You can make a difference in the Apple Support Community!
When you sign up with your Apple Account, you can provide valuable feedback to other community members by upvoting helpful replies and User Tips.
When you sign up with your Apple Account, you can provide valuable feedback to other community members by upvoting helpful replies and User Tips.
I received an apple watch from a friend earlier today and brought it home in hopes of being able to use it. Unfortunately there is a password on it and he has long since forgotten it. I’ve attempted to reset it and “Erase all content and settings” but as soon as it turns back on it shows me the password screen again. Is there any way I can fix this??
Apple Watch Series 2
There are 2 possible passwords needed here. The one you are seeing is the passcode to unlock the Apple Watch - like the passcode on your iPhone. The other one is your friend's Apple ID login credentials, for which the password will almost certainly be different from the device passcode. Hopefully your friend still knows their Apple ID login. Please see details below for how to clear the device from the Apple ID which is holding it locked. Getting it released from Apple ID and Activation Lock should let you erase and setup again.
What to do before you sell, give away, or trade in your Apple Watch, or buy one from someone else
There are 2 possible passwords needed here. The one you are seeing is the passcode to unlock the Apple Watch - like the passcode on your iPhone. The other one is your friend's Apple ID login credentials, for which the password will almost certainly be different from the device passcode. Hopefully your friend still knows their Apple ID login. Please see details below for how to clear the device from the Apple ID which is holding it locked. Getting it released from Apple ID and Activation Lock should let you erase and setup again.
What to do before you sell, give away, or trade in your Apple Watch, or buy one from someone else
That watch is under an Activation Lock to the friend's Apple ID and cannot be used until your friend recovers the use of that Apple ID to release the lock. The Lock prevents lost & stolen watches from being used.
Unless your friend removes the Lock, the watch is useless to you.
M1 Mac mini, macOS 13.4; Watch, series 7 GPS/cellular, watchOS 9.5.2; iPad Pro 2nd Gen, iPadOS 16.5; iPhone 12 Pro, iOS 16.5; TV 4th Gen, tvOS 16.5; HomePods, audioOS 16.5 and Airport Express w/ Airplay 2
Apple Watch won’t reset
