If you own an Apple Watch and have changed your iPhone, after connecting it to your Apple account, you need to unpair the Apple Watch from the old iPhone to be able to connect it to the new device. This process involves erasing the data and settings on the Apple Watch. This tutorial will guide you step-by-step on how to unpair an Apple Watch from an iPhone so you can pair it with another device.
In case you want to sell or give your Apple Watch to someone else, you need to unpair it from your iPhone and remove it (erase it) from your Apple account (Apple ID) so that the new owner can use it.
Table of Contents
How to unpair your Apple Watch from your iPhone to connect it to another device?
The following steps will erase all content and settings from the Apple Watch, but you have the option to keep the cellular plan if you have a GPS + Cellular device.
1. Make sure both devices, Apple Watch and iPhone, are close to each other.
2. Open the Watch app on your iPhone, then go to the “My Watch” tab and navigate to “All Watches” at the top.
3. Tap the “i” button next to the Apple Watch you want to unpair.
4. At the bottom of the device information page, tap on the “Unpair Apple Watch” option, then confirm the action.
5. If you have a GPS + Cellular Apple Watch, at this step you can choose to keep the cellular plan. This is recommended if you plan to pair the Apple Watch with another of your iPhones. If you no longer want to pair the Apple Watch and iPhone, remove the plan and contact your mobile carrier to cancel the cellular subscription for the Apple Watch.
6. Enter your Apple account credentials (email address and password) to disable the Activation Lock, then tap the Unpair button.
Once you have completed the steps above, you have successfully unpaired your Apple Watch from your iPhone. Now, the Apple Watch can be paired with another iPhone.
How to unpair your Apple Watch from a broken or no longer owned iPhone?
You can unpair the Apple Watch directly from the device if the iPhone is no longer functional or not in your possession. To unpair the Apple Watch from the iPhone in this case, follow these steps:
1. Go to Apple Watch: Settings > General > Reset > Erase All Content and Settings.
2. Enter the Apple Watch passcode (if required).
3. For GPS + Cellular models, choose whether you want to keep the cellular plan.
4. Tap Erase All to confirm.
After this step, the Apple Watch will be reset to factory settings but will retain the cellular plan (phone number) if you chose to keep it in step 3.
How to remove Apple Watch from your Apple account (Apple ID)?
If you intend to sell the Apple Watch or give it to someone else, you need to erase the cellular plan during the unpairing process from the iPhone (Remove Cellular Plan). You will also need to enter your Apple ID password to disable the Activation Lock.
You can also remove an Apple Watch from your Apple account using a computer by following the steps below:
1. Open a web browser on your computer and go to icloud.com.
2. Sign in with your Apple account credentials linked to the Apple Watch.
3. On the icloud.com webpage, go to the Find My app to see the devices associated with your Apple account.
4. Select the Apple Watch, then click on the erase device button (Erase This Device).
Related: How to Check Battery Wear on Apple Watch or iPhone (Battery Health)
Once you have completed this step, you have successfully unpaired the Apple Watch from your iPhone and Apple account. You can now sell or give the Apple Watch to someone else.
