Can I use the Crown & Side Button together for an action?
Yes. On any Apple Watch, you can pause or resume your workout using the physical buttons, which is great when the screen is wet or you’re wearing gloves.
Default button control:
Press the Digital Crown + Side Button together to pause or resume your activity.
A Tip for Reliable Button Presses
If the timing feels tricky:
Press and hold the Digital Crown.
While still holding it, quickly press the Side Button.
This method makes the pause/resume action much more consistent.
Why the Buttons Sometimes Don’t Work
If a notification is currently showing on your watch, the buttons will not pause or resume your workout. This is normal watchOS behavior because notifications temporarily take over the screen.
How to Prevent Notifications From Interrupting Your Workout
Set up a Focus Mode so notifications don’t appear during exercise:
On your iPhone, go to Settings > Focus.
Choose Fitness (or create a “Workout” focus).
Under Allowed Notifications, remove all apps or only allow essential ones.
Turn Time Sensitive Notifications off.
Optional: Set the focus to turn on automatically when you start a workout.
With Focus Mode set up, no notifications will block Milo, and the button controls will work every time.