower left side. The biggest reason why I like my watch this way is to minimize unintentional button presses on that Digital Crown.Apple Watch with Digital Crown in lower left

Since I wear my watch on my left hand, the default position of the Digital Crown places it right at the bend of my wrist.

That meant that it was constantly pushing or moving the Digital Crown (especially when working out), causing Siri to launch or turning that Digital Crown to raise the volume, scroll the screen, or anything else that I didn’t want at the time!

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A. Beth Whittenberger
I started my love affair with computers way back in elementary school with the Apple II. Since then, I've worked with technology in my career as a media educator and videomaker. I have an MFA in media making from Temple University, where I also taught undergrads as an adjunct faculty member. Additionally, I was a writer, content producer, and editor on the popular tech blog AppleToolBox. So I know a thing or two about teaching others and creating how-to guides! After a cancer diagnosis, I turned to mobile technology like my Apple Watch to help me monitor my health throughout my chemotherapy treatment and later, to regain my wellness once in remission. I love sharing how to understand and use mobile tech, like smartwatches and phones, as a tool for empowerment to live our best and healthiest lives! Connect with me on LinkedIn!

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