How can I reset an Apple Watch without the owner's info?

Question

How can I reset an Apple Watch without the owner's info?

Hi all

first post on here so please be gentle.

I have a honest and legitimate question to ask and I’m hoping someone can help and tell me if I’m wasting my time or not.

my wife works in a hotel and is in charge to housekeeping there. They find all matter of things as you can imagine, they store the items for 3 months and then my wife or staff can have their pick (if anything worth while]. Now there is an Apple Watch Ultra which only has a couple weeks to go, but nobody has claimed it. And my wife has first dibs this time. I’ve searched everywhere online to see if it’s possible to completely reset it, or wipe it. Does anyone know if this is possible? Remember someone left this in a hotel room 3 months ago, so getting hold of the owner is a no no.

any help or advice would be great, if I’m also wasting my time let me know.

thank you all

[Re-Titled by Moderator]

Posted on Jan 5, 2025 3:49 AM

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Answer 1

Top-ranking reply

LD150

Level 10

104,278 points

Jan 5, 2025 4:01 AM in response to Steveoliver109

Only if the original owner removed it from their account, which would be unlikely for a lost device. They may even have marked it lost. Either way it is useless to a new owner.

Sorry about that, so many apple devices are sold off or given away from lost property and they are unusable, and nobody can bypass the Activation Lock

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Answer 2

Jan 5, 2025 4:01 AM in response to Steveoliver109

Sorry, but only the previous owner of the watch can disable the Activation Lock.

Only if you can show the official Apple Support proof of purchase or ownership, they can disable the Activation Lock.

Have a look at the related articles:

About Activation Lock on your Apple Watch - Apple Support

Additional Support - Activation Lock

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Answer 3

Zurarczurx

Level 5

4,596 points

Jan 6, 2025 2:55 AM in response to Steveoliver109

You can't activate it for your wife's use - only the original owner can. You could try charging it and turning it on to see if the owner has reported it as lost.. If they have then the display will have a contact number on it when it turns on . It's possible that they might give you a small reward or you might just get the pleasure of helping someone, which would be a great start to 2025 wouldn't it!

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How can I reset an Apple Watch without the owner's info?

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