Erase Apple Watch Before Selling: Step-by-Step Guide

Preparing your Apple Watch for sale is important to make sure your personal data stays protected, and the new owner can start fresh. Want to sell your Apple Watch? We’ll guide you through four easy steps to safely erase your watch.

Erase Apple Watch for Sale: 4 Steps

1. Back up your Apple Watch

Your Apple Watch automatically backs up to the paired iPhone. Make sure your iPhone contains the latest data from your Apple Watch before unpairing it.

2. Unpair Apple Watch from iPhone and Apple ID

Keep your iPhone and Apple Watch close together. Open the Watch app on your iPhone, tap 'My Watch', then tap 'All Watches'. Tap the info button next to your watch, choose 'Unpair Apple Watch' and confirm. For GPS Cellular models, choose whether to keep or remove your mobile plan. Enter your Apple ID password to turn off Activation Lock.

3. Erase Apple Watch using iPhone

On your Apple Watch, go to Settings > General > Reset > tap 'Erase All Content and Settings'. Follow the prompts to complete the process. Your watch will be completely wiped and ready for a new user.

4. Manually erase Apple Watch without iPhone

If you don’t have access to your iPhone, you can erase the Apple Watch directly. On the watch, go to Settings > General > Reset > Erase All Content and Settings. For GPS Cellular, choose to keep or remove the mobile plan. Tap 'Erase All' to confirm. You may need to enter your passcode.

Following these steps ensures your Apple Watch is fully wiped and unlinked from your iPhone, making it safe for sale.