The Apple Watch is great at a lot of things. Over the years, Apple has iterated on its first smartwatch and created a great product that continues to impress.
When it comes to the capabilities, the possibilities are almost limitless, especially with the release of the LTE version. However, from time to time, there are issues that you may run into.
One instance is when you accidentally forget the passcode on your Watch. When you enable the passcode, this opens the door to many more features including the following:
Apple Pay
Apple Pay on Mac
Auto Unlock for Mac
Unlock with iPhone
It can be rather frustrating if you forgot the password because this renders your Watch practically useless. However, we are here to help show how you can reset Apple Watch passcode.
Backup your Apple Watch
Before you are able to embark on the following journey, you will want to make sure that your Apple Watch is backed up. This is due to the fact that the below methods actually erase the content on your Watch.
Thanks to the world of Apple, you can easily create a backup of your Apple Watch so you don’t lose anything major. When creating a backup, there are a few options that won’t be included:
Bluetooth pairings
Credit or debit cards used for Apple Pay on your Apple Watch
Passcode for your Apple Watch
That last option is the most important, as we won’t want the passcode to be saved on our Apple Watch. The process is a bit more cumbersome than backing up your iPhone, as Watch backups are not done automatically.
In order to ensure that a new backup is created, you will want to follow these steps:
Open the Watch app
Select the My Watch tab, at the bottom
Scroll down and select General
Tap on Reset
Select Erase Apple Watch Content and Settings
Press Confirm
That’s right. Whenever you unpair or reset your Apple Watch from your iPhone, a backup is automatically created. This backup will be saved in the iCloud and can be accessed when you restore or repair your Watch with your iPhone.
Reset Apple Watch Passcode with your iPhone
If you have the iPhone that is paired to your Watch, then the process is pretty simple and straightforward. Unfortunately, there is not just a setting you can change if you want to remove the old passcode.
Here are the steps you need to take to reset your Apple Watch passcode with an iPhone:
Open the Watch app
Select the My Watch tab, at the bottom
Scroll down and select General
Tap on Reset
Select Erase Apple Watch Content and Settings
Press Confirm
This will wipe your Apple Watch completely clean while removing the passcode. After the Watch has been reset, you can restore from a backup or start with a clean slate.
Regardless of which option you choose, the previous passcode will be removed from your Apple Watch.
What to do next?
If you don’t have the iPhone that is paired to your Apple Watch handy, you can still reset the passcode from the watch itself. This method requires you to take advantage of the hardware buttons on the Watch.
Here are the steps to reset your Apple Watch without an iPhone:
Place your Apple Watch on the charger
Press and hold the side button until the Power Off slider appears
Press the Power Off slider with a bit of pressure to activate 3D Touch
Tap on Erase all content and settings
After this process has been completed, your Apple Watch will properly reset to factory settings. This will remove any apps that you may have installed, while also removing the “old” passcode.
When the process of resetting your Apple Watch is complete, you can restore from a previously saved back up. This back up will not include the passcode you were trying to remove.
Conclusion
We know that the process can seem a bit counter-intuitive, but if you happen to forget your passcode, this is what you will need to do. On the bright side, there are a couple of different methods for you to explore before getting frustrated.
If you run into any issues, be sure to let us know in the comments below and we’ll be happy to oblige!
Andrew is a freelance writer based on the East Coast of the US.
He has written for a variety of sites over the years, including iMore, Android Central, Phandroid, and a few others. Now, he spends his days working for an HVAC company, while moonlighting as a freelance writer at night.
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