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If you’ve forgotten your Apple Watch passcode, Apple’s supported fix is to erase the watch and set it up again; there’s no supported way to reveal the old code. You can start the reset on the watch itself or erase it from the paired iPhone. Before choosing, know that erasing from the watch alone does not remove Activation Lock, which may still require the Apple Account and password previously used with the watch.
What a forgotten Apple Watch passcode means
Apple’s guidance for a forgotten Apple Watch passcode is to reset the watch, erase its contents and settings, then set it up again. The process does not recover or display the existing passcode. You may be able to restore from a backup during setup, but erasing removes the watch’s media, data and settings, and Apple does not promise that every recent item or change can be recovered. Apple’s forgotten-passcode instructions say a watch backup is created on the iPhone before the erase.
Choose the reset method that fits your situation
| Method | What you need | Activation Lock result |
|---|---|---|
| Erase on the watch | Access to the watch controls and a compatible charger | Activation Lock remains; you may need the Apple Account and password previously used with the watch. |
| Erase using the paired iPhone | The paired iPhone and access to the Apple Watch app; Apple Account password may be requested | Unpairing through the paired iPhone removes Activation Lock. |
If you don’t have the paired iPhone available, use the watch-based reset. If you do have it and want to remove Activation Lock—for example, because you are ending the pairing—use the Apple Watch app to unpair the watch rather than relying on an erase from the watch alone.
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Reset the watch when the paired iPhone is unavailable
- Place the watch on its charger. Apple requires the watch to remain on its charger for this reset. Use a charger compatible with your model.
- Show the power control. Press and hold the side button until the power control appears on the screen.
- Open the erase screen. Press and hold the Digital Crown until “Erase all content and settings” appears.
- Confirm the erase. Tap Reset, then confirm when asked.
- Set up the watch again. When erasure finishes, follow the setup prompts and restore from a backup if offered.
This erases the watch but does not remove Activation Lock. Be ready to enter the Apple Account and password previously associated with the watch during activation. Apple’s Activation Lock guidance explains that the lock is tied to the account used with Find My.
#1 Best Overall
![Apple Watch Series 11 [GPS 46mm] Smartwatch with Jet Black Aluminum Case with Black Sport Band - M/L. Sleep Score, Fitness Tracker, Health Monitoring, Always-On Display, Water Resistant](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/416RQ0rtsUL._SL160_.jpg)
- A FULL-FEATURED HEALTH TRACKER—Apple Watch Series 11 gives you invaluable insights about your body, right from your wrist. Take an ECG anytime* and get alerts for a high and low heart rate or an irregular rhythm*—so you can stay closer to your heart. You can also view your overnight health tracking metrics with the Vitals app* and be notified of possible sleep apnea.*
- KNOW YOUR SLEEP SCORE—With advanced sleep tracking, Series 11 gives you a daily sleep score. It’s an easy way to help measure and understand the quality of your sleep, so you can make it more restorative.
- GET HYPERTENSION NOTIFICATIONS—Did you know that Series 11 can spot signs of chronic high blood pressure? By analyzing how your blood vessels respond to beats of the heart, it can notify you of possible hypertension.*
- SAFETY FEATURES—A smartwatch that puts your safety first. Series 11 can detect a hard fall or severe car crash, automatically help connect you with emergency services, and notify your emergency contacts.* Check In can automatically notify a loved one when you’ve arrived at your destination.
- A POWERFUL FITNESS TRACKER—With advanced metrics and motivating features like Pacer, Heart Rate Zones, training load, and Workout Buddy powered by Apple Intelligence from your nearby iPhone*—Series 11 is made to help everyone stay active, from runners and hikers to strength-training enthusiasts.
Erase and unpair the watch from the paired iPhone
- Keep the iPhone and watch close together.
- Open the Apple Watch app on the paired iPhone, then tap My Watch.
- Tap General, then Reset, and choose the option to erase the watch’s content and settings.
- Enter the Apple Account password if requested, then follow the on-screen instructions to finish erasing and unpairing.
- Set up the watch again and restore from a backup if prompted.
