What to do if your Samsung Galaxy Watch buttons appear unresponsive, lag, or freeze

Last Update date : Aug 07. 2026

If your Galaxy Watch buttons seem to be unresponsive, lagging, or freezing, or experiencing errors during use, try the instructions below to resolve the issue.

A side view of a Galaxy Watch showing three buttons along the edge and a ridged bezel.

Note: Available features, menu options, interface, and settings may vary depending on your specific watch model and software version.

If a specific app is causing the watch to lag or the buttons to become unresponsive, closing the application or turning the watch off and back on can refresh the system.

Close app

A Galaxy Watch home screen with the Recent app icon highlighted. A Galaxy Watch home screen with the Recent app icon highlighted.

Step 1. Tap the Recent app icon.

A Galaxy Watch showing the recent apps screen with the Close all option highlighted. A Galaxy Watch showing the recent apps screen with the Close all option highlighted.

Step 2. Swipe up any running apps to close, or tap Close all.

Restart watch

A Galaxy Watch with the home button and back button highlighted. A Galaxy Watch with the home button and back button highlighted.

Step 1. Press and hold the Home key (Power key) and the Back key simultaneously until the Power off menu appears.

A Galaxy Watch screen with the power button highlighted. A Galaxy Watch screen with the power button highlighted.

Step 2. Tap the Power off icon.

If your watch is completely frozen and the buttons do not respond to a standard turn-off command, you can force the device to reboot by pressing and holding the Home button and the Back button at the same time for at least 7 seconds until the screen goes dark and the watch restarts.

A close up of a person pressing the top side button on a Galaxy Watch.

If restarting the device does not fix the button malfunction, perform a factory reset.

Note: All stored data will be permanently deleted once the device is reset. If you wish to keep your information, please back up your data before resetting.

A Galaxy Watch screen with the Settings app icon highlighted. A Galaxy Watch screen with the Settings app icon highlighted.

Step 1. Open Settings.

* Alternatively, you can open the Settings app from the App screen.

A Galaxy Watch Settings screen with the General option highlighted. A Galaxy Watch Settings screen with the General option highlighted.

Step 2. Tap General.

A Galaxy Watch showing the General menu with the Reset option highlighted. A Galaxy Watch showing the General menu with the Reset option highlighted.

Step 3. Tap Reset.

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