Before you start
Keep the watch and the iPhone close together. Unpairing does the work: Apple says it erases the watch, restores it to factory settings and removes Activation Lock.
- Have your Apple Account password ready.
- Cellular watch? Apple says to remove the plan if you are selling or giving the watch away. To cancel the plan itself, contact your carrier.
Unpair it from your iPhone
- 1 of 4Open the Watch app on your iPhone
Go to the My Watch tab and tap All Watches.
Watch app › My Watch › All Watches - 2 of 4Tap the info button next to the watch
Pick the watch you are selling.
- 3 of 4Tap Unpair Apple Watch
On a cellular watch, choose to remove your plan.
- 4 of 4Enter your Apple Account password
That turns off Activation Lock. Then tap Unpair.
No iPhone?
You can erase the watch on its own: on the watch, open Settings, find Erase All Content and Settings, then tap Erase All. Apple says this erases the watch but does not remove Activation Lock, so it stays locked to your account.
To take it off your account without the iPhone, remove it at icloud.com/find, the same way as an iPhone: already sold it?
Questions
Does unpairing erase my Apple Watch?
Yes. Apple says unpairing erases the watch, restores it to factory settings and removes Activation Lock.
Why does Activation Lock matter when I sell an Apple Watch?
While it is on, nobody else can set the watch up. Unpair it from your iPhone first: that removes Activation Lock.
What happens to my cellular plan?
Remove the plan when you unpair the watch. To cancel the plan itself, contact your carrier.
Can I sell my Apple Watch by mail?
Yes. Send the trade-in form and write mail-in in the notes, and we tell you how it works. Unpair the watch before you ship it.