Now that it’s been a couple of years since the release of Apple Watch, Apple has worked out the kinks of the setup process. It’s now much easier to set up a new Apple Watch. As workouts data is synced directly with iCloud via the iPhone, switching to a new Apple Watch is quite easy as well. In fact, you can link two Apple Watches to the same iPhone.
This means you can keep your old Apple Watch connected to the iPhone while you set up your new one, making sure there hasn’t been any data loss in the process.
But if you want to switch to a new Apple Watch on your iPhone, you’ll need to do two things: Disconnect your old Apple Watch and connect your new one. Let’s take this step by step.
How to Disconnect Old Apple Watch From iPhone
Step 1: Make sure your iPhone and your Apple Watch are next to each other.
Step 2: Open the Watch app on your iPhone.
Step 3: Tap on the My Watch tab and from the top, select your Watch.
Step 4: Here you’ll see all Apple Watches you’ve got paired to the iPhone. If you have more than one Apple Watch, tap on the “i” icon next to the Apple Watch you want to unpair.
Step 5: Tap on Unpair Apple Watch.
Step 6: You’ll now need to enter your Apple ID password to unlock the Activation Lock.
Give it some time and your Apple Watch will reset, erase and reboot itself.
How to Erase and Reset Apple Watch Without iPhone
If you don’t have an iPhone nearby, you can still erase the Apple Watch.
Step 1: Open Settings app on Apple Watch.
Step 2: Go to General -> Reset.
Step 3: Tap on Erase All Content and Settings.
Step 4: Enter your device passcode (if enabled).
Step 5: Once the reset process is complete, go to iCloud.com on your computer to disable the Activation Lock. On iCloud, click on Settings and from My Devices, select your Apple Watch. Click the X next to the Watch to remove it. Click the Remove button to confirm.
How To Set Up New Apple Watch
Step 1: Press and hold the Side button to turn on the Apple Watch. If it’s not turning on, you need to charge it first.
Step 2: Hold your iPhone and Apple Watch close together for a while. You’ll see a pop-up slide from the bottom of the iPhone asking if you want to pair the Apple Watch. Tap on Continue.
Step 3: You’ll see an animation on your Apple Watch. Hold your iPhone over the animation in a way that it’s visible from the iPhone’s camera.
If that doesn’t work, tap on the Pair Apple Watch Manually button to pair the Apple Watch using a passcode.
Step 4: In a while, the authentication will be done and your Apple Watch will start setting itself up.
Step 5: Next, you can choose if you want to restore this Apple Watch from an old backup, or you want to set it up as new.
Step 6: Next, you’ll need to agree with the terms and conditions and sign in with your Apple ID.
Step 7: Choose the settings you want to use for Location Services, Route Tracking, and Siri on the Apple Watch.
Step 8: Create a passcode. You can skip this step but if you want to use your Apple Watch for Apple Pay or to unlock your Mac you’ll need to set a passcode. By default, you can set a 4 letter passcode. But you can set a 6 letter one as well if you want extra security.
Step 9: If you’ve got a Cellular Apple Watch, this is where Apple will walk you through the process of enabling the cellular connection, selecting your plan and so on.
Step 10: Now comes the apps. You can choose how you want to deal with the app situation based on your preference. If you tap on Install All, iOS will install Apple Watch counterparts of all the available apps.
You can tap on Choose Later and only install apps you really need, one by one. Personally, this is the approach I prefer. It helps reduce bloat from the Apple Watch and is one of the ways you can speed up your Apple Watch as well.
Step 11: Now you just have to wait for all the data to sync. Sit back and keep your iPhone and Apple Watch close to each other. When the sync is done, you’ll get haptic feedback from the Apple Watch and you’ll hear a chime as well.
That’s it, your new Apple Watch is ready to go.
How Do You Use Your Apple Watch?
Do you mainly use your Apple Watch for the fitness and notifications features? Do you use third-party apps often? Share with us in the comments below.
