How to Set Up an Apple Watch as a New Device

Learn how to configure your Apple Watch as a fresh device without transferring data from previous backups. Start clean in five steps.

1. Unpair the existing device. Open the Watch app on your paired iPhone. Navigate to the My Watch tab, tap All Watches in the top-left corner, and tap the information icon next to your watch. Select Unpair Apple Watch to clear the current configuration.
2. Power on the watch. Press and hold the side button on your Apple Watch until the Apple logo appears. Keep the watch near your iPhone once the pairing animation triggers on the phone display.
3. Initiate the setup process. When the Set Up Apple Watch prompt appears on your iPhone, tap Continue. Hold your iPhone over the animation on the watch screen until the devices pair successfully.
4. Select fresh setup. Follow the on-screen prompts regarding user details and safety features. When the iPhone displays the Restore from Backup screen, select Set Up as New Apple Watch instead of selecting a previous backup.
5. Finalize sync settings. Continue through the remaining screens to configure your passcode, Apple Pay, and Activity settings. Once the progress bar completes, your watch will be active with factory-default configurations.