- Restart, erase or unpair?
- Factory reset on the watch itself
- Reset to sell: unpair instead
- There's no reset button
- Restart first if it's just misbehaving
- Forgot your watch passcode?
- What happens to your data
- After the reset
- Cellular plan: keep or remove?
- Erasing a watch you've bought secondhand
- My verdict
- Frequently asked questions
To reset an Apple Watch, open Settings on the watch, tap General, Reset, then Erase All Content and Settings, and confirm. That wipes it to factory settings but leaves Activation Lock on. To remove the lock too, for example before selling, unpair it from the Watch app on your iPhone instead.
Resetting an Apple Watch means one of two things, and it's worth knowing which you need before you start. A restart just switches the watch off and on to clear a glitch. A factory reset wipes everything and puts it back to how it came out of the box. The factory reset itself also comes in two flavours, depending on whether you have the paired iPhone, and that choice decides whether the next owner can use the watch.
Restart, erase or unpair?
| What you want | Do this | Activation Lock |
|---|---|---|
| Fix a glitch | Restart (or force restart) | Not affected |
| Wipe the watch without your iPhone | Erase All Content and Settings on the watch | Stays on |
| Wipe it to sell or give away | Unpair from the Watch app on iPhone | Removed |
Factory reset on the watch itself
- On the Apple Watch, open Settings.
- Tap General, then Reset.
- Tap Erase All Content and Settings.
- Enter your passcode if asked.
- If it's a cellular model, choose whether to keep or remove the plan.
- Tap Erase All to confirm.
Apple's key point: this erases the watch but doesn't remove Activation Lock. Whoever sets it up next will be asked for the Apple Account and password that were on it. That's fine if you're keeping the watch and setting it up again yourself; it's a problem if you're selling it.
Reset to sell: unpair instead
If you still have the iPhone it's paired with, unpairing is the better reset. Apple says it erases the watch, restores factory settings and removes Activation Lock in one go. Open the Watch app on the iPhone, tap All Watches, tap the info button next to the watch and choose Unpair. You'll need your Apple Account password.
There's no reset button
Apple makes this clear: the Apple Watch has no SIM slot or reset button. The small holes in the case are for the speaker and microphone, and on Apple Watch Ultra for measuring water depth. Don't push a pin into them looking for a hidden reset; you can damage the watch.
Restart first if it's just misbehaving
A frozen screen or an app that won't open usually needs a restart, not a reset. Press and hold the side button, tap the power icon, then drag the Power Off slider. Hold the side button again to turn it on. If the watch won't respond, force restart it: hold the side button and the Digital Crown together for at least 10 seconds until the Apple logo appears. Apple says to use the force restart only when a normal restart isn't possible, and notes the watch can't be restarted while it's on its charger.
Forgot your watch passcode?
You can still reset it. Put the watch on its charger, press and hold the side button until you see the power options, then press and hold the Digital Crown until you see the option to erase. Tap Reset and confirm. You'll lose the data on the watch, but your health data is kept in the Health app on your iPhone if the two were syncing, and you can restore the watch from its backup when you pair it again.
What happens to your data
- Your health and activity history lives on the iPhone, so it isn't lost when the watch is erased.
- When you pair the watch again, you can restore from a backup of the watch.
- Cards in Wallet are removed and need adding again.
- Watch faces and app layouts come back if you restore from a backup.
After the reset
Bring the watch close to your iPhone and follow the pairing animation to set it up. You can then add back apps like messaging; my guide to using WhatsApp on a smartwatch covers what works on the wrist, and Snapchat notifications on Apple Watch explains that app's set-up.
Cellular plan: keep or remove?
On a cellular Apple Watch, the reset asks about your plan. Apple's guidance is simple: keep it if you'll pair the watch with your iPhone again, remove it if you're selling or giving the watch away. Removing the plan from the watch doesn't end your contract with the carrier; contact them separately if you want to cancel it.
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Erasing a watch you've bought secondhand
If you've bought an Apple Watch and it asks for someone else's Apple Account during setup, it's still under their Activation Lock. Erasing it again won't help, because the lock survives an erase. The seller needs to remove the watch from their account, which they can do from Find My on their own devices or at iCloud.com. Ask them to do that before you complete the purchase, or at least before the return window closes, because without it the watch can't be set up on your account at all.
My verdict
Restart for glitches, erase from the watch's own Settings when you're keeping it, and unpair from the iPhone when you're selling, so Activation Lock comes off. And don't go hunting for a reset button; there isn't one.
Frequently asked questions
How do I factory reset my Apple Watch?
On the watch, open Settings, General, Reset, Erase All Content and Settings.
Does resetting an Apple Watch remove Activation Lock?
Not if you erase it on the watch. Unpair it from your iPhone to remove the lock.
How do I reset an Apple Watch without the iPhone?
Use Erase All Content and Settings on the watch. Activation Lock stays on.
Is there a reset button on Apple Watch?
No. The holes are for sound and sensors. Don't push anything into them.
How do I force restart an Apple Watch?
Hold the side button and Digital Crown for at least 10 seconds until the Apple logo appears.
