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To make your Apple Watch lock when you take it off, set a passcode and turn on Wrist Detection. The watch locks when it detects that it is no longer being worn; Apple does not provide a conventional security setting to lock after a chosen number of seconds or minutes. Apple’s guide to locking Apple Watch explains the settings and their effects.
Turn on automatic locking
- On your Apple Watch, open Settings.
- Tap Passcode, then Turn Passcode On.
- Enter your chosen passcode twice.
- Return to Settings → Passcode and make sure Wrist Detection is on.
A passcode alone is not enough for automatic locking when you remove the watch: Wrist Detection is the setting that lets it respond to whether it is being worn. Apple says Wrist Detection is enabled by default, but it is worth checking if the watch does not lock as expected. Menu labels can vary slightly with watchOS version, language, or device management.
You can also manage passcode settings from the paired iPhone: open the Watch app, tap My Watch → Passcode, and review the available controls.
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If you want to enter the watch passcode yourself after the watch locks, turn off Unlock with iPhone in Watch app → My Watch → Passcode. When this option is on, unlocking your nearby iPhone can unlock the watch too. Apple describes the normal Bluetooth range as approximately 33 feet (10 meters), though walls and other conditions can affect the connection. With the option off, unlock the watch by entering its passcode. The watch passcode does not need to match your iPhone passcode; using different codes is a stronger security choice.
#1 Best Overall
![Apple Watch Series 11 [GPS 46mm] Smartwatch with Jet Black Aluminum Case with Black Sport Band - M/L. Sleep Score, Fitness Tracker, Health Monitoring, Always-On Display, Water Resistant](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/416RQ0rtsUL._SL160_.jpg)
- A FULL-FEATURED HEALTH TRACKER—Apple Watch Series 11 gives you invaluable insights about your body, right from your wrist. Take an ECG anytime* and get alerts for a high and low heart rate or an irregular rhythm*—so you can stay closer to your heart. You can also view your overnight health tracking metrics with the Vitals app* and be notified of possible sleep apnea.*
- KNOW YOUR SLEEP SCORE—With advanced sleep tracking, Series 11 gives you a daily sleep score. It’s an easy way to help measure and understand the quality of your sleep, so you can make it more restorative.
- GET HYPERTENSION NOTIFICATIONS—Did you know that Series 11 can spot signs of chronic high blood pressure? By analyzing how your blood vessels respond to beats of the heart, it can notify you of possible hypertension.*
- SAFETY FEATURES—A smartwatch that puts your safety first. Series 11 can detect a hard fall or severe car crash, automatically help connect you with emergency services, and notify your emergency contacts.* Check In can automatically notify a loved one when you’ve arrived at your destination.
- A POWERFUL FITNESS TRACKER—With advanced metrics and motivating features like Pacer, Heart Rate Zones, training load, and Workout Buddy powered by Apple Intelligence from your nearby iPhone*—Series 11 is made to help everyone stay active, from runners and hikers to strength-training enthusiasts.
Lock it immediately while wearing it
For a deliberate security lock, press the side button to open Control Center and tap the Lock button. The next time you use the watch, enter its passcode. The exact controls and availability can vary by watchOS version.
This is different from locking the screen against accidental touches. Water Lock disables touch input around water, and a workout’s Lock control helps prevent accidental taps during exercise. Neither is a replacement for passcode protection and the automatic removal lock.
Rank #2
![Apple Watch Series 11 [GPS 42mm] Smartwatch with Rose Gold Aluminum Case with Light Blush Sport Band - S/M. Sleep Score, Fitness Tracker, Health Monitoring, Always-On Display, Water Resistant](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/31caPPnRysL._SL160_.jpg)
- A FULL-FEATURED HEALTH TRACKER—Apple Watch Series 11 gives you invaluable insights about your body, right from your wrist. Take an ECG anytime* and get alerts for a high and low heart rate or an irregular rhythm*—so you can stay closer to your heart. You can also view your overnight health tracking metrics with the Vitals app* and be notified of possible sleep apnea.*
- KNOW YOUR SLEEP SCORE—With advanced sleep tracking, Series 11 gives you a daily sleep score. It’s an easy way to help measure and understand the quality of your sleep, so you can make it more restorative.
- GET HYPERTENSION NOTIFICATIONS—Did you know that Series 11 can spot signs of chronic high blood pressure? By analyzing how your blood vessels respond to beats of the heart, it can notify you of possible hypertension.*
- SAFETY FEATURES—A smartwatch that puts your safety first. Series 11 can detect a hard fall or severe car crash, automatically help connect you with emergency services, and notify your emergency contacts.* Check In can automatically notify a loved one when you’ve arrived at your destination.
- A POWERFUL FITNESS TRACKER—With advanced metrics and motivating features like Pacer, Heart Rate Zones, training load, and Workout Buddy powered by Apple Intelligence from your nearby iPhone*—Series 11 is made to help everyone stay active, from runners and hikers to strength-training enthusiasts.
