Unpairing is super useful if you’re passing your Apple Watch to someone else, troubleshooting connectivity issues, or just wanting to start fresh. Using the iPhone method is great because it creates a backup you can restore later, while the no-iPhone method is perfect for quick resets when you don’t have your phone around.
Let me show you both ways: unpairing without an iPhone and with an iPhone.
How to Unpair Apple Watch Without iPhone
If you don’t have your iPhone nearby, you can still unpair your Apple Watch right from the watch itself. Here’s what to do:
- Press the Digital Crown on the side of your watch to bring up your apps.
- Find and tap on the “Settings” app.
- Scroll down and tap on “General.”
- Scroll down again and tap on “Reset.”
- Now tap on “Erase All Content and Settings.”
Your Apple Watch will begin resetting. This process wipes everything and removes the watch from your iCloud account, which also unpair it from your iPhone.
If Activation Lock is on, you may need to enter your Apple ID password to fully reset it.
How to Unpair Apple Watch With iPhone
If you do have your iPhone handy, this is the best way to unpair, it also automatically backs up your watch data.
Here’s how to do it:
- Open the Watch app on your iPhone.
- Tap the “My Watch” tab at the bottom.
- Tap “All Watches” at the top-left corner.
- You’ll see a list of watches linked to your iPhone. Find the one you want to unpair and tap the “i” (info) button next to it.
- Tap “Unpair Apple Watch.”
- Confirm when asked, and if needed, enter your Apple ID password to turn off Activation Lock.
That’s it!
Your watch will start the unpairing process, and your iPhone will create a backup automatically in case you want to pair it again later.
Whichever method you use, remember that unpairing erases all data from your watch. So make sure you’ve backed up anything important before you start.