Time for a new Apple Watch? This is how you reset your old smartwatch!

Now that the Apple Watch 8, Watch Ultra and new Watch SE have appeared, you may want to upgrade your old one. It’s a shame to let your old smart clock collect dust in the closet, so it’s time to sell! But first you need to do a few things.

Whether you want to sell it or send it in for recycling, before you throw your old Apple Watch out the door, you want to make sure you’ve completely reset it. This way you remove all your personal data and settings from the device and it can safely be transferred to the next owner.

Apple Watch: Backup

Before you reset your Apple Watch to factory settings, it’s a good idea to make a backup first. This way you can transfer that data to your new Watch. If you already back up your iPhone through iCloud or through your Mac, your Watch will be backed up automatically as long as your iPhone and smartwatch are connected.

Next, you will unpair your smartwatch from your iPhone. If you do not do this, the Watch cannot be used by someone else. If you have added any debit or credit cards, please remove them first. Open the Watch app on your iPhone, go to Wallet and Apple Pay and remove your payment cards.

Reset your smartwatch

Return to the tab My Watch and press at the top left of the screen All Apple Watches. Then press the i icon next to the Watch you want to unpair and press . at the bottom Unplug Apple Watch. Then you have to confirm this again. After this you probably have to log in with your Apple ID, after which the unlinking is successful.

If you don’t have your iPhone to hand, you can also reset the wearable via your Watch itself. Go to SettingsPress General and press Reset. Then choose Clear all content and settings. Keep in mind that this doesn’t remove the activation lock, so other users won’t be able to use the smartwatch unless you disconnect it from your iPhone beforehand.