The Apple watch is a modern device that is very useful in our lives. It has gone beyond a conventional watch in terms of functionality and aesthetics.
But no matter how modern your Apple watch is, it will have problems one day. One of the most common problems with this device is the brightness is so low.
The good news is that its not a sign that this expensive device has gone bad.
Instead, it could be due to a simple problem you can fix in no time. So keep reading to find out, Why is my apple watch brightness so low?
Table of Contents
Why Is My Apple Watch Brightness So Low? How To Fix It?
There are many reasons why your Apple watch has less brightness than expected, such as:
- Unsuitable brightness setting
- You need to update iOS or WatchOS
- Your watch is overheated
- Poor ambient lighting
- Always On feature
Unsuitable Brightness Setting
When you first buy an Apple watch, its default screen brightness may not be what you expected, and you can adjust it.
One of the things that anyone will do when their device is low on brightness is check out the brightness settings.
In this case, you need to increase the devices brightness manually. Here is how to do it:
Step 1: Press your watchs Digital Crown, and all watch apps will pop up. Then choose the Settings app.
Step 2: Scroll down and press the Display & Brightness option.
Step 3: Press the sun symbol on the right to increase screen brightness.
Alternatively, you can also get the job done by doing the same things with the iPhone Watch application: Choose My Watch, select Display & Brightness, then drag the brightness slider.
You Need to Update WatchOS or iOS.
Like any smartphone, your Apple watch requires periodic operating system updates. Some updates may affect your devices screen brightness.
You can quickly check for the newest update by opening the Watch application on your iPhone. Choose General, then tap Software Update.
You may find a new update available waiting for your Apple watch. In this case, you will need to update your watch through a simple process.
We recommend ensuring your Watch reaches at least 50% battery for a seamless and uninterrupted update process.
Once the update is complete, you will see a Software Update Available notice when opening the settings application.
Poor Ambient Lighting
Apple Watchs auto-brightness feature can adjust screen brightness based on the light around you. Unfortunately, sometimes it doesnt work as you want, leading to low watch brightness.
The best method to bring your watchs brightness back up is to introduce bright light to your watch face and see if it works.
If its sunny outside, go out and touch the face of the screen to bring it back up.
If its cloudy or dark outside, you can use an artificial light source, such as your smartphones built-in flashlight to get this job done.
You can use your iPhone for this task as it has a bright enough built-in flashlight that might help raise the Apple watchs brightness. Here is how to do it:
Step 1: Put up the Apple Watch on your wrist.
Step 2: Open your iPhone and pull from your phones upper-right corner to access the control panel.
Step 3: Push and hold the flashlight button, and switch it all the way up.
Step 4: Eventually, project the light onto the watchs face and press the screen to activate it.
Make sure to keep the distance between the watch screen and the flashlight as little as possible.
Then you should see that your watch screen brightness gradually increases to maximum.
Using a bright flashlight is okay if you dont own a phone or its battery is run out.
Your Watch Is Overheated
The screen of any mobile device generates heat, and the Apple watch is no exception.
So if your watch overheats, it may have problems operating at full capacity. In this case, you will need to cool it down.
The best way to cool down your watch is to turn your watch off. Then, remove it from your wrist, and leave it in a cool place for about five to ten minutes before restarting it.
“Always On” Feature
With the Series 5 Apple watch, these devices come with a feature called Always On that keeps your watch face on all the time.
But when turning your wrist over, the watchs screen might dim. The reason is that the accelerometer sometimes does not recognize that you have tried to activate your Apple watch; however, several ways allow you to recover it.
The first way is to cover your watchs face using your hand for a few seconds, then remove it. After that, tap its digital crown or press its screen to bring your Apple watch back to its active state.
If you do not prefer this setting, switching it off is alright. Visit the Settings option, choose Display & Brightness, then scroll down to find Always On and press it to disable the feature.
Some Additional Solutions
Restart Your Apple Watch
One of the effective methods to troubleshoot on any smart device is to restart them. So turning your device off and switching it on will work for most common problems.
Whenever you have problems with devices like iPad, iPhone, Apple Watch, Mac, and other smart devices, you should restart them before trying any more complicated way.
Here are the simple steps to restart Apple Watch:
Step 1: Tap the side button until the power-off screen pops up.
Step 2: You will see a slider, and you will need to drag it to the right to turn off your watch
Step 3: Leave your watch for a few minutes, then tap the side button to switch on the Apple Watch.
Use The White Watch Face
When you are not satisfied with the screen brightness of your watch, you can try to switch to a white watch face.
Not only is it a great solution to increase the brightness, but it can also help you see the screen more clearly when it is dim. Here is how to do it:
Step 1: Press and hold your watch face until it shrinks down.
Step 2: Press Edit. Also, you can swipe and pick any other face to adjust.
Step 3: Now, you can set a new dial, style, complications, colors, etc. Use your finger and rotate the Crown to adjust.
Make Some Other Adjustments
To see everything on the Apple Watch, even with your dark screen, enabling bold text, increasing the text size, and setting a longer wake duration is alright.
To do that, open the Settings app and choose Display & Brightness.
Set up the Apple Watch Again
If the above solutions do not help you fix the low brightness issue on your Apple Watch, consider unpairing the Apple Watch that will erase it.
Then, you can set your watch up again.
- Unpair The Watch from the Watch app
Step 1: Open your Watch app on the paired iPhone.
Step 2: In the My Watch section, press All Watches.
Step 3: Tap the (i) button.
Step 4: Press the Unpair Apple Watch option, then tap the Unpair Names Apple Watch button to confirm.
Step 5: Enter the Apple ID password if asked.
- Erase the Apple Watch From the Watch Itself
Step 1: Tap the Digital Crown, and apps will pop up.
Step 2: Press the Settings app.
Step 3: PressGeneral.
Step 4: Scroll to the end and press Reset.
Step 5: Press Erase All Content and Settings, then enter the passcode (optional).
Step 6: Select Erase All.
Your Apple Watch Is Faulty
If you have tried all of the above, but your Apple Watch screen continues to show poor brightness, it is essential to bring your watch to an Apple Store or any authorized service center.
Apples technical team will thoroughly check your watch. If they detect any hardware failure in the watch or screen, they will fix it for you in no time.
FAQs
Why is my Apple Watch Screen Dark?
Aside from updating and restarting the Apple Watch, there is no other workaround rather than getting help from Apple Support.
The most likely cause is hardware failure, which requires repair or replacement by Apple experts.
How to Turn Off Auto Brightness on Apple Watch?
Unfortunately, you wont find a setting for Auto Brightness.
The Apple Watch has an ambient light sensor, allowing the display to automatically adjust the brightness of the display based on the ambient light.
How Can I Make My SE Watch Brighter?
Yes. The Apple Watch SE has auto brightness.
What Is Haptic on Apple Watch?
It refers to your Apple Watch tapping on your wrist to alert you when you get a notification.
Final Thoughts
Hopefully, through this article, we have helped you clear the query, Why is my apple watch brightness so low?
The above information helps you fix the low screen brightness situation on your Apple watch and contribute to improving your user experience.