How-to
How to Unpair and Factory Reset Any Apple Watch
Unpair it from your iPhone and it's erased and unlocked in one go. Plus what to do with no iPhone, a forgotten passcode or a watch you already sold.
On your iPhone, open the Watch app → My Watch → All Watches → ⓘ → Unpair Apple Watch, then enter your Apple Account password. Unpairing erases the watch, resets it to factory settings and removes Activation Lock in one go.
Unpair and reset your Apple Watch
First, 3 quick checks
-
Keep the watch next to your iPhone. Unpairing backs the watch up to the iPhone first.
How
The backup becomes part of your iPhone's iCloud or computer backup. It doesn't include Apple Pay cards, the watch passcode or Bluetooth pairings.
- Know your Apple Account password. You need it to turn off Activation Lock.
- Cellular watch? Decide what to do with the plan. Remove it if you're selling. To cancel the plan itself, call your carrier.
- On your iPhone, open the Watch app.
- Tap My Watch → All Watches.
- Tap the ⓘ button next to the watch.
- Tap Unpair Apple Watch, then confirm.
- Cellular model? Choose to remove the plan if you're selling.
- Enter your Apple Account password and tap Unpair. Wait for the pairing screen on the watch. Done.
Find your Apple Watch
The steps work on every Apple Watch. What changes is which watchOS it can run and which iPhone it pairs with. Not sure which watch you have? On the watch, go to Settings → General → About.
| Model | Newest watchOS | Sell it |
|---|---|---|
| Series 4, Series 5, SE (1st gen) | watchOS 10 | Series 4, Series 5, SE 1 |
| Series 6, Series 7, Series 8 | watchOS 26 | Series 6, Series 7, Series 8 |
| SE (2nd gen), Ultra (1st gen) | watchOS 26 | SE 2, Ultra |
| Series 9, Series 10 | watchOS 27 | Series 9, Series 10 |
| Series 11, Series 12, SE 3 | watchOS 27 | Series 11, Series 12, SE 3 |
| Ultra 2, Ultra 3, Ultra 4 | watchOS 27 | Ultra 2, Ultra 3, Ultra 4 |
Which iPhone does it need? Selling a watch with an iPhone, or buying one? The watch only pairs with these iPhones or newer:
| Watch | Oldest iPhone it pairs with |
|---|---|
| Series 12, Ultra 4 | iPhone 11 or SE (2nd gen) on iOS 27 |
| Series 11, SE 3, Ultra 3 | iPhone 11 or SE (2nd gen) on iOS 26 |
| Series 10 | iPhone XS or later on iOS 18 |
| Series 9, Ultra 2 | iPhone XS or later on iOS 17 |
| Series 8, Ultra, SE (2nd gen) | iPhone 8 or later on iOS 16 |
| Series 6, Series 7, SE (1st gen) | iPhone 6s or later |
watchOS 27 runs on Series 9 and later, SE 3 and Ultra 2 and later, and needs an iPhone 11 or SE (2nd gen) or later on iOS 27. Series 4, Series 5 and SE (1st gen) stop at watchOS 10.
No iPhone? Erase it on the watch
- On the watch, open Settings → General → Reset.
- Tap Erase All Content and Settings and enter your passcode.
- Cellular model? Choose to keep or remove the plan.
- Tap Erase All.
This doesn't remove Activation Lock. Only unpairing does that. If you're selling, remove the lock from a browser too (see "Already sold it" below).
Forgot your watch passcode?
You have to erase the watch. Your data comes back from the iPhone backup when you pair it again.
- Put the watch on its charger and keep it there.
- Press and hold the side button until the power button shows in the top-right corner.
- Press and hold the Digital Crown until you see Erase all content and settings.
- Tap Reset, then Reset again to confirm.
- Open the Watch app → My Watch → General → Reset.
- Tap Erase Apple Watch Content and Settings, then tap it again to confirm.
- Enter your Apple Account password if asked. Cellular model? Choose to keep or remove the plan.
Both ways leave Activation Lock on. Unpair the watch, or remove it in a browser, before you sell it.
Frozen? Force restart
A force restart deletes nothing. Use it only if a normal restart doesn't work.
- Press and hold the side button and the Digital Crown together.
- Keep holding for at least 10 seconds, until the Apple logo appears.
Updating? Don't restart the watch or iPhone, and keep the watch on its charger until the update finishes.
Already sold it? Remove Activation Lock
Gave it away without unpairing? The new owner can't set it up until you remove it from your account:
- Go to icloud.com/find and sign in.
- Click All Devices and select the watch.
- Click Erase and follow the prompts.
- Click Remove, then Continue.
Not sure if the lock is on? In the Watch app, go to My Watch → All Watches → ⓘ. If you see Find My Apple Watch, Activation Lock is on. Buying a used watch? If setup asks for the last owner's password, the lock is still on. Don't buy it until they remove it.
Selling it? Run this checklist
Get an instant price on our Sell your Apple Watch page, or use the "Sell it" links in the table above. We email you a prepaid shipping label.
Upgrading?
Series 6, 7 and 8, SE (2nd gen) and the first Ultra stop at watchOS 26. Every watch we sell is tested and has up to a 1-year warranty.
Common questions
Does unpairing erase my Apple Watch?
Yes. Unpairing erases the watch, resets it to factory settings and removes Activation Lock. It backs the watch up to your iPhone first.
What's the difference between unpairing and erasing?
Erasing on the watch wipes it but leaves Activation Lock on. Unpairing from the iPhone wipes it and turns Activation Lock off. Use unpair when you sell.
What happens to my cellular plan?
When you unpair or erase, you choose to keep or remove the plan. Removing it from the watch doesn't cancel it, so call your carrier to stop billing.
Can I reset a watch set up with Family Setup?
Yes. Apple says to erase a used watch before setting it up for a family member. Family Setup watches back up to the family member's iCloud, not your iPhone.
Will I lose my health data?
Not if your iPhone is backed up. Health and Fitness data needs iCloud or an encrypted computer backup of the iPhone.
Why won't my old watch pair with my new iPhone?
Older watches stop getting watchOS updates. If your watch can't run the watchOS your iPhone needs, check the table above.
Sources
Every step was checked against Apple's support pages on October 18, 2026. Menu names can change with watchOS updates.
- Unpair and erase your Apple Watch (Apple)
- Erase Apple Watch (Apple Watch User Guide)
- If you forgot your Apple Watch passcode (Apple)
- About Activation Lock on your Apple Watch (Apple)
- How to remove Activation Lock (Apple)
- Before you buy a used device, check Activation Lock (Apple)
- Restart Apple Watch (Apple Watch User Guide)
- Update your Apple Watch (Apple)
- watchOS 27 compatible devices (Apple)
- Apple Watch models compatible with watchOS 26 (Apple)
- Apple Watch models compatible with watchOS 10 (Apple)
- Apple Watch and iPhone compatibility (Apple)
- Set up Apple Watch for a family member (Apple)
- Back up your Apple Watch (Apple)
Still choosing? Read our guide to which Apple Watch to buy.
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