How to Reset Apple Watch: Complete Guide for Every Situation

June 22, 2026 By Christine Margret No Comments 7 minutes

If you have locked out your Apple watch, then don’t panic. It is possible that the Apple Watch might experience certain issues. The device could stop responding, have frozen screens, display the screen with a forgotten passcode, or simply need to be reset prior to selling the watch.

How to Reset Apple Watch

Resetting the Apple Watch is generally a fast and simple process. There are numerous ways of resetting the watch whether it is a standard restart, factory reset or an option to wipe out the data on the watch without access to your iPhone.

In this tutorial, you will be shown how to reset Apple Watch, how to reset the watch without password, how to reset when you locked yourself out by entering the wrong passcode multiple times, and factory reset.

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When Should You Reset Your Apple Watch?

Resetting can help solve many common Apple Watch problems. You may need to reset your watch if:

The watch is frozen or lagging.
Apps keep crashing.
You forgot the passcode.
You’re selling or giving away the watch.
Pairing problems keep happening.
Battery performance has become unusual.
The watch displays a “Too Many Passcode Attempts” message.

Before performing a factory reset, make sure important data is backed up to your paired iPhone whenever possible.

Difference Between Restart, Force Restart, and Factory Reset

Many users confuse these terms.

Action	What It Does	Deletes Data?	When to Use It
Restart	Turns the Apple Watch off and back on normally.	No	When the watch is running slowly, apps are acting up, or you want a quick refresh.
Force Restart	Forces the watch to reboot when it is frozen or unresponsive.	No	When the screen is stuck, buttons are not responding, or the watch has completely frozen.
Factory Reset	Erases all content, settings, apps, and personal data from the watch.	Yes	When selling the watch, giving it away, fixing major software issues, or setting it up as new.

How to Reset Apple Watch to Factory Settings

Open Settings on your Apple Watch.
Tap General.
Scroll down and select Reset.
Tap Erase All Content and Settings.
Enter your passcode if prompted.
Confirm that you want to reset the watch.
Wait for the process to complete. Your Apple Watch will erase all data and restart as a new device.
This is the standard way to reset an Apple Watch to factory settings.

How to Reset Apple Watch Using iPhone

If your watch is paired with an iPhone, Apple recommends using the Watch app.

Open the Watch app on your iPhone.
Tap My Watch.
Select General.
Tap Reset.
Choose Erase Apple Watch Content and Settings.
Confirm your decision.

This method also removes the pairing between your devices and creates a backup before erasing the watch.

How to Force Reset Apple Watch

Sometimes the screen freezes and normal controls stop working. In that case, you need to know how to force reset Apple Watch.

Follow These Steps

Press and hold the Side Button.
At the same time, press and hold the Digital Crown.
Keep holding both buttons for around 10 seconds.
Release them when the Apple logo appears.

The watch will reboot immediately. A force restart does not erase your data. It simply forces the watch to restart.

Avoid using this method while a watchOS update is being installed.

How to Reset an Apple Watch Without Password

Forgot your passcode? Don’t worry. You can still erase the device.

Place the Apple Watch on its charger.
Press and hold the Side Button until the power options appear.
Press and hold the Digital Crown.
Wait until you see Erase All Content and Settings.
Tap Reset.
Confirm the reset.

The watch will erase itself and restart. This is the easiest method for how to reset an Apple Watch without a password.

How to Reset Apple Watch Without Paired Phone and Password

Many people search for how to reset Apple Watch without paired phone and password after losing access to their iPhone. The process is similar to the previous method.

Here’s What to Do

Connect the Apple Watch to its charger.
Press and hold the Side Button.
When the power screen appears, press and hold the Digital Crown.
Select Erase All Content and Settings.
Confirm the reset.

The watch will return to factory settings even without the paired iPhone.

Note: After the reset, you may still need the original Apple ID credentials because of Activation Lock. Activation Lock protects stolen devices and cannot be bypassed through a factory reset.

How to Reset Apple Watch Too Many Passcode Attempts

One of the most frustrating messages is:

“Too Many Passcode Attempts. Reset Apple Watch and Pair Again.” This appears after multiple incorrect passcode entries.

To Fix It

Put the watch on its charger.
Press the Side Button until you see the power screen.
Press and hold the Digital Crown.
Select Erase All Content and Settings.
Go ahead and confirm the reset.
Re-pair the watch once the reset has been completed.

Many people have already fixed this problem by following the above process. The above process is the suggested fix to reset Apple Watch too many passcode attempts.

You May Also Read: How to Watch Apple TV on Various Devices without Restrictions.

How to Reset Steps on Apple Watch

Some users want to know how to reset steps on Apple Watch. Apple does not provide a direct reset button for daily step counts. However, you can clear activity and fitness calibration data.

To Reset Fitness Calibration Data

On your iPhone:

Open Settings.
Select Privacy & Security.
Tap Location Services.
Choose System Services.
Select Motion Calibration & Distance.
Go back and open the Watch app.
Tap Privacy.
Choose Reset Fitness Calibration Data.

This does not always remove historical Health data, but it can help recalibrate activity tracking. If you want a fresh Activity history, you may need to remove data from the Health app manually.

What Happens After Resetting?

After a factory reset:

Apps are removed.
Settings return to default.
Health and activity data on the watch are erased.
Pairing information is removed.
The watch restarts like a new device.

If a backup exists, you can restore it during setup.

Troubleshooting If Apple Watch Won’t Reset

Sometimes the reset process doesn’t work.

Try these fixes:

Charge the watch above 50%.
Restart both your iPhone and Apple Watch.
Update watchOS and iOS.
Make sure Bluetooth and Wi-Fi are enabled.
Attempt the reset through the Watch app on iPhone.
Use a force restart before trying again.

If the problem continues, contact Apple Support for further assistance.

Protect Your Apple Devices Online

Although it’s crucial to control the work of the Apple Watch, there is another factor that needs attention – your online security. Public Wi-Fi can reveal your personal data while using your Apple products. The best way to protect your privacy is to use a high-quality VPN which will encode your Internet connection. The most popular choice among Apple users to maintain online security is FastestVPN.

Final Thoughts

Learning how to reset an Apple Watch will help prevent a great deal of hassle. No matter if your watch is frozen, displays passcode issues, or is ready for its next user, there are numerous ways you can do that through Apple.

For normal situations, use the built-in reset feature in Settings. If the watch becomes unresponsive, use a force restart. If you’ve forgotten your passcode, you can still erase the watch directly from the device, even without the paired iPhone.

By following the correct method for your situation, you can get your Apple Watch working properly again in just a few minutes.