How To Hard Reset Apple Watch. 4 Quick and Easy Steps
Has your Apple Watch been acting up lately? Apps crashing unexpectedly, or the interface lagging no matter what you try? Before you give up in frustration, consider trying a hard reset to restore your Apple Watch to factory settings. A hard reset can fix a ton of common Apple Watch issues you may encounter—and luckily, it only takes a couple of minutes.
Key Takeaways
In this comprehensive guide, we’ll walk you through different ways to reset your Apple Watch for a fresh start, which can be an essential troubleshooting step for resolving various issues with the device. The article outlines the simple steps to perform this reset: pressing and holding both the side button and Digital Crown for at least 10 seconds until the Apple logo appears. We’ll also talk about various other methods to hard reset as an alternative.
How To Hard Reset Apple Watch?
Hard resetting an Apple Watch can be necessary if the device is unresponsive or experiencing serious issues. Listed below are the four ways to hard reset Apple Watch;
To perform a hard reset on an Apple Watch, first press and hold both the power button for a couple of seconds until you see the screen displaying “Power Off” and “SOS”. Release the button and now press and hold the digital crown until you see the message “Connect to a power source to proceed”. Now connect it to the charger to proceed to hard reset the Apple Watch.
You can also hard reset your Apple Watch through the watch settings. To perform a hard reset, unlock the watch, click settings, and tap on general. Now tap on Reset and choose ‘Erase all Content and Settings’.
Another way to reset your Apple Watch is through your iPhone using the Apple Watch application. To reset the Apple Watch using this method, simply open the Apple Watch application on your iPhone and tap on My Watch. Now go to General and tap on Reset, and then finally, to reset your Watch, tap on Erase Apple Watch Content and Settings.
If you don’t have your Apple Watch at hand and wish to hard reset it, you can do so by using iCloud. Simply sign into iCloud.com on your desktop with your Apple ID, browse down, and click on “Find My” to see all the devices connected to the iCloud. Select your Apple Watch from here and click on “Erase this device” to hard reset it. You can also use the “Find My” app on another iPhone or Apple device to hard reset your Apple Watch.
How Do I Factory Reset My Apple Watch Unresponsive?
If your Apple Watch is unresponsive and you need to perform a factory reset, you can rest the Apple Watch in the following ways;
The first method is to reset your Apple Watch via your iPhone, launch the Apple Watch app, select the "My Watch" tab, navigate to "General," then proceed to "Reset," and to initiate the reset, choose "Erase Apple Watch Content and Settings."
The second method is to reset the Apple Watch through iCloud. To do this, access iCloud.com on your computer using your Apple ID credentials, then click on “Find My” to view all devices linked to your iCloud account. From this list, select your Apple Watch and choose the “Erase this device” option to initiate the hard reset.
How Do You Reset A Stuck Apple Watch?
Here is how you can reset a stuck Apple Watch:
Try restarting the Apple Watch to unfreeze it by holding the power button and the digital crown simultaneously for a few seconds until you see the Apple logo appear on your screen. Once the Apple Watch is working, you can reset it by going to Settings > General > Reset > Erase all Content and Settings
Another way to reset your Apple Watch is by going to iCloud > Find Me> (select Apple Watch) > Erase this device.
Connect your Apple Watch to the charger, and press and hold both the power button and the crown until the screen turns black and the logo appears. Then, release both buttons.
Can You Soft Reset An Apple Watch?
Yes, you can easily soft reset an Apple Watch by following the steps below:
Press and hold the power button and the digital crown together for a few seconds until you see the Apple logo appear on the screen to force restart it.
Reset Apple Watch Without Passcode
Resetting an Apple Watch without a passcode involves the following methods to effectively erase all the content from the device;
Press and hold the power button for several seconds until the screen shows options for “Power Off” and “SOS”. Once these appear, let go of the power button and then press down on the digital crown, holding it until a message saying “Connect to a power source to proceed” appears. Now, attach your Apple Watch to its charger to continue with the hard reset process.
Navigate to iCloud.com on a computer and sign in with your Apple ID. Then, select the “Find My” feature to see a list of all devices connected to your iCloud account. Locate your Apple Watch in this list and opt for the “Erase this device” choice to begin the hard reset process.
You can also reset your Apple Watch via the Apple Watch app on your iPhone. To do so, launch the Apple Watch app, select the "My Watch" tab, then proceed to the "General" section. Here, tap on "Reset," and to complete the process, choose "Erase Apple Watch Content and Settings."
How To Reset Apple Watch Without Paired Phone
Resetting an Apple Watch without access to the paired iPhone can be done directly on the watch itself, especially useful if the watch is unresponsive or you no longer have the iPhone;
To reset the Apple Watch without a paired phone, go to Settings > General > Reset > Erase all Content and Settings.
How To Reset Apple Watch Without Paired Phone And Password
Here is how you can reset your Apple Watch if you don't have access to the paired phone or have forgotten the password;
The best way to reset an Apple Watch without a paired phone and password is by resetting the watch using the watch buttons.
Press and hold the power button until the slider appears.
Now press the hold the digital crown until the screen shows “Connect to power source”.
Now, connect the Apple Watch to the charger to reset the Apple Watch.
How To Hard Reset Apple Watch Series 3
Here is how you can hard reset your Apple Watch Series 3;
Press and hold the side button until the “Power Off” and “SOS” options are displayed. Release the side button and press and hold the Digital Crown until a prompt instructs you to connect the watch to its charger. Once connected, the hard reset process will commence.
