If you want to sell, give away, or repair your Apple Watch, you may need to reset it to factory settings. This means erasing all the information and settings on your Apple Watch and restoring it to its original state. This also removes Activation Lock, which prevents anyone else from using your Apple Watch without your Apple ID and password.
There are two ways to reset your Apple Watch: using your iPhone or using your Apple Watch. The first method is recommended, as it also creates a backup of your Apple Watch that you can use to restore a new Apple Watch. The second method is useful if you don’t have access to your iPhone, but it does not remove Activation Lock.
In this article, we will show you how to reset your Apple Watch using both methods. Before you start, make sure that you have the latest version of iOS, iPadOS, or iPod software on your iPhone or iPad. Also, make sure that your Apple Watch and iPhone are close together and connected to the internet with Wi-Fi. If you’re using your Apple Watch with a transit card in the Wallet app, remove your transit card from your Apple Watch before you reset it.
How to Reset Your Apple Watch Using Your iPhone
Follow these steps to reset your Apple Watch using your iPhone:
- Open the Apple Watch app on your iPhone.
- Go to the My Watch tab and tap All Watches.
- Tap the info button next to the watch that you want to reset.
- Tap Unpair Apple Watch.
- Tap Unpair [your Apple Watch name].
- For GPS + Cellular models, choose whether to keep or remove your cellular plan. If you want to pair your Apple Watch and iPhone again, keep your plan. If you don’t want to pair your Apple Watch and iPhone again, remove your plan. If you aren’t going to pair with a different watch or iPhone, you might need to contact your carrier to cancel your cellular subscription.
- Type your Apple ID password to disable Activation Lock, then tap Unpair.
Your iPhone will create a new backup of your Apple Watch and erase all its content and settings. After your Apple Watch resets, you’ll see the Start Pairing message. Now you can set up your Apple Watch again or turn it off if you’re selling it or giving it away.
How to Reset Your Apple Watch Using Your Apple Watch
Follow these steps to reset your Apple Watch using your Apple Watch:
- On your Apple Watch, tap Settings > General > Reset > Erase All Content and Settings.
- Type your password if prompted.
- For GPS + Cellular models, choose to keep or remove your cellular plan. If you want to pair your Apple Watch and iPhone again, keep your plan. If you don’t want to pair your Apple Watch and iPhone again, remove your plan. If you aren’t going to pair with a different watch or iPhone, you might need to contact your carrier to cancel your cellular subscription.
- Tap Erase All to confirm.
Your Apple Watch will erase all its content and settings and restart. Now you can set up your Apple Watch again. You’ll need the Apple ID and password associated with the watch turn off Activation Lock.
Conclusion
Resetting your Apple Watch to factory settings is a simple process that can be done with or without your iPhone. However, it is important to remember that resetting your Apple Watch also erases all its information and settings, so make sure that you have a backup of your data before you do it. Also, make sure that you disable Activation Lock before you sell or give away your Apple Watch, as this will prevent anyone else from using it without your permission.
We hope this article helped you learn how to reset your Apple Watch to factory settings. If you have any questions or problems, please contact Apple Support.
