To open Control Center on your watch, press the flat side button next to the Digital Crown. On watchOS 9 or earlier, swipe up from the bottom of the watch face.
01Use Sleep Focus for your bedtime routine (Recommended)
In Control Center, tap Focus (the crescent moon), then Sleep (the bed icon). The screen goes dark when you lower your wrist. To set this up for every night, open Health on your iPhone. Under Sleep, tap Full Schedule & Options, set your bedtime and wake-up time, and turn on Use Schedule for Sleep Focus.
02Turn on Theater Mode to stop the screen waking when you move
For tonight, open Control Center and tap the two masks. Theater Mode silences the watch and keeps the screen dark when you raise your wrist. Tap the screen if you want to check the time. In the morning, tap the masks again to turn Theater Mode off.
03Turn off Always On if the watch face still glows
If you can still see a dim watch face when your wrist is down, open Settings on the watch, tap Display & Brightness, then Always On, and switch it off. This setting also applies during the day and is available on models with an Always On display.
That’s it
To check Theater Mode before bed, lower your wrist until the screen goes dark, then lift it again. The screen should stay dark until you choose to wake it.
Based on official public information · 2026-11-06
Not tested on every model; features and interfaces may vary by device and software version.