Summary: Whether you’re upgrading, selling, or troubleshooting your Apple Watch, unpairing it from your iPhone is an important step. This process erases your watch, disables Activation Lock, and creates a backup so you can easily restore your data on a new device. Here’s a simple guide on how to unpair your Apple Watch, both with and without your iPhone.
Why Unpair Your Apple Watch?
There are several reasons you might want to unpair your Apple Watch. Maybe you’re moving on to a newer model, selling or giving your watch to someone else, or trying to fix software glitches like syncing problems or missed notifications. Unpairing ensures your personal data is safely backed up and removes Activation Lock, which is essential to allow the next user to set up the watch.
How to Unpair Your Apple Watch Using Your iPhone
The easiest way to unpair your Apple Watch is through your iPhone. Here’s how:
- Keep your iPhone and Apple Watch close together.
- Open the Apple Watch app on your iPhone.
- Tap the My Watch tab, then select All Watches at the top.
- Tap the info (i) button next to the watch you want to unpair.
- Select Unpair Apple Watch, then confirm by tapping Unpair [your Apple Watch name].
- If you have a cellular model, choose whether to keep or remove your cellular plan. Remove it if you’re selling or giving away the watch; keep it if you plan to pair it again later.
- Enter your Apple ID password when prompted to disable Activation Lock, then tap Unpair.
Your iPhone will create a backup of your watch’s data before erasing it. When you set up a new Apple Watch, you can restore from this backup to keep your apps, settings, and health data.
How to Unpair Your Apple Watch Without Your iPhone
If you don’t have your paired iPhone handy, you can still erase your Apple Watch directly. Keep in mind this method does not create a backup, and Activation Lock will remain active, which means the watch will still be linked to your Apple ID.
To erase your watch:
- On your Apple Watch, open Settings.
- Go to General, then scroll down and tap Reset.
- Select Erase All Content and Settings.
- Enter your passcode if prompted.
- For cellular models, choose whether to keep or remove your cellular plan.
Your watch will erase itself and restart as if it were brand new.
What Happens to Your Data When You Unpair Your Apple Watch?
When you unpair your Apple Watch using your iPhone, the watch automatically creates a backup that includes app data, settings, and most health and fitness information. This backup is stored on your iPhone and will sync to iCloud if you have iCloud backups enabled. This makes it easy to restore your data on a new watch.
If you erase your watch without your iPhone, no backup is created. Your data will be permanently deleted, but Activation Lock will remain active to protect your device.
Understanding Activation Lock
Activation Lock is a security feature tied to your Apple ID that helps protect your Apple Watch if it’s lost or stolen. It activates automatically when you pair your watch with your iPhone. Unpairing your watch properly disables Activation Lock, allowing the next owner to set up the device. Simply resetting the watch without unpairing does not disable Activation Lock, so the Apple ID and password associated with the watch will still be required.