In the following lines, you will find a simple yet detailed explanation of how to initialize an Apple Watch. I can already tell you that the operation can be done both directly from the Cupertino company watch and through the paired iPhone.
For completeness of information, I will also explain how to do it if your device is locked and how to contact the support team at Apple in case any problems arise during the process. Now, enough talking: let’s get to it. I wish you, as usual, good reading and a big good luck for everything!
Index
- How to Initialize Apple Watch from iPhone
- How to Initialize Apple Watch for Sale
- How to Initialize Apple Watch without iPhone
- How to Initialize Locked Apple Watch
- Configure Initialized Apple Watch
- In Case of Doubts or Problems
How to Initialize Apple Watch from iPhone
First of all, I want to explain to you how to initialize Apple Watch from iPhone if you want to continue using the smartwatch afterward. In this case, you can proceed without unpairing the watch from the iPhone first. To do so, simply use the Watch app, which is preinstalled on iOS (if deleted, it can be downloaded again from the respective section of the App Store) and through which you can manage and customize the Apple Watch.
Before performing the operation, however, make sure that Bluetooth is enabled on your iPhone to connect it to the watch. To check this, take your iPhone, unlock it (if necessary), tap on the Settings icon (the one with the gear) found on the home screen, tap on Bluetooth, and if the corresponding switch is set to ON, it means that Bluetooth is active. If not, press it to turn it on, and wait until the Connected label appears next to the name of your Apple Watch in the My Devices section below.
At this point, to initialize Apple Watch, tap on the Watch app icon (the one with the Apple Watch on a black background), and once the main screen is visible, go to the Apple Watch section by tapping the appropriate item in the bottom menu.
Next, select the General option, then Reset at the bottom of the screen, and press the Erase All Content and Settings button, confirming your intentions by pressing the Erase All Content and Settings button two more times in response to the warning that appears. If requested, also enter your Apple ID password.
If you have a GPS + Cellular model of the Apple Watch, for example, to initialize Apple Watch Ultra or if you want to initialize Apple Watch Ultra 2, before proceeding with the initialization, you will also be offered a menu to choose between the option Keep Cellular Plan or Remove Cellular Plan, allowing you to decide whether to keep or remove the cellular plan on the watch.
The procedure to initialize Apple Watch SE, initialize Apple Watch Series 2, initialize Apple Watch Series 3, or any other model you may have will be considered complete when the loading wheel around the Apple logo on the smartwatch is complete and the welcome screen of the watch appears.
How to Initialize Apple Watch for Sale
If, instead, you intend to initialize Apple Watch for sale, or to give it to someone else, you need to first unpair the device from your iPhone, in order to remove the activation lock from the watch and have an updated backup of all the data on it (so you can restore it in the future, even on a new Apple Watch).
The data backup on the watch is automatically saved to the iPhone (thus on iCloud, or on iTunes, Apple Devices, or Finder, depending on how you back up your smartphone) and includes the specific app data and settings, the Home screen layout, watch face settings, Dock settings, general system settings, health, and fitness data, notification settings, synchronized playlists, albums and mixes, Siri voice feedback settings, the synchronized photo album, and the time zone.
That being said, to unpair the Apple Watch from the iPhone and initialize it, open the Watch app on your iPhone, and when the main screen is visible, go to the Apple Watch section by tapping the appropriate item in the bottom menu.
Now, tap on the All Apple Watches on top, tap the (i) next to the name of your Apple Watch, and press the Unpair Apple Watch option at the bottom, then confirm your intentions by tapping the Unpair [your Apple Watch name] option that appears at the bottom.
If you have a GPS + Cellular model of the Apple Watch, you will also see a menu where you can choose between Keep Cellular Plan or Remove Cellular Plan, allowing you to decide whether to keep or remove the existing cellular plan on the watch.
After completing the above steps, enter your Apple ID password to deactivate the activation lock, tap the Continue option at the top right, hit the Unpair button, and wait a few minutes for the watch to unpair from the phone and initialize, after which it can be paired with a new iPhone.
How to Initialize Apple Watch without iPhone
Do you want to initialize Apple Watch without iPhone, thus wanting to act directly from the Cupertino company’s watch? I’ll explain right away how to do it; it’s a piece of cake. Just bear in mind that by doing this, it is not possible to remove the device’s activation lock, to do that you must first unpair it as I explained in the previous chapter, which also prevents proceeding to initialize a found Apple Watch.
First, wear the watch and unlock it (if necessary), then press the Digital Crown to access the watchOS screen where all installed apps are grouped, and select the Settings icon (the one that looks like a gear).
