Apple Watch activate on wrist raise show watch face isn't working

I have the same issue, yet my problem was solved after I remembered I set Cinema Mode on my watch. If you see two small orange faces in the upper area of screen you have it set.

Go to Control and uncheck Cinema Mode

Hope this help

Marlon

If restarting the device didn't correct this. Do the "forced" restart - holding both buttons in until it goes back and then the Apple logo appears. Once it's back up and unlocked check your settings again, it should work after this.

I found what the issue is here. After I had this problem I started looking online for a solution and found my way here. I then checked my watch after a while and realized it had gone back to the watch face, so I thought maybe you had to wait a certain amount of time for it to change back to the watch face, and I was right. After testing it I found that if your screen is black for 30 seconds it will go back to the watch face upon raising your wrist. I assume they added this in case you accidentally lowered your wrist and you wanted to get back to your app immediately, but I don't know why you can't change that 30 seconds to a different time (maybe you can, I just haven't found it) or simply have it always go back to the watch face. But anyways, problem solved.

I'm having the exact same problem! I've tried repairing the watch, restarting the watch, and even turning off and on the wrist raise function and it still won't show the watch face when it wakes...it continuously shows the last place the watch was on before it went to sleep. Help...

Forced restart didn't help me...when I turn wrist raise off and wake the watch manually by tapping the screen it automatically returns to the watch face every time...but I want to raise my wrist and let it do what I've set it to do which it's currently not doing...you get what I'm saying 😟 What else could we try before taking it to the Genius Bar...thanks by the way for your response.

Try force restarting the phone. After everything is back up check those settings again and test it. Also I don't know why it would affect this but do you have a passcode set for the watch? If the wrist raise is working to at least light up but still not showing you a time face, but does show it when you tap the screen you probably should take it in to a store to have it looked at.

I'm glad that worked. But that does the same thing as an un-pair or I thought they were the same. Fom what I had read you only need to do it that way if the phone is not available. But as long as that worked great!

Having the exact same issue. Visited the apple store today to see about a fix and they tested it on the watches they were all wearing and realized none of theirs were working properly with that setting either.

I had this same problem about two weeks ago. My watch (42mm sport) wasn't activating upon wrist raise. I was contemplating reseting the whole thing but decided that I wanted to exercise first before wiping it clean.

As soon as I initiated a "work out" on the Apple Work Out app, the watch started working upon wrist raise immediately.

I hope this helps others who have had this problem.

Perhaps the settings are wrong?

Check on the watch:

Settings

General

Activate on Wrist Raise

Scroll down, there are two options:

Resume to:

Clock Face

Last Used app

Choose Clock Face.

I just tried resetting the apple watch in General->Reset->Erase All Content And Settings and this worked for me. I hope it isn't temporary ha... Thanks again for your help.

So there wasn't a problem after all? You can also just cover the screen with your hand for a couple of seconds making it go dark and then it goes right back to the watch face.

This is ONLY thing I see here that worked for me! Thank You!!!!