How to Fix the Apple Watch Squiggly Line Screen
Apple Watch users may occasionally see a black screen with a squiggly line that looks like a charging cable and lightning bolt, and when this screen is active you will find Apple Watch is not usable. You may run into this screen after an Apple Watch has not been in use for a while, and you may even run into the squiggly line screen on a brand new Apple Watch that you just opened out of the box. The lightning bolt is sometimes red, and sometimes the lightning bolt is green.
What is the Apple Watch squiggly line screen, sometimes called the snake screen or lightning bolt line screen, what does it mean, and how do you fix it? Those questions are precisely what we are going to answer here, and you’ll be using your Apple Watch again soon enough.
What causes the squiggly line charger snake screen on Apple Watch?
The squiggly line screen appears when the Apple Watch has a very low battery charge level.
The squiggle charger screen, the meaning of which is not entirely obvious to many users, implies that Apple Watch must be charged before it can be used again.
How to Fix the Squiggly Line Screen on Apple Watch
If you see the squiggly line screen on Apple Watch you can fix it by doing the following:
- Connect the Apple Watch to it’s charging cable, and leave it charging for at least a few hours (overnight is often ideal)
- Make sure that the Apple Watch itself, and the Apple Watch charger, is free from any obstructions, factory packaging, and factory plastic wrap
- Make sure the Apple Watch is properly seated on the Apple Watch charger
- Ensure the Apple Watch charger is connected to a strong power source, whether a wall charger, or a plugged-in Mac
- If the Apple Watch is still not charging after a few hours, try a different power charging source, or a different USB port
- If Apple Watch is still not charging, connect the charger to a Mac (or PC) and let it charge from there
Typically you can resolve the Apple Watch squiggly line snake screen issue by simply charging Apple Watch for a few hours (aim for 3+ hours, there are some reports of users needing to charge Apple Watch overnight for the screen to go away).
After Apple Watch has been connected to a charger for several hours, it should power on by itself, but you may also need to turn the Apple Watch on manually.
If you let the Apple Watch charge overnight and tried different charging sources and connected it to a computer, and it is still showing the snake screen lightning bolt squiggle line on the display, you may want to contact Apple Support for their official guidance, and possibly even a repair if the battery on the Apple Watch is dead and nonfunctional.
Did you get your Apple Watch charged and working again? Which solution worked for you, and how long did it take to resolve? Let us know in the comments what your experiences are.
