How to reset an Apple Watch: Unpairing from an iPhone and restoring factory settings
Start again with your Apple Watch with these simple steps
Performing a hard reset on an Apple Watch is the best solution if you are preparing the smartwatch for someone new or planning to start from scratch yourself. Doing so restores the factory settings and gives you an Apple Watch setup identical to what you’ll have received.
In this guide, we will discuss two methods for resetting an Apple Watch: one for those with an iPhone paired to the Apple Watch and another for those who have not. Both options are essentially hard resets that erase all of your data and settings. The only difference lies in how the Apple Watch’s Activation Lock feature is impacted.
Skip to your preferred route, follow the steps, and explore our other guides below if you need a different kind of Apple Watch explainer.
- How to force an Apple Watch restart
- Restore an Apple Watch backup
- How to pair the Apple Watch
- How to fix Apple Watch 'ghost touches'
Reset an Apple Watch
If you still have the iPhone your Apple Watch is paired with, follow the steps below:
- Start by opening the Apple Watch app on your iPhone.
- From the ‘My Watch’ tab, tap ‘All Watches’ in the top-right corner.
- Tap the ‘i’ icon next to the Apple Watch you wish to reset.
- You should now see ‘Unpair Apple Watch’ at the bottom of the page—select it.
- If you have a GPS + Cellular model, you’ll be prompted to choose whether to keep or remove your mobile data plan. Keep it if you want to pair your Apple Watch and iPhone again. If not, remove it and contact your network provider to cancel it if you don’t plan on pairing it to an iPhone.
- Next, you will need to enter your Apple ID password to disable the Activation Lock, after which you can finish the process by tapping ‘Unpair’.
These steps will erase all content and settings on the smartwatch and disable the Activation Lock. This means it will be ready to give away, sell, or turn off once complete.
That said, before your watch is erased, the iPhone will create a backup of its contents. You can use this to restore your data if you set up a new Apple Watch.
Resetting the Apple Watch without the paired iPhone
If you’ve lost your phone, given it away, or sold it before you could unpair your Apple Watch, it is still possible to reset your watch. However, the device’s Activation Lock will remain in place.
To reset the Apple Watch without an iPhone, go to Settings > General > Reset > Erase All Content and Settings. If you have a passcode set up, you’ll need to enter it before proceeding further.
If you have a GPS + Cellular model, you’ll be prompted to choose whether to keep or remove your mobile data plan. Keep it if you plan to pair your Apple Watch with an iPhone again. If not, remove it. Finally, you just have to confirm your choice by tapping ‘Erase All’.
