It is undeniable that the Apple Watch is the most cutting-edge wristwatch on the market. No matter how sophisticated the technology becomes, there will come a moment when you wish to upgrade to a newer model. In such scenario, you must first unpair your current Apple Watch from the associated iPhone or iPad. And we're here to support you in that regard. Here's how you unpair an Apple Watch—whether it's connected to an iPhone or not.
How to Unpair Apple Watch on iPhone or iPad
While unpairing an Apple Watch is a bit more difficult, it is still very simple to reset one since the unpair button is not located on the Watch app's main screen. The process to unpair your Apple Watch from your iPhone or iPad is as follows:
Observation: We used an iPhone running iOS 16.6 and an Apple Watch SE running watchOS 9 to test this functionality. We also loaded watchOS 10 and iOS 17 beta on our smartphones for this guide, and the instructions for unpairing Apple Watch are still the same.1. On your iPad or iPhone, launch the Watch App.
2. Choose your Apple Watch by tapping on "All Watches" in the upper left corner of the screen.
3. Press the "i" (info) button beside your Apple Watch's name.
4. Then, press the "Unpair Apple Watch" button located at the screen's bottom.
5. Lastly, choose the option labeled "Unpair (Your Name) Apple Watch."
It will be necessary for you to either Keep or Remove your mobile plan if you own a GPS + Cellular model. Keep the cell plan if you wish to link your Apple Watch and iPhone once again. If not, discard the data plan.
7. Next, input your Apple ID password to deactivate the Activation Lock , then press the Unpair button located at the upper right corner.
The Apple Watch will now start backing up your iPhone's most recent data before disabling and wiping all of your open Bluetooth connections. Finally, the Apple Watch is unpaired and reset to its original configuration. Check out how to recover Apple Watch using your iPhone while you're here.
Remark: Apple advises taking out the transportation card from the Apple Watch before unpairing it if you are using it with one in the wallet app.Remove and Erase the Apple Watch from the iPhone
Although it is best to use the Watch App to unpair the Apple Watch since a lot of data must be stored up first, there may be instances in which you lose or don't have the associated iPhone. Then, you may unpair your Apple Watch straight from the device. However, the data on the watch will be permanently deleted. I've explained in detail below how to unpair an Apple Watch without using an iPad or iPhone.
1. On your Apple Watch, open the Settings app.
2. Find and choose the General settings under .
3. In this case, touch the Reset option after scrolling down to discover it.
4. Next, if enabled, input the Passcode and touch the Erase All Contents and Settings button.
5. Should you own a GPS + Cellular model, you will be prompted to either maintain or cancel your plan. Select your chosen choice by tapping it.
The process of unpairing and data restoration on the Apple Watch will now commence. After this procedure is complete, do the following actions:
6. To deactivate the Activation Lock, go to iCloud.com (visit) and log in with your Apple ID.
7. Select the Find My icon, and if prompted, provide your Apple ID password.
8. In this instance, choose your Apple Watch from the drop-down box by clicking on All Devices.
9. Select Erase Apple Watch from this menu.
10. In the pop-up menu, choose Erase.
11. Type your Apple ID password once again at this point.
11. Your Apple Watch will then notify you with a verification code. Click on Allow.
After entering the passcode that was sent to you on the iCloud website, the Activation Lock on your Apple Watch will be effectively removed.
Answers to Often Asked Questions
The Apple Watch typically takes two to ten minutes to unpair, depending on the size of the backup.
Yes, all of the data on an Apple Watch that you unpair with your iPhone is likewise deleted, but it is backed up on your iPhone.