Apple's pairing article starts from one fact: if the iPhone says it cannot connect, or the watch shows a clock face, the watch may already be paired. If you have the paired iPhone, open the Watch app, go to My Watch, tap All Watches, tap the info button next to the watch and choose Unpair Apple Watch; it erases the watch, removes it from your iCloud account and removes Activation Lock.
If you no longer have the paired iPhone, erase the watch itself from Settings, General, Reset, Erase All Content and Settings; Activation Lock stays, so you need the Apple Account and password used to set it up. If you forgot the watch passcode, put the watch on its charger, hold the side button until the power button appears, hold the Digital Crown until the red Reset button shows, then tap Reset twice. If the pairing animation hangs for several minutes, Apple says to reset the watch while it is in pairing mode.
Differential
Likely causes of “Apple Watch will not pair with the phone”, and how to tell them apart
- 1
The watch is still paired to an iPhone
What separates it The iPhone cannot connect or the watch shows a clock face instead of the pairing animation
How to confirm Unpair it from the paired iPhone, or erase it from the watch
- 2
Activation Lock after an erase
What separates it Pairing asks for an Apple Account and password you do not have
How to confirm Enter the Apple Account used to set it up; a used watch needs the seller to remove it
- 3
A forgotten watch passcode
What separates it You cannot erase from Settings because of a forgotten watch passcode
How to confirm Use the charger, side button and Digital Crown reset in Apple's article
- 4
A stalled pairing
What separates it The animation stays for several minutes because of a stalled pairing
How to confirm Reset the watch while it is in pairing mode, as Apple says
- 5
Bluetooth or Wi-Fi is off on the iPhone, or the iPhone is too old
What separates it The camera never finds the watch because Bluetooth or Wi-Fi is off on the iPhone, or the iPhone is in Airplane Mode
How to confirm Turn on Bluetooth and Wi-Fi and check the iPhone is supported by the watch's watchOS
Before you touch a setting
Record this first — changing settings destroys the evidence
- The model number on the case back and the watchOS version if the watch shows one
- What the watch screen shows: the pairing animation, a clock face or the Apple logo
- Whether you still have the iPhone that was paired and whether it is your Apple Account
- The exact error the iPhone gives when you hold it over the watch
Try in this order
0 of 7 completedCheck the connection basics
ReversibleKeep the watch and iPhone close, and make sure Bluetooth and Wi-Fi are on and Airplane Mode is off on the iPhone.
Unpair from the iPhone
ReversibleIn the Watch app, My Watch, All Watches, the info button, Unpair Apple Watch. For GPS + Cellular keep the plan if you will pair again.
Erase from the watch instead
ReversibleWithout the iPhone, use Settings, General, Reset, Erase All Content and Settings on the watch.
Reset without a passcode
ReversibleOn the charger, hold the side button, then the Digital Crown until the red Reset button appears, and tap Reset twice.
Reset a stalled pairing
ReversibleWhile the watch is in pairing mode and the animation hangs, reset it as Apple describes.
Pair again
ReversibleHold the iPhone over the watch face, and choose Restore from Backup or Set up as New.
Keep the Apple Account handy
ReversibleIf pairing asks for the previous account and password, that is Activation Lock, and only that account can clear it.
Model-specific
What is true of this model and not of its siblings
- Which watches are GPS and cellular
- Apple's Identify page gives separate model numbers for GPS and GPS + Cellular versions, so the GPS-only and cellular versions of the same size carry different numbers.
- Pairing differs a little by size
- Apple's pairing steps are the same for every model, but the case size matters for band and charger, so note 40, 41, 42, 44, 45, 46 or 49mm when you contact support.
- Repair cost
- Unpairing, erasing and pairing again cost nothing. If the watch never enters pairing mode after a force restart the fault is hardware, and Apple's out-of-warranty battery service is $99 while broader repairs run from about $199 for an SE 2 to $499 for an Ultra, per MacRumors' launch-day figures.
- Other models this page answers
- These steps also fit the Apple Watch Ultra 2, Apple Watch Ultra, Apple Watch Series 7.
Stop boundary
When this stops being a self-service repair
- !If Activation Lock blocks setup and you cannot sign in, Apple's account recovery is the route; a used watch needs the previous owner to remove it
- !If the watch will not enter pairing mode after a force restart, book Apple service
- !If the iPhone cannot see any Bluetooth device, fix the iPhone first before blaming the watch
Evidence ledger
Sources behind this answer
Unpair from the iPhone, erase without the iPhone, reset without a passcode and the stalled-pairing reset.
Unpairing, erasing and Activation Lock, and the keep-or-remove cellular plan choice.
Model numbers and case sizes.
The connection checks that come before unpairing.
The Apple Watch line and its generations.
Exact questions
Common questions
Why does my iPhone say it cannot pair?+
Apple says to check whether the watch is already paired. If it shows a clock face it is; unpair it or erase it first.
Do I lose my data if I unpair?+
The watch is erased, but the iPhone makes a backup of the watch first, so you can restore it, per Apple's articles.
What if I do not have the iPhone?+
Erase the watch from Settings, General, Reset. Activation Lock remains, so you need the Apple Account and password.
What is Activation Lock?+
It ties a watch to an Apple Account so it cannot be reset and used by someone else. Unpairing from the iPhone removes it.
I forgot my watch passcode.+
Apple's route is charger, side button until the power button, Digital Crown until Reset, tap Reset twice, then set the watch up again.
Should I keep my cellular plan?+
Apple says keep it if you will pair again, and remove it if you are selling or giving the watch away.
The animation is stuck. What now?+
Reset the watch while it is in pairing mode, and try again after it restarts.
Does an old iPhone stop pairing?+
Each watchOS needs a minimum iPhone and iOS, so an old iPhone can stop a newer watch pairing. Check the watch's compatibility page.
Can I pair one watch with two iPhones?+
A watch pairs with one iPhone at a time. Unpair it from the first before pairing to the second.
Is there a SIM card to check?+
No. Apple says there is no SIM slot or reset button on the watch, and the holes in the case are for sound and, on the Ultra, depth measurement.