This question was asked in these forums but never usefully answered. Just the usual 'golly, take it to Apple' — where the battery repair is $79 (about $95 with shipping and taxes). Here's a more useful answer:
The problem: Apple Watch shows a green snake ("charge me please") when on the charger but it doesn't charge or respond — except perhaps by getting very hot when sitting on the charger. People have had this happen to them after installing a new battery, or sometimes just randomly. It happened to me in June 2020 after installing a new battery bought from iFixit into my original ("series 0") Apple Watch.
The solution:
Leave the watch alone until the battery dies completely. That is, until nothing happens when you press the side button — no red snake, no green snake, just a black screen. It might take a day or two. Then start charging, and let it charge for a long time, such as the officially recommended 2.5 hours. Ta dah! Fixed!
One way to tell if this "cure" is working: When it’s NOT working, my watch and charger got really, really hot to the touch. Like REALLY hot — too hot to touch. But after I let the battery die completely and started charging, the temperature while charging was normal, not hot at all.
Note: This solution is findable if you spend a lot of time scratching all over the internet, and ignore all the suggestions that don't actually work, but I thought it should be here in the forums too.
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I got a New Apple watch series 7 and I was all excited to use it, BAM "Green/Red snake of death" appeared before I could switch it on. After a couple of hours of charge and Force restart somehow it started. Will this issue keep on happening with the watch because on the first day before I pair my watch I faced this issue? Is there any possibility of replacement of the watch?
Apple Watch Series 7, watchOS 8
Posted on Apr 29, 2022 3:21 AM
3 replies
Apr 29, 2022 4:02 AM in response to suhashv I had the same but it was only because my watch was fully dead! Once the battery dies it goes into a mode where you just see the time! After a while it just goes completely black which means it is dead! Then it will go like a snake then
it should boot back up! So it is normal but you shouldn’t have to restart it everytime May 12, 2022 2:14 PM in response to suhashv I’m facing the same issue red snake of death - charging is not responding - force restart is not responding neeeed Help please
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Green/Red Snake of Death
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User profile for user: HElShafei_0 HElShafei_0
Author User level: Level 1 My apple watch is showing Red/Green snake of death - Not charging - tried force restart nothing happened
please help Apple Watch Series 7, watchOS 8 Posted on May 12, 2022 2:20 PM Reply Question marked as Apple recommended User profile for user: Zedairder Zedairder
User level: Level 3 Try visiting If your Apple Watch won't charge or it won't turn on - Apple Support. If it doesn’t help, get support at
Apple Support. Posted on May 12, 2022 2:25 PM View in context
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Question marked as Apple recommended
User profile for user: Zedairder
Zedairder
User level: Level 3
603 pointsMay 12, 2022 2:25 PM in response to HElShafei_0
Try visiting If your Apple Watch won't charge or it won't turn on - Apple Support.
If it doesn’t help, get support at Apple Support.
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Apple watch series 7 Red/Green Snake