Did not unpair watch from old phone and won’t pair to new one
I didn’t unpair my watch from my old phone and I want to pair it to my new iPhone 14 but it is not being recognized by the watch app. How can I pair my existing watch with my new phone?
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Activation Lock is designed to prevent anyone else from using an Apple Watch if it's ever lost or stolen.
About Activation Lock on your Apple Watch - Apple Support
Activation Lock is an anti-theft feature that cannot be bypassed. Only the previous owner can remove the lock by using their Apple ID & password. Apple will not help you find the previous owner. If the previous owner cannot or will not remove the lock, then the watch is useless to you or anyone else. Try to get a refund (through eBay) or dispose of the watch properly. In the future, see the 'Before you buy a watch from a third-party' section in:
If you are the ORIGINAL owner, then see the 'Start a support request' section in:
How to remove Activation Lock - Apple Support
Here are two ways to unpair your watch if you no longer have the paired iPhone:
- See the 'How to erase your Apple Watch if you don't have your iPhone' section of:
Unpair and erase your Apple Watch - Apple Support
- With a web browser, go to: https://www.iCloud.com and sign in with your Apple ID. Open Find My iPhone and select All Devices (at the top). Then click your Apple Watch, select 'Erase Apple Watch', and select Next until the device is erased. Finally click "X" next to remove your Apple Watch.