For a GPS + Cellular watch, choose whether to keep or remove its mobile plan based on whether you intend to pair that watch and iPhone again. If you are ending the pairing and will not pair another watch or iPhone, you may need to contact your carrier to cancel the mobile subscription. Apple’s unpairing instructions distinguish this process from erasing directly on the watch: unpairing from the paired iPhone erases the watch and removes Activation Lock.
Activation Lock: what to do if setup asks for an account
Activation Lock is separate from the screen passcode. It is an anti-theft protection associated with Find My, and erasing the watch does not by itself remove the lock. If the watch asks for the Apple Account and password previously used to set it up, enter those credentials to continue.
Rank #2
![Apple Watch Series 11 [GPS 42mm] Smartwatch with Rose Gold Aluminum Case with Light Blush Sport Band - S/M. Sleep Score, Fitness Tracker, Health Monitoring, Always-On Display, Water Resistant](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/31caPPnRysL._SL160_.jpg)
- A FULL-FEATURED HEALTH TRACKER—Apple Watch Series 11 gives you invaluable insights about your body, right from your wrist. Take an ECG anytime* and get alerts for a high and low heart rate or an irregular rhythm*—so you can stay closer to your heart. You can also view your overnight health tracking metrics with the Vitals app* and be notified of possible sleep apnea.*
- KNOW YOUR SLEEP SCORE—With advanced sleep tracking, Series 11 gives you a daily sleep score. It’s an easy way to help measure and understand the quality of your sleep, so you can make it more restorative.
- GET HYPERTENSION NOTIFICATIONS—Did you know that Series 11 can spot signs of chronic high blood pressure? By analyzing how your blood vessels respond to beats of the heart, it can notify you of possible hypertension.*
- SAFETY FEATURES—A smartwatch that puts your safety first. Series 11 can detect a hard fall or severe car crash, automatically help connect you with emergency services, and notify your emergency contacts.* Check In can automatically notify a loved one when you’ve arrived at your destination.
- A POWERFUL FITNESS TRACKER—With advanced metrics and motivating features like Pacer, Heart Rate Zones, training load, and Workout Buddy powered by Apple Intelligence from your nearby iPhone*—Series 11 is made to help everyone stay active, from runners and hikers to strength-training enthusiasts.
- If it is your watch but you forgot the account password: recover access through Apple’s account recovery page. The cited Apple guidance does not provide a passcode or Activation Lock bypass.
- If the watch belonged to someone else: ask the previous owner to remove it from their account or help complete unpairing. An erase alone will not make a watch linked to another person’s account ready for a new owner.
If the reset or setup does not work
If the display is not working, you cannot access the paired iPhone, or you cannot recover the associated Apple Account, Apple’s cited instructions do not establish a guaranteed alternative reset or unlock route. Contact Apple Support for help with your specific case. Apple Watch has no SIM slot or reset button; do not insert anything into the small openings in the case. Apple’s unpairing guidance warns against treating those openings as reset points.
When Erase Data is enabled
Apple’s user guide says that if Erase Data is turned on, the watch erases its data after 10 failed passcode attempts. That behavior applies only when the setting is enabled; it should not be assumed to be on by default. Apple Watch User Guide: Lock or unlock Apple Watch.
Quick Recap
Best Value
![Apple Watch Series 11 [GPS 42mm] Smartwatch with Jet Black Aluminum Case with Black Sport Band - S/M. Sleep Score, Fitness Tracker, Health Monitoring, Always-On Display, Water Resistant](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41s72HIk5TL._SL160_.jpg)
- A FULL-FEATURED HEALTH TRACKER—Apple Watch Series 11 gives you invaluable insights about your body, right from your wrist. Take an ECG anytime* and get alerts for a high and low heart rate or an irregular rhythm*—so you can stay closer to your heart. You can also view your overnight health tracking metrics with the Vitals app* and be notified of possible sleep apnea.*
- KNOW YOUR SLEEP SCORE—With advanced sleep tracking, Series 11 gives you a daily sleep score. It’s an easy way to help measure and understand the quality of your sleep, so you can make it more restorative.
