You may find the need to factory reset your Apple Watch in order to tackle a problem or because you’re getting ready to sell it or gift it away. That means you’ll need to unpair it from your iPhone, and this guide shows you how to do that, whether it be an Apple Watch Series 6, Series 5, or an even older model.
Fortunately, Apple has made the process quite straightforward. However, Activation Lock will make using the Apple Watch difficult for other users. We show you how to disable that, too.
Prepare your devices
Make sure your Apple Watch and iPhone are charged and close together before you begin. The process will erase all content and settings on your Apple Watch, making it safe to sell, give away, or recycle.
You may be wondering what happens to all that personal data. Apple creates a backup of your Watch data and stores it in iCloud. If you pair your account with a new Apple Watch, all that data can be transferred over, so you won’t lose anything important and can restore your backup if you plan on getting another Apple Watch sometime in the future. This makes the process ideal if, for example, you damaged your Apple Watch but intend to replace it.
Unpair your Apple Watch using an iPhone
Step 1: Tap to open the Watch app on your iPhone.
Step 2: Tap the My Watch tab on the bottom, as shown above, if it doesn’t load automatically.
Step 3: Tap All Watches located in the top-left corner.
Step 4: Tap the Info icon (i) next to the Apple Watch you want to unpair.
Step 5: Tap Unpair Apple Watch.
Apple began offering cellular-compatible models starting with the Series 3. If you own one of these, then you likely have a cellular plan attached to it. If you do have one of these plans, then you’ll be asked to keep it or remove it.
If you think you might pair this Watch with another iPhone in the future, then you’ll want to keep it. If you’re planning on buying a new model and you want to use this plan with the new Apple Watch, then you’ll want to keep it. If you have no plans to use a smartwatch again, remove your plan.
Step 6: Keep or remove your cellular plan (GPS + Cellular models only).
Step 7: Tap Unpair Apple Watch again on the pop-up menu.
Step 8: Enter your Apple ID password if prompted to complete.
Unpair your Apple Watch without an iPhone
If you don’t have your iPhone, you can still wipe the Apple Watch with this method. The only problem is that it doesn’t remove Activation Lock, so we’ll explain how to do that later.
Step 1: Press the Digital Crown on your Apple Watch.
Step 2: Tap the Cog icon. This opens the Settings app.
Step 3: Tap General.
Step 4: Scroll down and tap Reset.
Step 5: Tap Erase All Content and Settings.
Step 6: Tap in your password if prompted.
Step 7: Keep or remove your cellular plan (GPS + Cellular models only).
Step 8: Tap Erase All to reset your Apple Watch to its default, out-of-the-box settings.
Your Apple Watch is now wiped, but the Activation Lock has to be removed before anyone else will be able to use it. To disable the Activation Lock, do the following:
Step 1: Load iCloud.com in a desktop browser, and sign in with your Apple ID.
Step 2: Click on Find iPhone. The icon resembles a radar.
Step 3: Click on All Devices listed at the top, and choose your Apple Watch on the drop-down list.
Step 4: Click Remove From Account on the following screen.
You’re done! It’s now safe to pass your Apple Watch on to someone else.
