My watch, after charging, is showing red charging sign and I can't open it

Hey there auntpegr,

Thanks so much for using Apple Support Communities.

We want to help you get your Apple Watch back up and running! To start, the symbol you're describing sounds like the screen that indicates your Apple Watch needs to be charged. It's possible that when you plugged in your Apple Watch, it didn't make a successful connection and wasn't able to actually charge. With that in mind, we want to recommend that you follow the steps here to double check that your watch is able to charge: Check your battery and charge your Apple Watch - Apple Support

When it connects, your Apple Watch should display a green lightning bolt/charging symbol should appear on the screen.

If you're not seeing the green lightning bolt symbol, then we would recommend following the guidance in this resource: If your Apple Watch won't charge or it won't turn on - Apple Support. That article has a wealth of really good information about charging, but the section titled "Get help if your Apple Watch won't charge" is where we'd recommend going over specifically. We'll share that information right in this post as well, to make it easy to find where we're looking:

Get help if your Apple Watch won't charge

If your Apple Watch won't charge, or a message on your watch says that charging with this accessory isn't supported, try these tips: 

- Make sure that you're using the Apple Magnetic Charging Cable or USB-C Magnetic Fast Charging Cable that came with your Apple Watch.

- Make sure that you plug the Apple Magnetic Charging Cable or USB-C Magnetic Fast Charging Cable all the way into the USB Power Adapter, then make sure that you plug the adapter all the way into a power outlet.

- If you use a third-party charging stand, use the charging cable that shipped in the box with your Apple Watch.

- Completely remove any plastic wrap from both sides of the charger. 

- Make sure that the back of your Apple Watch and the magnetic charger are clean.

- Reposition the back of your Apple Watch on the charger. When the charger's magnets align correctly with your Apple Watch, a green or yellow lightning bolt  should appear on the watch face.*

- Try a different Apple Watch Magnetic Charging Cable or USB-C Magnetic Fast Charging Cable, and a different USB Power Adapter. If your Apple Watch is out of power, you might need to wait a few minutes for the lightning bolt  to appear after you start charging your device. 

- If your Apple Watch still won't charge, force it to restart. Press and hold both the side button and Digital Crown for at least 10 seconds, or until the Apple logo appears.

We hope that this information is helpful.

​Have a great day!