How to Factory Reset an Apple Watch

If you are selling your Apple Watch, giving it to a family member, or sending it to Apple for repair, you must completely factory reset it. If you simply power it off and hand it to someone else, they will be greeted by a terrifying “Activation Lock” screen demanding your Apple ID password, rendering the watch completely useless to them.

You must securely sever the encrypted pairing connection between the watch and your iPhone before erasing the data. There are two ways to do this: using your iPhone (the safe way) or using the watch itself (the emergency way).

Method 1: Unpair and Erase via Your iPhone (The Safest Method)

This is the method Apple officially recommends. By using your iPhone to trigger the factory reset, the system automatically creates a fresh iCloud backup of your watch’s health data and watch faces before erasing it. More importantly, this method automatically disables the anti-theft Activation Lock.

1. Keep your Apple Watch and your iPhone physically close to each other.
2. Open the Watch app on your iPhone.
3. Ensure you are on the My Watch tab at the bottom left of the screen.
4. Click on All Watches in the absolute top left corner.
5. You will see a list of your watches. Find the one you want to erase and tap the small, yellow “i” (Information) icon on the right side of the screen.
6. A new menu will open. Look at the bottom and tap the red text that says Unpair Apple Watch.
7. Tap the red warning button again to confirm.
8. (Cellular Models Only): If you have an LTE Apple Watch, it will ask if you want to keep or remove your cellular plan. If you are selling the watch, choose Remove. If you are just resetting it to fix a glitch and plan to keep using it, choose Keep.
9. The Security Check: You will be prompted to enter your Apple ID password. This is the critical step that disables Activation Lock.

Once you enter the password, the watch will begin the unpairing process. The screen on the watch will show a spinning circle. This can take several minutes. When the watch finally restarts and displays a screen prompting you to bring an iPhone close to pair it, the watch is fully wiped and ready to sell.

Method 2: Erase Directly from the Apple Watch

If your iPhone is broken, stolen, or you simply don’t have it with you, you can force the Apple Watch to factory reset itself. Warning: This method will wipe the data, but it will not remove the Activation Lock. You must remove the lock manually via iCloud.com later if you plan to sell it.

1. Press the Digital Crown (the dial on the side) to open the app grid.
2. Tap the Settings app (the grey gear icon).
3. Tap General.
4. Scroll all the way down to the absolute bottom and tap Reset.
5. Tap Erase All Content and Settings.
6. Enter your 4-digit watch passcode if prompted.
7. Scroll down and tap Erase All.

The watch will wipe its own hard drive and reboot to the pairing screen.

How to Remove Activation Lock (If You Used Method 2)

Because you didn’t use the iPhone to sever the connection, the watch is still secretly linked to your Apple ID in the cloud. If you hand it to a buyer, they will be locked out.

1. Go to a computer and log in to iCloud.com/find.
2. Sign in with your Apple ID.
3. Click All Devices at the top of the screen.
4. Select your Apple Watch from the list.
5. Click Remove from Account. (Do not click “Erase,” click “Remove”).

This severs the cloud connection, freeing the watch for the new owner.

Method 3: The Hard Reset (If You Forgot Your Passcode)

If you haven’t worn your Apple Watch in six months and you have completely forgotten the 4-digit passcode to unlock the screen, you cannot access the Settings menu to wipe it. You must use a physical button combination.

1. Place the Apple Watch on its magnetic charger. (It will refuse to perform this reset if it is not receiving power).
2. Press and hold the Side Button (the flat, oval button below the Digital Crown) until the Power Off slider appears.
3. Do not slide the slider. Instead, press and hold the Digital Crown firmly for 3 seconds.
4. A secret screen will appear that says “Erase all content and settings.”
5. Tap Reset, and then tap Reset again to confirm.

The watch will forcibly wipe itself and reboot, bypassing the forgotten passcode.