How to Configure and Secure Wrist Detection on Apple Watch

Learn how to enable and manage Wrist Detection on your Apple Watch to secure your data and ensure accurate health tracking.

1. Verify Wrist Detection settings on your iPhone. Open the Watch app on your paired iPhone. Navigate to the My Watch tab, tap Passcode, and confirm that the Wrist Detection toggle is set to On.
2. Confirm the passcode requirement. Wrist detection requires a passcode to function correctly. Navigate to Settings on your Apple Watch, tap Passcode, and ensure Turn Passcode On is active.
3. Calibrate the watch fit for sensor accuracy. Ensure the back of the Apple Watch has full skin contact. A loose band prevents the sensors from detecting skin pulses, which may cause the watch to lock unexpectedly or fail to track heart rate data.
4. Test the automatic lock feature. Unlock your Apple Watch and remove it from your wrist. Within a few seconds, the display should go dark and the watch should require a passcode upon the next attempt to use it.
5. Review Unlock with iPhone settings. To streamline security, keep the Unlock with iPhone toggle enabled in the Passcode menu of the Watch app. This allows your authenticated iPhone to unlock the watch automatically the moment you put it on.