How to Switch Between a Watch Game and Another App Quickly with the Digital Crown
To leave a virtual pet game on Apple Watch and open another app, double-click the Digital Crown to show the App Switcher, turn the Crown to the app you want, then tap it. To return to the game, double-click the Crown again and select the game from the recent apps. This route is usually quicker than going to the Home Screen and searching for its icon.
The quick switch: use the App Switcher
While the pet game is open, double-click the Digital Crown. The App Switcher shows recently used apps. Turn the Crown to move through them, then tap the app you want—for example, Messages or a timer. When you are ready to return, double-click the Crown and select the pet game. Apple’s guide describes the App Switcher as the quick way to reach recently used apps; active sessions, such as a Maps route or Workout, may appear near the top. Apple’s guide to opening apps on Apple Watch
paragraph You do not have to quit the game to switch away. The Crown’s double-click opens the App Switcher; a single press takes you to the Home Screen. From there, finding the game may mean scrolling or browsing icons. Save the single press for when you want to open an app that is not in recent use.
Make the Crown press register cleanly
Use two distinct, quick presses on the raised Digital Crown at the side of the watch. Don’t turn it between presses. If the display changes after the first press, you may have made a single press; press the Crown again to reach the Home Screen, then try a deliberate double-click. Apple lists pressing, double-clicking, and turning as separate Crown actions. Apple’s guide to Apple Watch buttons and gestures
When the App Switcher opens, rotate the Crown to browse rather than pressing repeatedly. Tap the pet game’s preview to reopen it. If the app is not visible, scroll through the recent apps; if it still is not there, use the Home Screen route below.
If the game is missing from recent apps
Press the Crown once to reach the Home Screen. Browse to the game and tap its icon. In Grid View, turning the Crown scrolls through apps; in List View, apps appear in an alphabetical list. Apple says the Home Screen can use either view and that the view can be changed in Settings under App View. Apple’s guide to organizing apps
If the game appears often, note where its icon is in your chosen view. This is a practical fallback when the App Switcher’s recent-app list has changed or the game is no longer visible there. The Home Screen route opens the app; it does not guarantee that the game resumes at exactly the same screen or interaction.
Avoid an automatic jump when browsing
If the App Switcher seems to select an app before you tap it, check Settings > Accessibility > Auto-Select Focused App on the watch. Apple documents an option that can automatically open the focused app after one second of inactivity. Turning it off can make it easier to pause and inspect the list before choosing. Apple’s Auto-Select Focused App instructions
This setting is useful if you want time to scroll to the pet game or another app. If you like the automatic behavior, leave it on and move promptly after opening the switcher.
Know what switching does—and does not—promise
The App Switcher is a navigation shortcut, not a control for the game’s virtual-pet mechanics. Whether the game keeps its current screen, saves an interaction, or updates while another app is open depends on that game. Apple’s general instructions explain how to switch apps, but they do not specify how any third-party watch game handles progress. After returning, check the game screen before repeating an action that might already have registered.
Avoid using the app-quit procedure as a routine way to switch. Apple says there is typically no reason to quit an app; its documented quit steps are for an app that is not responding. Force-quitting and reopening could take you out of the normal app-switching flow. Apple’s guide to using apps
Older watchOS versions use a different shortcut
If your watch runs watchOS 9 or earlier, the Crown’s double-click behavior differs: Apple says it returns to the last app, rather than opening the App Switcher as on current watchOS. Use the single Crown press to reach the Home Screen and select the other app; to return, try double-clicking to go back to the previous app. The available controls depend on watchOS version, so don’t assume a tutorial for a newer system matches your watch. Apple’s button and gesture guide, including watchOS 9 and earlier
For a quick pet-game break, the repeatable sequence is simple: double-click, turn, tap the other app; double-click, turn, tap the game. If a step behaves differently, check your watchOS version and whether Auto-Select Focused App is enabled, then use the Home Screen as the dependable way to locate an app.