Additionally, a hard reset can also be done through the settings. First, unlock the watch, then navigate to the settings menu and select 'General.' Following this, tap on 'Reset' and tap on 'Erase All Content and Settings.'
Open the Apple Watch app on your iPhone. Select the 'My Watch' tab, then navigate to 'General'. From there, tap on 'Reset'. To complete the process, choose 'Erase Apple Watch Content and Settings'.
Log into iCloud.com using your Apple ID on a computer, then scroll to and select the “Find My” option to view all your iCloud-connected devices. Choose your Apple Watch from the list and click on “Erase this device” for a hard reset. This can also be done using the “Find My” app on a different iPhone or Apple device.
Here is how you can hard reset your Apple Watch Ultra;
Reset your Apple Watch Ultra through iCloud by Sign in > Find My > (select Apple Watch) > Erase this device.
Unlock your iPhone and head to the Apple Watch application > My Watch > General > Reset > Erase Apple Watch Content and Settings to hard reset your Apple Watch.
Hold down the side button of your Apple Watch until options for “Power Off” and “SOS” appear. Then, let go of the side button and hold down the Digital Crown. Keep holding until you see a message directing you to connect the watch to its charger.
You can also hard reset your Apple Watch through the settings by Settings > General > Reset > Erase all Content and Settings.
How To Hard Reset Apple Watch Se
Here is how you can hard reset your Apple Watch SE;
Sign in to iCloud, tap on your Apple Watch from the listed devices under the “Find My” application, and then tap on erase this device.
To perform a hard reset on your Apple Watch, first unlock your iPhone. Open the Apple Watch app, then tap on 'My Watch'. Proceed to 'General', followed by 'Reset', and finally select 'Erase Apple Watch Content and Settings'.
The first method is to hard reset the Apple Watch through the watch itself. Press and hold the power button for a few seconds. Once the slider appears, release. Now press and hold the crown until the device prompts you to connect it to the charger. Your watch will now reset.
Reset your Apple Watch using its settings, go to 'Settings', then 'General', followed by 'Reset', and choose 'Erase all Content and Settings'.
How To Hard Reset Apple Watch 8
Here is how you can hard reset your Apple Watch Series 8;
Connect your Apple Watch to the charger. Press and hold the power button until you see the sliders. Now, simply press and hold the crown until the device begins the reset procedure.
Hard reset your Apple Watch remotely by signing into iCloud.com on a desktop computer with your Apple ID. Under "Find My", locate your watch in the list of devices and use the "Erase" tool to factory reset it over the internet.
Access the settings menu directly on the Apple Watch. Once unlocked, scroll to and select the General option, then proceed to Reset and choose Erase All Content and Settings to fully wipe the device.
Use the paired iPhone to rest your Apple Watch by opening the Apple Watch app and navigating to the My Watch tab. From there, go to General, then Reset, and finally, Erase Apple Watch Content and Settings to factory reset from the iPhone side.
How To Hard Reset Apple Watch Series 6
Here is how you can hard reset your Apple Watch Series 6;
Press and hold the side button of your Apple Watch until the "Power Off" and "SOS" choices display. Next, release the side button and press and hold the Digital Crown until you receive a prompt to connect the watch to a charger.
Use the Apple Watch application to reset by going to 'My Watch > General > Reset > 'Erase Apple Watch Content and Settings.
The quickest way to reset your Apple Watch is through Settings > General > Reset > Erase all Content and Settings.
You can also reset your Apple Watch remotely via iCloud. Simply Sign in > Find My > (select Apple Watch) > Erase this device.
Here is how you can hard reset your Apple Watch Series 7;
If your Apple Watch is lost or not at hand and you wish to reset it, you can do a remote hard reset through iCloud: Sign in > Find My > (select Apple Watch) > Erase this device.
Connect your Apple Watch to the charger, then press and hold the power button until the slider options appear on the screen. Next, press and hold the crown until the watch initiates the reset process.
Another way is to open the Apple Watch application and tap on My Watch > General > 'Reset > 'Erase Apple Watch Content and Settings.
Apple Watch Hard Reset Not Working (What To Do?)
Here is what you can do if your Apple Watch is not able to hard reset;
Hard resets require the Apple Watch to be connected to power, so inspect the charger for damage and firmly reconnect the cables. Try different cables and chargers if possible.
Consider using alternative hard reset methods like through iCloud or paired iPhone.
If other steps fail, an underlying hardware or serious software issue may be blocking resets. Contact Apple Support or a reliable third-party repair service in your area.
Conclusion
Hard resets can help resolve serious software issues and wipe all content off the Apple watch. Users can perform a hard reset in several ways, including the watch's buttons or settings menu, the Apple Watch app on the iPhone, and remotely through iCloud. However, if you experience issues during the reset procedure, it is suggested that you visit an Apple technician timely.
Madi is a dynamic tech writer with a passion for simplifying complex concepts. Her expertise lies in creating clear and concise guides, blogs, manuals, and tutorials that empower users to navigate the technological landscape with ease. Throughout her career, Madi has worked with numerous leading tech companies, collaborating with engineers, developers, designers and marketers to create user manuals, FAQs, troubleshooting guides, and tech articles, on the websites such as "Technology Castle" and "Bilzimo". She can transform intricate technical jargon into user-friendly language, empowering users to understand and utilize products effectively.