--- title: "How To Reset Your Apple Watch: A Guide - Red Pocket Mobile" description: Here's how to reset your Apple Watch, whether you're fixing a glitch or prepping it to sell, plus how to clear Activation Lock and your cellular plan. image: https://blog.redpocket.com/hubfs/reset.jpg --- [![3](https://blog.redpocket.com/hubfs/3.svg "3")](https://www.redpocket.com/) Open main menu Close main menu - [Plans](https://www.redpocket.com/plans) - [Shop](https://www.redpocket.com/shop) - [Activate](https://www.redpocket.com/activate) - [Deals](https://www.redpocket.com/specialoffers) - [Help](https://www.redpocket.com/contact-us) - [Coverage](https://www.redpocket.com/coverage) - [Blog](https://blog.redpocket.com/blog/) [Red Pocket Mobile](https://blog.redpocket.com/blog/tag/red-pocket-mobile) # How To Reset Your Apple Watch: A Guide [Red Pocket Mobile](https://blog.redpocket.com/blog/author/red-pocket-mobile) [Share this blog post on Twitter](https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?text=I+found+this+interesting+blog+post&url=https://blog.redpocket.com/blog/how-to-reset-apple-watch) [Share this blog post on Facebook](http://www.facebook.com/share.php?u=https://blog.redpocket.com/blog/how-to-reset-apple-watch) [Share this blog post on LinkedIn](http://www.linkedin.com/shareArticle?mini=true&url=https://blog.redpocket.com/blog/how-to-reset-apple-watch) ![](https://blog.redpocket.com/hubfs/reset.jpg) **Key Takeaways** - If you're keeping the watch, a restart or an erase from the watch itself is usually all you need. - If you're selling or giving it away, unpair from your iPhone instead, since that erases the watch and removes Activation Lock in one step. - Cellular watch owners should remove the plan during unpairing and contact their carrier to cancel the subscription. **To reset your Apple Watch: if you're keeping it, open Settings on the watch and go to General → Reset → Erase All Content and Settings.** **If you're selling, gifting, or trading it in, don't reset from the watch. Instead, unpair it from your paired iPhone, which erases the watch and removes Activation Lock in a single step.** The method you choose matters: erasing from the watch alone wipes your data but leaves Activation Lock active, so the next owner won't be able to set it up without your Apple Account password. ## **Terms To Know** ### **How Do I Restart My Apple Watch?** This is as simple as powering off and back on. Restart and soft reset are synonyms, though restart is the more accurate term. This is an old and remarkably effective way to fix a glitchy device. This is also what your device does automatically when you download a new WatchOS. Hold down the power button, slide the power-off slider, wait until your device has completely shut down, give it a minute, then power it back up (not a reset, just a restart). Just remember, you can't manually restart an Apple Watch while it's on its charger. For the longevity of your device, it's wise to power down and leave it off when not in use. If the issue is more severe and you are unable to use the power button to restart your Apple Watch, you can perform a forced restart, which has the same effect but uses a different sequence of commands. It's the difference between closing an application and force-quitting it when it's unresponsive. To force restart, press and hold the side button and the Digital Crown simultaneously for 10 seconds. When you restart your Apple Watch, especially if there's a specific glitch you're trying to resolve, take a moment to restart the paired iPhone as well. If your watch is just misbehaving, don't jump to unpairing. A restart fixes sluggishness, freezing, and pairing hiccups far more often than people expect. [If you're keeping the device but having issues, restarting is the right first move](https://www.bgr.com/2239560/how-to-unpair-apple-watch-guide/) rather than a full wipe. ### **How Do I Factory Reset (Hard Reset) My Apple Watch?** [A factory reset](https://www.techopedia.com/definition/17154/factory-reset) and a hard reset are synonymous. A factory reset will erase all data from the Apple Watch. However, if you do not unpair the watch from its paired iPhone first, the Apple Account will remain associated with the watch even in factory settings. If your goal is to fully reset the watch to like-new conditions, unpair it first. Before you unpair, make sure you know your Apple Watch passcode. If you've forgotten it, there's no way to look it up, since Apple doesn't store it anywhere you can read. Your options are to erase the watch and start fresh or reset the passcode through the paired iPhone. Instructions for the passcode-free route are further down in this guide. Before you perform a factory reset, you must back up your Apple Watch. You can create this backup with your iCloud account or a Mac. If you back up your paired iPhone to either of those places, it will automatically create an Apple Watch backup as well. Apple also advises you to empty your Apple Wallet on your Apple Watch before returning the device to factory settings, particularly transit cards. ## **Unpairing Already Erases Your Watch** Unpairing isn't a separate task you do before wiping the watch. [Unpairing erases your Apple Watch, restores it to factory settings, and removes Activation Lock](https://support.apple.com/en-us/108372), all in one action. Your iPhone also creates a fresh backup of the watch during the process, which you can use later to set up a replacement. Erasing from the watch itself is different and has a different outcome. It wipes your content and settings, but [it does not remove Activation Lock](https://www.bgr.com/2239560/how-to-unpair-apple-watch-guide/), so if you plan to sell or hand down the watch, you'll need your iPhone to finish the job properly. That distinction decides which method you should use: - **Keeping the watch and just need a clean slate?