How do I repair my Apple Watch after a factory reset on my phone? It won’t let me open the watch as its still looking for the previous version of my phone.

How do I re-pair Apple Watch after a factory reset on a phone where the watch wasn’t unpaired? The watch is looking for my phone before the reset. It won’t let me open the watch without opening up that version of my iPhone.

Apple Watch Series 3, watchOS 6

Posted on Aug 31, 2021 11:21 AM

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Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Posted on Aug 31, 2021 11:23 AM

How to erase your Apple Watch if you don't have your iPhone

  1. On your Apple Watch, tap Settings > General > Reset > Erase All Content and Settings. 
  2. Type your password if prompted.
  3. For GPS + Cellular models, choose to keep or remove your cellular plan.
    • If you want to pair your Apple Watch and iPhone again, keep your plan. 
    • If you don't want to pair your Apple Watch and iPhone again, remove your plan. If you aren't going to pair with a different watch or iPhone, you might need to contact your carrier to cancel your cellular subscription. 
  1. Tap Erase All to confirm. This resets your Apple Watch to the factory settings.


From there, you should be able to re-pair your Apple Watch to your iPhone.


1 reply
Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Aug 31, 2021 11:23 AM in response to Bkat1220

How to erase your Apple Watch if you don't have your iPhone

  1. On your Apple Watch, tap Settings > General > Reset > Erase All Content and Settings. 
  2. Type your password if prompted.
  3. For GPS + Cellular models, choose to keep or remove your cellular plan.
    • If you want to pair your Apple Watch and iPhone again, keep your plan. 
    • If you don't want to pair your Apple Watch and iPhone again, remove your plan. If you aren't going to pair with a different watch or iPhone, you might need to contact your carrier to cancel your cellular subscription. 
  1. Tap Erase All to confirm. This resets your Apple Watch to the factory settings.


From there, you should be able to re-pair your Apple Watch to your iPhone.


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How do I repair my Apple Watch after a factory reset on my phone? It won’t let me open the watch as its still looking for the previous version of my phone.

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