Forgot Your Apple Watch Passcode? Here’s How You Can Recover the Passcode
I forgot my Apple Watch passcode, how do I recover it?
Far too many people have this dilemma of forgetting the passcode of their Apple devices, even the Apple Watch.
Being unable to access your Apple Watch can be a chore. What if you cannot access information on your Apple Watch anymore? Through your Apple Watch, you basically have access to information that you can normally access from your other Apple devices.
Apple Watches are pretty handy devices that let you check multiple aspects of your health (heart monitoring, blood oxygen levels, mobility, etc.), receive messages and call notifications when your iPhone isn’t nearby, scroll through social media, and many more. It can also unlock your other Apple devices by proximity alone. This is all possible while the Apple Watch is just hanging on your wrist.
With such great features at the tip of your fingers, Apple Watch has been a game changer for many users. Which is why it can be such a bummer if you forget the Apple Watch passcode and cannot access it anymore.
Why Use Passcode on Apple Watch?
You may be thinking that keeping a passcode for your Apple Watch is a nuisance because you need to memorize the passcode. You could always disable the passcode for your Apple Watch, but you would only be depriving yourself of the best features.
Your Apple Watch is linked to your Apple ID, which is why it has to be secured with a passcode. Even in the latest updates, your Apple Watch can receive codes to unlock your iPhone or Mac or basically sign in from another device.
This is why you need to keep the passcode for iPhone enabled. and also memorize it.
However, to deal with your current dilemma, there are some ways you can follow to recover access to your Apple Watch.
How to Recover Access to Your Apple Watch
There are two ways to recover access to your Apple Watch and those have been discussed below:
Reset Apple Watch Passcode
This is the first step through which you can gain access to your Apple Watch even if you forgot your passcode: resetting the Apple Watch passcode.
- Connect your Apple Watch to the charger. Keep it connected until you have completed all the steps.
- Press and hold on the side button of your Apple Watch until the power button pops up in the upper-right corner of the watch display.
- Press and hold on to the Digital Crown button until you see the message: “Erase all content and settings”. Tap on it.
- Then tap on Reset, and then tap Reset again to confirm.
This means that all the content in your Apple Watch will be erased. Wait for the process to finish and then set up your Apple Watch all over again. You also have the option to restore, if you had backup activated.
Reset Apple Watch with iPhone
Here we will use your iPhone to get access to your Apple Watch if you have forgotten the passcode. While following these steps, keep both your iPhone and Apple Watch together.
Open the Apple Watch app on your iPhone.
- Tap on the My Watch tab.
- Tap on General, then Reset.
- On the next screen, tap on Erase Apple Watch Content and Settings.
- Tap again to confirm. You will be prompted to enter your Apple ID password.
As you can already tell from both the steps mentioned above, recovering access to your Apple Watch means erasing all content and starting all over again. This may prompt you to be careful about remembering your passcode.
Fortunately, we have narrowed down tips to prevent you from forgetting your passcode again.
Keep Your Apple Watch Passcode Safe
To keep your Apple Watch passcode safe, you need to download a password manager app on your iPhone, and then on your Apple Watch as well.
Password managers like 1Password are effective for keeping your passcodes safe. These apps even suggest strong passcodes for your Apple devices.
Download the password manager on your iPhone first and then activate it for Apple Watch from the settings. This way you will be able to use the password manager app on your Apple Watch.
Wrapping Up
It can be quite frustrating when you can’t remember the passcode to access your Apple Watch.
Luckily there are ways to help you gain access to your Apple Watch again, and we have mentioned two of them in the article above. Although these steps require resetting your Apple Watch, however, if you have backed up to the cloud, you should be able to recover your backup easily.
To prevent future mishaps, download password manager apps on your iPhone and Apple Watch devices. Make sure you have a reliable internet for downloading apps in your Apple devices. Xfinity internet is one such service that lets you connect your devices to the internet smoothly.
Frequently Asked Questions
Should I keep a passcode on my Apple Watch?
Keeping in mind the sensitivity of information stored in your iPhone, it would be a good idea to keep the passcode enabled on your Apple Watch.
How do I unlock my Apple Watch if I forgot my passcode?
There are two ways to do this: using your iPhone and with the help of an Apple Watch charger. Both steps will reset your Apple Watch for you to access it again.
How can I save my Apple Watch passcode?
By downloading a password manager app like 1Password, you can save your Apple Watch passcode.
