Your iPhone is now old because you’ve got a new one right? Well, you will learn how to unpair Apple Watch from old phone and pair it with your new phone to allow you to use your Apple Watch without the Activation lock restriction especially when you are transferring the Apple Watch to a new owner.
To think that so many things can be done using a common wristwatch is an understatement. However, Technology keeps evolving every day and discoveries are being made from time to time. One such is the Apple Smart Watch embedded with so many amazing features.
With the release of the iPhone 14/15, you may want to unpair Apple Watch from your old phone and pair it with your new phone.
You must first unpair your Apple Watch from your old phone to pair it with your new phone. This article will walk you through how you can unpair Apple Watch from your old phone to be able to pair it to the new phone you got.
Forgot to Unpair Apple Watch from Old Phone
If you forgot to unpair your Apple Watch from your old phone the new owner can erase your backup without your knowledge if the new owner has access to your AppleID since you can reset an Apple Watch without the paired phone and password.
Since multiple devices cannot be paired with a single Apple Watch the new owner will need to reset the device without your permission. However, the new owner will not be able to use the device due to the Activation Lock but the delete all your data on the device.
How to Unpair Apple Watch from Old Phone
By following the steps below you will learn how to unpair an Apple Watch from an old phone so that the device can be paired with a new phone without resetting your Apple Watch.
Recommended: How to Reset Apple Watch
- Place your iPhone and Apple Watch nearby (next to each other).
- Click on the Apple Watch app on your iPhone to open it
- Click on the ‘All watches’ button at the top of my watch screen.
- Find and select the info button to the right of your current watch.
- Select unpair Apple Watch
- Verify the process by tapping Unpair (your watch name).
- You can choose whether to keep or cancel your cellular plan or mobile data (if you have one).
- To disable the activation lock, enter your Apple ID password and click unpair.
Your watch will now begin to back up the most current data to your iPhone. Once it’s completed, it will automatically unpair from your iPhone, erase all active Bluetooth accessory pairings, wipe out all Apple Pay cards, and delete the passcode.
Finally, your Apple Watch is automatically returned to factory settings with all data wiped off.
Note: If your iPhone or old phone and Apple Watch are not placed close to each other the current backup will not be saved.
How to Pair Apple Watch to New Phone
Regarding the second aspect which is pairing to a new device, the steps below will show you how to pair Apple Watch to new phone so that you can easily transfer your Apple Watch data to your new device.
However, you will need to put some things in place before you go ahead, they include:
- You will need your Apple ID to disable the Activation lock.
- Reliable WiFi connection for both old and new iPhones.
- Your correct Apple Watch Passcode.
- iPhone and Apple Watch must be fully charged.
You must back up your Apple Watch before pairing it with a new device. To do so, follow the steps outlined below:
Update the old iPhone
You need to update your old iPhone/phone OS to the latest version it supports before you initiate the steps to pair your Apple Watch with your new phone.
Review your Activity and Health Settings
If you made a backup using iCloud can review your activity and health settings before you begin. Therefore, you can follow the steps below to review your activity before you pair your new device to ensure that your backup is up to date.
- Go to settings.
- Click on your profile name.
- Click iCloud, and ensure the health icon is switched on. Settings >> (Name) >> iCloud.
However, if you made your backup on a computer, you must encrypt it to save your health and activity content. Please keep in mind that your activity-sharing data is not saved on iCloud.
Back up your old iPhone
You can either back up your old iPhone on your computer or in iCloud. Your iPhone also helps back up your Apple Watch.
Set up the new iPhone
To transfer your data from the old iPhone to the new one, it is preferable to choose your most recent backup. If you don’t update your Apple Watch and iPhone, you might not be able to find your backup in the list. If you want to use your Apple Watch, a pop-up notification will show on your iPhone. Click “Continue,” but if you don’t get any notification, go with a manual setup by following the next step below.
Open the Apple Watch App on your new iPhone
- As you open the watch app on your iPhone, keep your Apple Watch and iPhone nearby. You could be asked to confirm “if you want to use your watch” upon request.
- If so, complete the setup by following the instructions displayed on your screen.
- Although the iPhone screen may ask you to start pairing, you must first unpair your Apple Watch to set it up. You can use your Apple Watch with your iPhone after setting everything up.
Another thing is that you will still need to unpair your smartwatch to pair it with your new phone if you lost your iPhone.
Apple Watch Stuck on Apple Logo
At some point, your Apple Watch may be stuck on the Apple Logo with a white screen and you will not be able to proceed with the pairing. Well, don’t lose hope. So, here we will take a look at how to fix Apple Watch stuck on Apple logo screen.
- Press and hold the Digital Crown and the side button
- Hold the button until the Apple Watch restarts.
- Release both the Digital Crown and side button.
- Wait for the Apple Watch to restart and firmly press the screen or press and hold the Digital Crown.
- Choose “Reset.”
- Once your Apple Watch is reset completely you can pair it with the new phone again.