** Erasing from the watch is fine. - **Selling, gifting, or trading it in?** Unpair from your iPhone, which handles the erase and clears Activation Lock so the next owner can actually use it. ## **Remove Your Cellular Plan Before You Sell** If you have a cellular Apple Watch, there's an extra step that's easy to skip and annoying to discover late. During unpairing, you'll be asked whether to keep or remove your cellular plan. [Keep the plan if you'll be pairing the watch to a new iPhone.](https://support.apple.com/en-us/102542) Remove it if you're selling or giving the watch away. Choosing to keep it when the watch leaves your hands means your line remains attached to a device you no longer own. Removing the plan from the watch is only half of it, though. That clears the plan from the device, but it doesn't necessarily close out your subscription. You'll want to contact your carrier to cancel the watch line so you stop being billed for a watch that's no longer yours. If you're a [RedPocket](https://www.redpocket.com/) customer, our support team can handle that and can also help you move the plan to a replacement watch if you're upgrading rather than getting out. Also worth knowing: an Apple Watch uses an eSIM rather than a physical card, so there's nothing to physically remove. It's all handled in software, which is convenient but also means it's easy to forget. ## **What if I Don't Remember My Watch Passcode?** If you don't remember and cannot find your watch passcode, there's another way to factory reset your Apple Watch. This is not the recommended method, but it does work. 1. Place your Apple Watch on its charger 2. Hold down the side button until the Power Off screen appears 3. Then, hold down the Digital Crown until the Erase button appears 4. Tap Erase all content and settings 5. Tap Reset, then tap Reset again You can't do a soft reset on a charger, but you can do a hard reset. This process will erase Apple Watch content, so it will ask you twice to confirm you're making this permanent action. Keep in mind that this route erases the watch without removing Activation Lock, so you'll still need your Apple Account password to set it up again afterward. ## **What If You Don't Have the Paired iPhone?** Maybe the phone was lost, sold, or died. You can still erase the watch using the steps above, but Activation Lock stays put, which means the watch remains tied to your Apple Account. The fix is your Apple Account credentials, not the phone itself. As long as you know the email address and password associated with the watch, you can clear Activation Lock during setup, or remove the device from your account by signing in on another Apple device or through iCloud. This is precisely why Activation Lock exists. A stolen watch is worth very little because no one can activate it without the required credentials. Handy when your watch goes missing, frustrating when you're the one locked out, so keep those account details somewhere you can find them. ## **Buying a Used Apple Watch? Check This First** Before you hand over money for a secondhand Apple Watch, confirm the previous owner has unpaired it and cleared Activation Lock. If you power it on and see a passcode screen or the normal watch face rather than a setup screen, it hasn't been erased. If setup asks for someone else's Apple Account password, Activation Lock is still active, and only that person can release it. For cellular models, also confirm that any previous plan has been removed and canceled. Sorting this out before you pay is far easier than tracking down a seller afterward. ## **How Do I Pair My Apple Watch?** Pairing an Apple Watch with an iPhone is extremely easy. First things first; make sure both devices are on, running the most recent iOS and WatchOS, and have Bluetooth switched on. It's best to do this process while connected to wifi, but a cellular network is fine too. Next, hold down the side button on the watch until the pairing screen appears. As this screen instructs, hold the watch next to the iPhone you're going to pair. Likewise, watch the iPhone screen for pairing instructions. A screen should appear on the iPhone prompting you to "use your iPhone to set up this Apple Watch." When you see that message, tap continue. Then, assuming you're pairing *your* Apple Watch to *your* iPhone, tap "set up for myself." From here, you can either set up by scanning the image on your watch with your iPhone camera or tap "set up manually." You'll see a confirmation screen on your iPhone letting you know you successfully paired your Apple Watch. If you're setting up a replacement watch, you'll be offered the option to restore from a backup during setup. That brings across your settings, app layout, watch faces, and health data, so choose the most recent backup rather than starting from scratch. ## **How Do I Unpair My Apple Watch?