- GET HYPERTENSION NOTIFICATIONS—Did you know that Series 11 can spot signs of chronic high blood pressure? By analyzing how your blood vessels respond to beats of the heart, it can notify you of possible hypertension.*
- SAFETY FEATURES—A smartwatch that puts your safety first. Series 11 can detect a hard fall or severe car crash, automatically help connect you with emergency services, and notify your emergency contacts.* Check In can automatically notify a loved one when you’ve arrived at your destination.
- A POWERFUL FITNESS TRACKER—With advanced metrics and motivating features like Pacer, Heart Rate Zones, training load, and Workout Buddy powered by Apple Intelligence from your nearby iPhone*—Series 11 is made to help everyone stay active, from runners and hikers to strength-training enthusiasts.
Rank #4
![Apple Watch SE 3 [GPS 40mm] Smartwatch with Midnight Aluminum Case with Midnight Sport Band - S/M. Fitness and Sleep Trackers, Heart Rate Monitor, Always-On Display, Water Resistant](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/31Gq8SToFJL._SL160_.jpg)
- GET SMARTER HEALTH INSIGHTS—Apple Watch SE 3 is an advanced health tracker that helps you better understand your body. The smartwatch sends alerts for an irregular heart rhythm, or an unusually high or low heart rate.* You can view your overnight health tracking metrics with the Vitals app,* track your sleep score, and get sleep apnea notifications.*
- A GREAT FITNESS TRACKER—SE 3 can track your workouts in a healthy number of ways—from running and strength training to simply achieving your 10K steps a day. With real-time metrics and Workout Buddy powered by Apple Intelligence from your nearby iPhone,* you’ll hit your goals like never before.
- KEEP HELP CLOSE AT HAND—SE 3 is a smartwatch that can detect a hard fall or severe car crash and automatically help connect you to emergency services and notify your emergency contacts.* Check In can automatically notify a loved one when you’ve arrived at your destination.
- WOMEN’S HEALTH INSIGHTS—SE 3 has advanced sensors that track your wrist temperature while you sleep. With this smartwatch, you can log your periods and symptoms, get period predictions, and get notified of cycle deviations.*
- GREAT BATTERY LIFE AND FASTER CHARGING—Enjoy a smartwatch with all-day, 18-hour battery life* from sunup to sundown. Then charge up to twice as fast as SE 2* and get up to 8 hours of battery in just 15 minutes.*
Rank #3
![Apple Watch SE 3 [GPS 40mm] Smartwatch with Starlight Aluminum Case with Starlight Sport Band - S/M. Fitness and Sleep Trackers, Heart Rate Monitor, Always-On Display, Water Resistant](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/31YiTby0pOL._SL160_.jpg)
- GET SMARTER HEALTH INSIGHTS—Apple Watch SE 3 is an advanced health tracker that helps you better understand your body. The smartwatch sends alerts for an irregular heart rhythm, or an unusually high or low heart rate.* You can view your overnight health tracking metrics with the Vitals app,* track your sleep score, and get sleep apnea notifications.*
- A GREAT FITNESS TRACKER—SE 3 can track your workouts in a healthy number of ways—from running and strength training to simply achieving your 10K steps a day. With real-time metrics and Workout Buddy powered by Apple Intelligence from your nearby iPhone,* you’ll hit your goals like never before.
- KEEP HELP CLOSE AT HAND—SE 3 is a smartwatch that can detect a hard fall or severe car crash and automatically help connect you to emergency services and notify your emergency contacts.* Check In can automatically notify a loved one when you’ve arrived at your destination.
- WOMEN’S HEALTH INSIGHTS—SE 3 has advanced sensors that track your wrist temperature while you sleep. With this smartwatch, you can log your periods and symptoms, get period predictions, and get notified of cycle deviations.*
- GREAT BATTERY LIFE AND FASTER CHARGING—Enjoy a smartwatch with all-day, 18-hour battery life* from sunup to sundown. Then charge up to twice as fast as SE 2* and get up to 8 hours of battery in just 15 minutes.*
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