How to Recover and Restore an Apple Watch

If your Apple Watch shows an animation of a watch and iPhone being brought together, or a red exclamation point, it may need to be recovered or restored.

Apple explains the recovery process in an official Apple Support video released Friday (October 2), and you can complete it using an iPhone or iPad.

Before you start

Make sure your Apple Watch is charged to at least 50 percent and leave it connected to its charger throughout the recovery process.

You can use any compatible iPhone or iPad. It does not have to be the iPhone normally paired with your Apple Watch.

The iPhone or iPad should also be updated to the latest version of iOS or iPadOS, connected to Wi-Fi and have Bluetooth turned on.

How to recover your Apple Watch

1. Check the Apple Watch screen. If the watch needs to be updated or restored, you should see a recovery screen showing iPhone and Apple Watch icons.
2. If you see a red exclamation point, double-click the side button. This should bring up the recovery screen.
3. Unlock your iPhone or iPad and place it next to the Apple Watch. Keep the devices close together during the process.
4. Tap Continue on the iPhone or iPad. You will then be asked to enter the code displayed on your Apple Watch.
5. Choose what you want to do. Exit Recovery Mode will restart the Apple Watch without restoring it. To reinstall watchOS, select System Recovery.
6. Tap Continue and follow the onscreen prompts. System Recovery installs the latest supported version of watchOS and may take some time to complete.
7. Tap Done on your iPhone or iPad if prompted. You can continue using the device, but keep it nearby and leave the Apple Watch on its charger.

Your Apple Watch may display additional instructions during recovery. Once the process is finished, the watch will restart.

After restarting, your selected watch face and complications should appear again, indicating the recovery process is complete.