We like to think that the Apple Watch is truly one of the greatest inventions of our era. A watch with various capabilities taken from the iPhone, the Apple Watch redefined what a watch could be, and it certainly involved more than just telling the time. But just like your iPhone, it can be prone to bugs and issues that may only go away by resetting it. Check out how to reset your Apple Watch should it ever get stuck with pesky glitches that stick around.
You’ve Just Been Erased
The old phrase “have you tried turning it off and on again” still applies to the beloved Apple Watch. A simple reset can remove many annoying issues and it definitely beats going through the trouble of trying to return your Apple Watch. As described by the wizards at Apple, simply hold the side button until the Power Off option appears, in which you can drag the on-screen button to the side just like your iPhone, then hold the side button again once your Apple Watch has fully shutdown until the iconic Apple logo appears. If your Apple Watch becomes completely unresponsive, there’s the option to force restart it by holding the side button alongside the digital crown for ten seconds and letting go when you see the Apple logo. Apple states that you shouldn’t do this if you’re updating watchOS and to keep in mind that your Apple Watch cannot be restarted while charging.
Desperate Times Call For Desperate Measures
When a soft reset does nothing to address the issues on your Apple Watch, it’s time for a hard reset to come into play. Unpairing it from your iPhone is the first step you will need to take under the Watch app. As Apple describes on its website, unpairing an Apple Watch will restore its factory settings. In the Watch app, select the My Watch tab and then All Watches. After that, press the Info button next to the Apple Watch you want to unpair. Versions that are GPS and cellular-enabled will have an extra step where you can choose to keep or remove your data plan. Once you've made a selection, a prompt to enter your Apple ID in order to remove the activation lock may appear. Once the correct Apple ID is entered, your Apple Watch will be just like the day it was purchased. Thankfully before your Apple Watch is wiped clean, a backup is created on your iPhone, making the dreaded factory reset easier to deal with.
If you want to reset your Apple Watch without unpairing, just put it on its charger, and under Settings, select General, Reset then Erase All Content And Settings. If you’ve forgotten your passcode and want to reset your device, all hope is not lost. According to Apple, place your Apple Watch on its charger, hold the side button until the Power Off prompt appears then hold down the digital crown. A setting to Erase All Content And Settings should appear. From there, press reset, then press it again to confirm.
Access Unlocked
If you don’t have an Activation Lock enabled on your Apple Watch, you can also wipe its slate clean using only your iPhone. As demonstrated by Gadget Hacks, open the Watch app, select General under the My Watch tab then tap the Reset option. This will give you the Erase All Content And Settings option in which you’ll have to obviously press alongside potentially entering your Apple ID.
So there you go! If your Apple Watch is playing up, a reset should be your first method of addressing any issues. There are so many little errors and glitches that a reset can get rid off, alongside giving you peace of mind. When it comes to getting the most out of your Apple device, stay tuned to our Smart Blogs!
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