Do you have an Apple Watch that has an iCloud lock on it? If you are looking for a way to unlock the Apple Watch, this guide is for you. Here, I will tell you the options you have for unlocking or resetting an Apple Watch with an iCloud lock.
Step-by-Step Guide to Unlock Your iCloud-Locked Apple Watch: iPhone Method
If an Apple Watch has an iCloud lock, you will need to enter the Apple ID password when trying to pair the watch with your iPhone or set up the watch. If you don’t enter the correct password, you won’t be able to pair the watch with a new iPhone, which makes it kind of useless.
If you want to remove your Apple Watch from iCloud and remove the activation lock, and you are the owner and still have access to both your iPhone and watch, here’s how to do it:
- Make sure your Apple Watch and iPhone are close to each other.
- Open the Apple Watch app on your iPhone and navigate to the My Watch tab.
- Click on “All Watches” at the top of the screen.
- Next to your watch, click on the info icon, which looks like the letter “i” in an orange circle.
- Click on “Unpair Apple Watch” and then on “Unpair [Watch Name].”
- Click on “Remove Cellular Plan” if that option appears.
- Enter your Apple ID and password.
- Follow the on-screen prompts to confirm.
Removing iCloud Lock From Apple Watch Without the Watch: Web-Based Method
If you don’t have the watch, you can still remove it from iCloud and do the activation lock removal from the web. Here’s what you need to do:
- Log in to your Apple account at icloud.com on any browser, from any device.
- Click on “Find My” from the menu at the top-right of the screen.
- Click on “All Devices.”
- Select your Apple Watch.
- Click on “Erase Apple Watch” and follow the on-screen prompts.
- Finally, once it’s erased, click on the “x” icon next to your watch to remove it from the list of devices.
Unlocking an iCloud Watch Without the Previous Owner
Unfortunately, you cannot remove the iCloud account from an Apple Watch without the previous owner. The above two options for removing the Apple Watch from iCloud can only be done by the previous owner.
If you purchased a used Apple Watch online, it’s possible that the previous owner forgot to remove it from their iCloud. In that case, contact them and ask them to do so using the web-based method (since they no longer have the watch in their possession, they will need to use the web-based iCloud method). If they don’t respond, try to initiate a refund or dispute on Amazon, eBay, or whichever platform you purchased the watch on.
Resetting an Apple Watch That Is Locked to the Owner
Resetting an Apple Watch to its factory settings will erase the content on the watch, but it will not remove activation lock unless you also unpair it from the iCloud account. This means that even if you manage to reset the watch, it still will be tied to the previous owner’s ID, so you will not be able to pair it with your phone and use it normally.
To reset your Apple Watch if you have your iPhone, you can simply unpair it, following the iPhone method outlined above. You will need to go to the Apple Watch app on your iPhone and unpair the Apple Watch. Unpairing the watch will cause the watch to reset as well. In other words, this will remove activation lock, since you are also unpairing the watch.
If you don’t have the iPhone, you can reset the watch on the watch directly by going to Apple Watch and navigating to Settings > General > Reset > Erase All Content and Settings. You may need to enter your password. Note that this method will not automatically remove the activation lock.
Removing the Previous Owner’s Apple ID from the Watch
Unfortunately, you can’t remove the previous owner’s ID yourself. They need to do it on their end. Once they remove it, you can sign in with your own Apple account and connect it to your Apple ID instead.
Can the iCloud Lock Be Removed?
Feel secure in the knowledge that if your watch is stolen, it can’t be used by someone if you don’t remove it from your iCloud.
Yes, but only by the previous owner. Activation lock is a theft deterrent imposed by Apple. There’s no way around it. The previous owner has to remove the Apple Watch from their account in order for someone else to use it. That deters thieves from stealing the watch, because it will be useless to them if it’s locked to the previous owner’s account. This is one of the reasons Apple devices are considered so secure.
Conclusion: Successfully Unlocking Your iCloud-Locked Apple Watch
I hope this guide on unlocking the Apple Watch was useful. Unfortunately (or fortunately), only the previous owner can remove the activation lock. This helps prevent theft. However, the good news is that they can do this online, from their iCloud account, on any device or browser, using the web-based method outlined in this article. So, just contact them and ask them to remove it from their account.