** Upgraded to the latest Apple Watch series already? Time to prep your old Apple Watch for its next owner. To unpair your wearable from your iPhone, place the watch next to the iPhone and open the Apple Watch app on the iPhone. In the top-left corner of the screen, tap "All Watches." A list of your watches (which may be a single item) will appear. Navigate to the watch you'd like to unpair and tap the 'i ' info icon next to it. On the next screen, tap "unpair Apple Watch." It will ask you again for confirmation. Tap "Unpair \[Name\] Apple Watch" again. Enter your Apple Account password, then tap "unpair" at the top right corner of the screen. When the iPhone unpairs from the watch, it will also back up your watch's data and settings. If your watch has cellular connectivity, you'll be prompted to keep or remove the plan midway through those steps. Entering your Apple Account password is what disables Activation Lock, so don't skip it. ## **Is It Possible To Have an Apple Watch With No iPhone?** It's helpful to have an iPhone for initial setup, but afterward, the watch can function on its own. Current Apple Watch models, across the standard Series line, the SE, and the Ultra, all offer cellular versions that connect independently. With an Apple Watch on its own cellular plan, you can text, call, and get online from your wrist alone. These cellular watches are great for families since all Apple Watches can use Family Setup. So one family member with an [iPhone](https://www.redpocket.com/shop) can help the watch user set up their new smartwatch without actually pairing it to their own device. As long as it's on the [family's cellular plan](https://www.redpocket.com/plans/family), the watch will even have its own phone number. ## **Conclusion** If you're considering upgrading to one of these new cellular watches, you should also consider upgrading your phone plan! [RedPocket](https://www.redpocket.com/plans) offers super-affordable prepaid monthly and annual wireless data plans compatible with your cellular smartwatch. ## **Frequently Asked Questions** ### **How do I reset my Apple Watch?** If you're keeping it, open Settings on the watch, tap General, then Reset, then Erase All Content and Settings. If you're selling or giving it away, unpair it from your iPhone instead, since that erases the watch and removes Activation Lock. ### **Do I need to unpair before resetting?** Only if the watch is leaving your hands. Unpairing erases the watch and clears Activation Lock, which makes it usable by someone else. If you're keeping it, erasing from the watch itself is enough. ### **What happens if I forget my Apple Watch passcode?** You can't look it up, since it isn't stored anywhere readable. Put the watch on its charger, hold the side button until the Power Off screen appears, then hold the Digital Crown until Erase appears. That wipes the watch, but you'll still need your Apple Account password afterward. ### **Does resetting remove my cellular plan?** Not automatically. You'll be asked whether to keep or remove it. Keep it if you're pairing it with a new iPhone; remove it if you're selling the watch; and contact your carrier to cancel the subscription so you stop being billed. ### **Will I lose my health and fitness data?** Not if you have a backup. Your iPhone creates one automatically when you unpair, and health data typically syncs to the Health app on your iPhone anyway. Restore from that backup when setting up a new watch, and your history comes along. [Forgot your Apple Watch password? Here's how to reset it | iGeeksBlog](https://www.igeeksblog.com/forgot-apple-watch-passcode/) [How to pair and unpair an Apple Watch | ZDNET](https://www.zdnet.com/home-and-office/how-to-pair-and-unpair-apple-watch/) [What is a Factory Reset? | Techopedia](https://www.techopedia.com/definition/17154/factory-reset) [Unpair and Erase Your Apple Watch | Apple Support](https://support.apple.com/en-us/108372) [What To Do Before You Sell, Give Away, or Trade In Your Apple Watch | Apple Support](https://support.apple.com/en-us/102542) [How To Unpair Your Apple Watch | BGR](https://www.bgr.com/2239560/how-to-unpair-apple-watch-guide/) ## Related Articles [![](https://blog.redpocket.com/hubfs/RedPocket%20-%20Banners%20-%20Annual%20Plans%20-%20UNL%20WIR%20PLA%20-%20%20End%20of%20Year%20Sale%202023-1200x600-px-Twitter%20Image%20Post.png)](https://blog.redpocket.com/blog/red-pockets-holiday-tech-gift-guide) ### [Red Pocket's Holiday Tech Gift Guide: There's Something for Everyone!](https://blog.redpocket.com/blog/red-pockets-holiday-tech-gift-guide) As the holiday cheer rings, it's time to think about the perfect gifts for your tech-savvy loved ones. Red Pocket Mobile is making holiday shopping easy this year with... [Red Pocket Mobile](https://blog.redpocket.com/blog/author/red-pocket-mobile) [Read More](https://blog.redpocket.com/blog/red-pockets-holiday-tech-gift-guide) [![](https://blog.redpocket.com/hubfs/watch%20apps.jpg)](https://blog.redpocket.com/blog/best-apple-watch-apps) [Red Pocket Mobile](https://blog.redpocket.com/blog/tag/red-pocket-mobile) ### [The Best Apple Watch Apps Guide](https://blog.redpocket.com/blog/best-apple-watch-apps) We at [Red Pocket Mobile](https://www.redpocket.com/) have compiled a list of some of the [best Apple Watch apps](https://www.tomsguide.com/round-up/best-apple-watch-apps) available on the app store right now. Whether you just got a brand new Apple Watch or... 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