After completing the above steps, select the General, Reset, and Erase All Content and Settings options. Then enter the passcode associated with your Apple Watch and select the Erase All Content and Settings to confirm your choice.
Only if you are using a GPS + Cellular model of the Apple Watch will you also be able to choose the Erase All and Keep Plan option to unpair Apple Watch without a phone while keeping the existing cellular plan active.
How to Initialize Locked Apple Watch
Your Apple Watch is locked with a passcode and you don’t remember it to resume using it and therefore reset it? Don’t worry: even in this case, you can succeed in your aim, by initializing a locked Apple Watch.
To proceed, first, charge the watch by placing it on the designated charger, then recall the watchOS shutdown menu by holding the side button until you see the power button in the upper right corner of the screen.
Once you’ve completed the above steps, keep pressing the Digital Crown until you see the Erase All Content and Settings button, then press it.
I want to point out that if the Erase Data option is active on your Apple Watch, after ten unsuccessful attempts to enter the code, the procedure to initialize Apple Watch after too many attempts will start automatically, causing the data on the smartwatch to be deleted.
If, instead, the problem is that the Apple Watch is not usable because a message appears on the device’s screen asking you to bring the smartwatch closer to the iPhone because a problem was detected that requires restoring or updating, or if you see a red exclamation point and are wondering how to unlock it, I inform you that you can do it directly from your iPhone. However, the iPhone must be updated to iOS 15.4 and later versions, and the Apple Watch must be updated to watchOS 8.5 or later versions.
To proceed, first make sure that the iPhone and Apple Watch are near each other, then ensure that Wi-Fi and Bluetooth are enabled on the smartphone and that the device is unlocked. Then place the Apple Watch on the charger, press the side button twice consecutively and follow the instructions displayed on the screen to complete the procedure.
If the steps just described do not work, to remedy, Apple advises checking the Wi-Fi connection, trying the 2.4 GHz networks instead of the 5 GHz ones, and avoiding 802.1X networks or captive Wi-Fi (i.e., public networks available upon registration or payment) like those in hotels.
Configure Initialized Apple Watch
Regardless of the steps taken previously, once the reset process is complete, if you are the one who will continue to use the watch, you need to configure the initialized Apple Watch to be able to start using it again.
To do this, take your iPhone, unlock it (if necessary), and enable Bluetooth (if you haven’t already done so of course), then go to the iOS home screen, bring the Apple Watch close to the smartphone, and wait for the message To set up this Apple Watch, use iPhone to appear.
Then tap the Continue button on the iPhone screen and align the Apple Watch’s dial with the phone’s camera. If the pairing does not work, press the Pair Apple Watch Manually button and select the name of your Apple Watch from the screen that appears.
If the message to configure the Apple Watch does not appear, instead, open the Watch app on the iPhone and, when the relevant screen is visible, reach the Apple Watch section by tapping the respective item in the bottom menu, tap on All Apple Watches at the top, and tap on the Add Apple Watch button.
Once the configuration process has started, decide whether to restore a previous backup of the Apple Watch or to set up the watch as a new: in the first case, select the backup to restore and proceed further, while in the second answer the questions asked on your iPhone’s screen.
At this point, log in with your Apple ID if requested, indicate whether you wear the Apple Watch on the left or right, accept the terms of use of the device, and choose whether you want to enable route tracking and whether to share the usage statistics of the watch with Apple.
Now, you need to set up a passcode to unlock the Apple Watch. So, tap the Create a Passcode button or the Add Extended Passcode button and enter the code you want to use twice. Then configure Apple Pay, indicating the cards you want to use with the watch, entering the respective security code, and accepting the terms of use for the service. To skip this step, press the Don’t Add Code button.
After that, select your preferred text size and choose whether to use bold. If you did not use quick setup, the Apple Watch will show you which settings it shares with the iPhone. Proceed to add or update details such as your birth date and decide whether to enable notifications for health.
If you have a GPS + Cellular model of the Apple Watch, you will also be asked to set up the cellular connection through a dedicated guided process.
If, instead, you need to give the Apple Watch to someone else, once the reset process is completed, you can simply turn off the watch and let the person who will use it take care of it. For further details regarding the operations described in this chapter, you might find it useful to read my specific tutorial.
In Case of Doubts or Problems
Have you followed my instructions on how to initialize Apple Watch to the letter, but still haven’t succeeded? During the process, did you have any doubts or encountered any problems? Considering the circumstances, I highly recommend looking at the Apple Watch support section on Apple’s website.
If even so you can’t find a solution, get in direct contact with Apple to receive personalized assistance. You can do this in various ways: by phone, online, or in person. All methods are equally valid; choose freely based on your personal preferences. For more information, I suggest reading my specific guide.