As an Apple Certified Technician with over a decade of experience I have verified and tested solutions you can use to fix the stuck Apple Watch screen magnification feature.
I have found that the Apple Watch screen can zoom in so far that you can’t see or do anything properly. Sometimes it seems like this happens without you doing anything.
It’s as though your watch automatically zooms in on its own.
The obvious solution is to zoom out. However, your Apple Watch appears to get stuck and refuses to zoom out making it unusable.
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Most owners reboot their watch to fix the problem. The frustrating thing is a reboot only appears to be a temporary solution and the issue reappears. This means constant reboots which is a real pain.
Don’t panic – there is a number of easy fixes that prevent magnification mode from being enabled on your Apple Watch. They are all described in this short easy-to-read guide.
This guide will help you:
- Figure out the cause.
- Understand how the zoom function works.
- Zoom out the stuck Apple Watch display.
- Prevent it from happening again.
What is the Apple Watch zoom function?
The screen zoom on Apple timepieces magnifies the contents of the screen. This allows you to more easily read whatever is displayed. This is handy when reading a text message on your watch.
Many people don’t use this function as the screen is too small to read, even when magnified. So in many cases this feature could simply be disabled.
Turning off the zoom function would prevent the issue from ever occurring.
Why is my watch screen magnified?
There are a number of things that can cause the Apple Watch screen to magnify:
- If you use a screen protector, it could be triggering zoom. Remove the protector to resolve the issue.
- If you use a case, it may be pressing on the display causing an issue. Take the timepiece out of the case to fix it.
- You may have the accessibility feature enabled and accidentally tapped the Digital Crown 3 times to expand the screen.
- You accidentally double-tapped the Apple Watch display. Double tap the screen with two fingers to return the display back to normal.
Solutions for a screen jammed in zoom mode
If you double-tapped the Apple Watch display to enable the zoom feature it is a simple process to zoom out again. Simply double-tap the screen with two fingers to return the screen to normal.
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After switching off the zoom feature you will no longer be able to magnify what’s on your timepieces display.
You can manage zoom from your Apple Watch or via the Watch app on your iPhone.
To find out more, see Use zoom on Apple Watch.
Disable magnification feature from Apple Watch
If you want to disable the zoom feature completely via Apple Watch:
- Unlock your watch using your passcode.
- Click the Digital Crown.
- Then, tap Settings > Accessibility.
- Tap Zoom to disable zoom on Apple Watch. You can also adjust the magnification zoom level, by tapping the + or – symbols.
- When Zoom is disabled, the toggle will turn gray.
Disable from iPhone
- On your iPhone, tap the Apple Watch app.
- At the bottom left of the screen, tap My Watch.
- Next, tap Accessibility.
- Tap Zoom to turn the feature off with the toggle button. You can also adjust the magnification zoom level if you prefer.
- On your Apple Watch, an on-screen message will say Zoom Disabled.
Want to know more about Apple Watch?
- Check if your Apple timepiece is waterproof, or water-resistant.
- Find out the location of the Apple Watch serial number.
- Learn about Activation Lock on Apple Watch and how to remove Apple Watch Activation Lock.
Check your accessibility shortcut
Accessibility shortcuts are a handy feature that allows you to use the digital crown to quickly access features that you use most often.
Quickly tapping the Digital Crown 3 times could:
- Zoom.
- Launch VoiceOver.
- Enable Touch Accommodations.
You may have zoom set as a shortcut on your Apple Watch.
If you quickly click the Digital Crown button 3 times it may turn zoom off – if you set it as your accessibility shortcut.
To find out more, see The Accessibility Shortcut on Apple Watch.
Manage feature using an accessibility shortcut
You can easily turn on, turn off, or change your zoom accessibility shortcut from your watch, or phone.
From Apple Watch
- Tap Settings.
- Then, tap Accessibility.
- Scroll down to Accessibility Shortcut. It will say the current shortcut, for example, Zoom.
- Tap the current shortcut name to change, disable, or enable this feature. If you want to disable Zoom, tap it to uncheck it.
- When Zoom is disabled, the checkmark will not appear against Zoom.
From iPhone
- On your iPhone, tap the Apple Watch app.
- At the bottom left of the display, tap My Watch.
- Next, tap Accessibility.
- Scroll down to Accessibility Shortcut.
- Tap the current shortcut name to change, disable, or enable this feature. If you want to disable Zoom, tap it to turn it off.
Force restart your watch
If the Apple Watch screen has zoomed in and is unresponsive then you need to restart your timepiece.
To restart Apple Watch:
- Press and hold the side button on your Apple Watch until you see the Power Off screen.
- Slide to turn off the timepiece.
- To turn Apple Watch back on again, press and hold the side button until you see the Apple logo.
If this doesn’t work, you need to force restart your watch.
To force restart Apple Watch:
- Press and hold the side button and the digital crown together for 15 seconds until you see the Apple screen.
- Let go of the buttons and your Apple Watch will reboot.
