How to reset an Apple Watch (unpair or erase)

There are two ways to reset an Apple Watch, and they are not the same. One goes through your iPhone and does a careful job. The other works on the watch alone. Pick the right one for your situation, and you will save yourself a locked watch or lost data. This guide covers both, plus the cases that trip people up, such as a forgotten passcode, a cellular plan and selling the watch.

How to reset an Apple Watch

Which reset should you choose?

The right choice depends on why you want to reset the watch.

• Fixing a problem, with the iPhone nearby: unpair. It saves a backup first, so you can restore your data when you pair again.
• Selling, giving away or trading in: unpair with the iPhone, which also removes Activation Lock.
• Lost the iPhone or cannot reach it: erase on the watch, then remove the watch from your account at icloud.com/find.
• Forgot the watch passcode: reset from the watch, as described below, then pair again.
• The watch will not connect: try the fixes in the guide on a watch that will not connect before you erase it.

Before you reset: back up and note what you will lose

Unpairing makes a fresh backup of the watch on your iPhone. Make sure the iPhone itself is backed up as well, because the watch backup lives inside it. A reset removes your watch faces, apps, activity data stored only on the watch, and settings. Health and Fitness data that syncs with your iPhone and iCloud stays. Anything that was not synced, such as a workout still on the watch, can be lost. Open the Fitness and Health apps on the iPhone and check that recent data has appeared. See how to back up your iPhone if you need to.

Unpair the watch with your iPhone

This is the best option because it handles everything for you. Keep the watch on your wrist or on its charger, close to the iPhone. After you tap Unpair Apple Watch and confirm, the iPhone asks for your Apple Account password. This turns off Activation Lock, which ties the watch to your account. The iPhone then backs up the watch and erases it. The watch restarts and shows the Hello or pairing screen when it is done. This takes a few minutes. Do not turn off either device while it works.

Erase the watch from the watch itself

On the watch, open Settings, tap General, scroll to Reset, and tap Erase All Content and Settings. Enter your passcode if asked. If you have a cellular watch, you can choose to keep or remove the plan. Confirm, and the watch erases and restarts. This method does not make a new backup, and it does not remove the watch from your Apple Account. The watch will still be locked to you. If you are not going to pair it again, take it off your account.

What if you forgot the watch passcode?

You can still reset it. Put the watch on its charger. Press and hold the side button until the power menu appears. Then press and hold the Digital Crown, or press the power button slider firmly, until the Reset option shows. On some versions the option appears after you press and hold the Power Off slider. Tap Reset, and confirm. The watch erases and starts again. Then pair it with your iPhone, and restore from a backup. The exact screens differ by watchOS version, so follow what the watch shows. A passcode you forgot is not a reason to buy a new watch.

Cellular models and your plan

A cellular Apple Watch has a plan with your carrier. When you unpair, the iPhone asks if you want to keep the plan or remove it. If you will pair the same watch again soon, keep it. If you are selling or giving the watch away, remove the plan, and then contact your carrier to cancel the line so you stop paying for it. In the US, Verizon, AT&T and T-Mobile each handle watch plans through their own settings, and fees vary. Check your bill after the reset to make sure the line is gone. For more on cutting charges, see canceling subscriptions on iPhone.

Selling or trading in your Apple Watch

Before you hand the watch to anyone, unpair it with your iPhone. This removes Activation Lock. A watch that is still locked to your account is useless to the buyer, and buyers and trade-in programs will refuse it. If you erased the watch on its own, go to icloud.com/find, sign in, choose the watch under All Devices, and remove it. Then check Settings on your iPhone. Tap your name, scroll to the devices list, and make sure the watch is not listed. Take the bands off, and wipe the watch before you ship it. For a sense of the value, see what your old devices are worth.

Is a reset the right fix for your problem?

A reset is a strong step, so try gentler ones first. A force restart, which you do by holding the side button and Digital Crown for about 10 seconds, fixes many freezes without erasing anything. Updating watchOS fixes known bugs. Checking Bluetooth and Airplane Mode fixes many connection problems. Reset when the watch is slow after a long time, when apps keep failing, when it will not sync even after a restart, or when you are passing it on. It will not fix a battery that has worn out, or a screen that is cracked, so do not expect it to help with hardware.

Also remember what a reset takes away. Your watch faces, app layout and settings go, and you must set them up again unless you restore from the backup. Apple Pay cards are removed from the watch, and you add them again afterward. Keep your Apple Account password and your iPhone passcode at hand, since the setup asks for both.

After the reset: set it up again

A restore can take a while, especially with many apps and photos. Keep both devices close and on a charger until it finishes. If a problem was the reason for the reset, try setting up as new first, since a restore can bring back the same fault. If the watch behaves well, you can restore your data later.

If the reset does not work

• Restart the watch and the iPhone, and try again.
• Update iOS, and then watchOS.
• Make sure the watch has at least 50% battery.
• If the watch shows the Apple logo and never finishes, read the guide on a watch stuck on the logo.
• If the watch will not erase, contact Apple Support, who can restore its software.

If the watch is still locked to a former owner, you cannot reset your way around it. Ask that person to remove it from their account. Do not use services that claim to bypass Activation Lock, as they are unsafe and may be illegal.