Activate your Apple Watch

You need to activate your Apple Watch before using it for the first time and after a factory reset.

Place your Apple Watch next to your phone.
  • 1
    Connect your Apple Watch and your phone
    • Place your Apple Watch next to your phone.
    • On your phone: Press Watch.
    • On your phone: Press Start Pairing and follow the instructions on your phone to place the watch face in the middle of your phone's camera viewfinder.
    • On your phone: When this screen is displayed, your Apple Watch is connected to your phone.
    • Make sure Bluetooth is turned on on your phone.
  • 2
    Set up your Apple Watch as a new Apple Watch
    • On your phone: Press Set Up as New Apple Watch.
    • If you've backed up content previously, you can restore the content.
  • 3
    Select general settings
    • On your phone: Press the required setting and select on which wrist you want to wear the watch.
    • On your phone: Press Agree.
    • On your phone: Press Agree.
  • 4
    Enter Apple ID password
    • On your phone: Press Enter Password.
    • On your phone: Key in the password for your Apple ID and press Next.
  • 5
    Enter iTunes account password
    • On your phone: Press Enter Password.
    • On your phone: Key in the password for your iTunes account and press Next.
  • 6
    Turn on sharing of your phone's settings
    • On your phone: Press OK.
  • 7
    Turn use of phone lock code on or off
    • On your phone: Follow the instructions on the screen to turn on use of phone lock code or press Don't Add Passcode.
  • 8
    View information about the emergency call function
    • On your phone: Press Continue.
  • 9
    Set up mobile data
    • On your phone: To set up mobile data on your Apple Watch, press Set Up Mobile Data and follow the instructions on the screen to finish setting up your Apple Watch.
    • On your phone: To set up mobile data on your Apple Watch later, press Skip This Step.
      See how to set up mobile data on your Apple Watch later after activation.
  • 10
    Install compatible apps from your phone
    • On your phone: Press Install All to install compatible apps from your phone on your Apple Watch. Wait a moment while the apps are installed.
    • On your phone: Press OK to finish the activation.