To reset an Apple Watch, you have several methods depending on whether you have access to the paired iPhone or not, and whether you can unlock the watch.
Reset Using the Paired iPhone
- Keep your Apple Watch and iPhone close together.
- Open the Apple Watch app on your iPhone.
- Tap All Watches at the top left.
- Tap the info ("i") button next to the watch you want to reset.
- Tap Unpair Apple Watch.
- If you have a GPS + Cellular model, choose whether to keep or remove your cellular plan.
- Confirm by tapping Unpair again and enter your Apple ID password if prompted.
This process unpairs the watch, creates a backup, removes Activation Lock, and erases the watch
Reset Directly on the Apple Watch
- On your Apple Watch, open Settings.
- Go to General > Reset.
- Tap Erase All Content and Settings.
- Enter your passcode if prompted.
- For GPS + Cellular models, choose to keep or remove your cellular plan.
- Confirm by tapping Erase All.
This resets the watch to factory settings but does not create a backup or remove Activation Lock
Hard Reset (Force Restart)
If the watch is unresponsive or locked due to too many passcode attempts:
- Place the Apple Watch on its charger.
- Press and hold the Side button until the power options appear.
- Press and hold the Digital Crown until the Reset option appears.
- Tap Reset , then confirm by tapping Reset again.
This erases all content and settings and allows you to set up the watch anew
Alternatively, a force restart can be done by pressing and holding both the Side button and Digital Crown for about 10 seconds until the Apple logo appears, but this only restarts the watch and does not reset it
. In summary, the preferred way to reset is through the iPhone app to unpair and erase the watch with backup and Activation Lock removal. If you don't have the iPhone, reset directly on the watch via Settings. For locked watches, use the reset option from the power menu while charging. Hard reset by force restarting is mainly for troubleshooting
