Apple Watch unlock is imposible due to password policy on iPhone

YES! Exactly what I needed. I knew someone would have the stand on your left leg with your right eye closed while pressing the power button with your pinky finger answer to how to hard reset an apple watch!

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Although this post was created in 2015. I had the same problem today in October 2017 and this is how I fixed it.

1) My company introduced enhanced password policy on mobile devices today and since my Apple watch had 4-digits pin code, I was getting this message: "Your iphone has a policy that requires your apple watch....." and was not able to use my watch (Panic level 1)

2) I am at work and my watch charger is at home. What I have is my iPhone, its charger and my watch (Panic level 2)

3) Looked into some forum posts, various people have various ways to resolve it

4) My phone and watch both has the latest updates, here are the steps I followed to unlock the watch:

i) I went to Watch App on my iPhone, My Watch -> General -> Reset -> Erase Apple Watch Content and Settings

ii) Enter your Apple ID password and reset your watch

iii) After the resetting process, pair your watch as a "New" watch (don't use the backup from iCloud)

iv) It will install the applications that you have saved already in your phone plus the basic applications

5) Now, there is no pin code on your phone, when you have to unlock your watch (lets say you took it off for charging), you have to unlock your iPhone - either with fingerprint or with your enhanced password.

Pain points:

1) Now my Apple Watch does not have a passcode. I need my iPhone all the time to unlock it. If you go for a run leaving your phone home, and by any chance the watch gets locked, you will not be able to unlock it.

2) I had to reset my watch, my saved music on the watch is gone, my settings are gone (great!)

<Personal Information Edited by Host>

I had very similar but with a variation that means I'm at least able to use my watch. Maybe this info can help you and will at least mean you don't have to return the watch while waiting for Apple to iron out the software. Note: My company policy on my iPhone does require letters, numbers and symbols.

I tried to set a passcode. After entering it several times and pressing OK without making progress. I powered off the phone. When I powered it back on - I did first add a card for ApplePay - and then when I got back to the passcode settings it was in 'Unlock with iPhone' mode - which I didn't enable and I can't turn off.

However, at least when I unlock the watch (by unlocking my phone), I am not asked to enter a passcode. The watch will remain unlocked until I remove it from my wrist.

DB's solution is the only real solution to your problem other than getting your employer to change the policy or removing the Exchange account from your phone.

Maybe try in this order

un-pair the watch from the iPhone which will wipe it

remove the exchange account from iPhone (under settings > mail contacts and calendars)

setup the watch again using the watch app on the phone, set a passcode during the setup that is suitable for the requirements on the exchange account

re-add the exchange account to your phone under settings > mail contacts and calandars

if that doesn't work consult with your IT team at work

good luck 😍

Hi Lavie,

I think that when my watch was first paired, I managed to set a passcode before the watch got stuck in 'Unlock with iPhone' mode. Note that when the watch was not acknowledging the passcode I entered, I did not click Cancel but I entered the new passcode a couple of times and then I powered the watch off. So I believe my watch has the passcode set before I loose the option to set it.

But, yes, I confess it could be something else about your policy that is causing the problem.

Gooballala

Your solution won't work, I am afraid, if a corporate exchange policy requires an alphanumeric passcode, as the Apple Watch at this stage does not allow for letters or other characters to be entered when setting up a passcode. Apple would need to do a better job with this asap, it's such a shame and I am sure as more and more people will be getting pre-ordered watches these days, the problem will become of an epidemic nature.

I have the same problem as Lavie's, and my only way around it was to unpair (again…) my watch, and set it up a new watch (not from one of the backup copies) but time without turning on the passcode. I have tried DB's solution by setting up a simple passcode on the Watch after uninstalling and before reinstalling the corporate profile on my iPhone, and it worked for 24 hours only. I had to take the Watch off my wrist overnight while it was charging, and next morning I got into this endless 'Unlock' loop. So another unpairing…..

So this time my watch has been re-paired without passcode and seems to be working fine. I understand that this option is unacceptable if someone wants to use Apple Pay (which is not enabled in the UK yet, so not an issue for me). Otherwise, just keep making more and more noise with the Apple support team - they have to take this issue seriously.

Hope this helps

best of luck!

atrgo38521

I have the same problem .. my watch is locked and I can't unlock even if I restart my iphone5. This worked until yesterday but today it will not unlock (we have a alphanumeric password requirement).

May have to try the unpair, remove exchange, pair and then add the exchange ... seems like a pain, I am hoping Apple will come up with a solution soon ... if I have to do this a few times (exchange update ...), then what's the point of the watch 😟

When you first set up your  Watch you were asked to create a Passcode for the watch. Did you do this? If so that is the code your should enter. Perhaps erasing the watch and starting over will allow you to enter and use a 4 digit passcode on your  Watch.

Now I have unpaired the watch and it is still locked .. so can't really pair it again ... I did not set any password at the beginning .. also I don't have the charging station with me (at home) so can't erase or do anything else with the watch for now .. guess I will try to erase everything once I get home and re-start 😟

So finally my iwatch is working again. Here are the steps I completed:

> Unpair

> Set on charging station

> Power down/ delete all data (needs to be on the charging dock for this to work)

> Pair

> Complete config of iwatch (as a new setting, did not use backup..)

This worked .. still have my alphanumeric password for exchange .. and unfortunately because of that I can't set a pass code for iwatch, I probably have to uninstall my exchange account, unpair/pair, and set passcode and then add the exchange account .. I am happy for now .. so to unlock I have to unlock my iphone

Anyway iwatch is working now, thanks everyone for your helpful hints/tips

TThe same thing was happening to me. But I remembered that I had turned off my Bluetooth. The watch is pairing with the phone through Bluetooth. As soon as I turned on the bluetooth I was able to unlock my watch.

This did not work. When the apple watch is on the charging dock it won't let you turn off the watch at all. I un-paired my watch with my iphone and now I have a locked watch that isn't paired but is acting like it is. My Apple Watch isn't syncing to my iTunes either. I'm stuck!! Any help would be greatly appreciated.

put the watch on the charger

hold the wide button until the power menu appears

FORCE PRESS on power off

erase settings and contents and then you start fresh

only way I got it going again

hope that helps someone out there