If your watch keeps asking for its passcode
A passcode prompt after removing the watch for charging is normal. Repeated prompts while you are wearing it can mean the watch is intermittently losing contact with your wrist, Wrist Detection is off, or you are manually locking it. Try these steps:
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- Adjust the band so the watch maintains comfortable, steady contact with your skin. Position it above the wrist bone.
- Clean and dry the back of the watch and your skin; make sure clothing or accessories are not between the sensor and your wrist.
- Try another band or the other wrist. Tattoos or other skin characteristics can sometimes affect detection, but this is not true for everyone.
- Restart the watch and install any available watchOS update.
- Check whether you are tapping the manual Lock control or removing the watch during normal use.
If it still locks unexpectedly after these checks, contact Apple Support or arrange an inspection. Turning off Wrist Detection may seem like a workaround, but it changes more than the locking behavior.
Rank #3
![Apple Watch SE 3 [GPS 40mm] Smartwatch with Starlight Aluminum Case with Starlight Sport Band - S/M. Fitness and Sleep Trackers, Heart Rate Monitor, Always-On Display, Water Resistant](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/31YiTby0pOL._SL160_.jpg)
- GET SMARTER HEALTH INSIGHTS—Apple Watch SE 3 is an advanced health tracker that helps you better understand your body. The smartwatch sends alerts for an irregular heart rhythm, or an unusually high or low heart rate.* You can view your overnight health tracking metrics with the Vitals app,* track your sleep score, and get sleep apnea notifications.*
- A GREAT FITNESS TRACKER—SE 3 can track your workouts in a healthy number of ways—from running and strength training to simply achieving your 10K steps a day. With real-time metrics and Workout Buddy powered by Apple Intelligence from your nearby iPhone,* you’ll hit your goals like never before.
- KEEP HELP CLOSE AT HAND—SE 3 is a smartwatch that can detect a hard fall or severe car crash and automatically help connect you to emergency services and notify your emergency contacts.* Check In can automatically notify a loved one when you’ve arrived at your destination.
- WOMEN’S HEALTH INSIGHTS—SE 3 has advanced sensors that track your wrist temperature while you sleep. With this smartwatch, you can log your periods and symptoms, get period predictions, and get notified of cycle deviations.*
- GREAT BATTERY LIFE AND FASTER CHARGING—Enjoy a smartwatch with all-day, 18-hour battery life* from sunup to sundown. Then charge up to twice as fast as SE 2* and get up to 8 hours of battery in just 15 minutes.*
What turning off Wrist Detection changes
Apple says that with Wrist Detection off, the watch no longer automatically locks and unlocks. Apple also lists effects on Apple Pay behavior, Activity measurements, heart-rate tracking and notifications, and automatic emergency calling after hard-fall detection. For most users, leaving Wrist Detection on is the better balance: if the watch is locking while worn, address fit or detection first.
Passcode choices and security trade-offs
- Longer passcode: Turn off Simple Passcode in the passcode settings to use a code longer than four digits.
- Erase Data: If enabled, this setting erases the watch after 10 consecutive incorrect passcode attempts. Enable it only if you are comfortable with that recovery risk.
- Passcode off: You can turn it off at Settings → Passcode → Turn Passcode Off, or in Watch app → My Watch → Passcode. This is a security downgrade, not an automatic-lock fix; passcode-dependent features such as Apple Pay and unlocking a Mac with Apple Watch are unavailable.
Some passcode controls may be unavailable when the paired iPhone is managed by a company or school.
Rank #4
![Apple Watch SE 3 [GPS 40mm] Smartwatch with Midnight Aluminum Case with Midnight Sport Band - S/M. Fitness and Sleep Trackers, Heart Rate Monitor, Always-On Display, Water Resistant](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/31Gq8SToFJL._SL160_.jpg)
- GET SMARTER HEALTH INSIGHTS—Apple Watch SE 3 is an advanced health tracker that helps you better understand your body. The smartwatch sends alerts for an irregular heart rhythm, or an unusually high or low heart rate.* You can view your overnight health tracking metrics with the Vitals app,* track your sleep score, and get sleep apnea notifications.*
- A GREAT FITNESS TRACKER—SE 3 can track your workouts in a healthy number of ways—from running and strength training to simply achieving your 10K steps a day. With real-time metrics and Workout Buddy powered by Apple Intelligence from your nearby iPhone,* you’ll hit your goals like never before.
- KEEP HELP CLOSE AT HAND—SE 3 is a smartwatch that can detect a hard fall or severe car crash and automatically help connect you to emergency services and notify your emergency contacts.* Check In can automatically notify a loved one when you’ve arrived at your destination.
- WOMEN’S HEALTH INSIGHTS—SE 3 has advanced sensors that track your wrist temperature while you sleep. With this smartwatch, you can log your periods and symptoms, get period predictions, and get notified of cycle deviations.*
- GREAT BATTERY LIFE AND FASTER CHARGING—Enjoy a smartwatch with all-day, 18-hour battery life* from sunup to sundown. Then charge up to twice as fast as SE 2* and get up to 8 hours of battery in just 15 minutes.*
If you forgot the passcode
You cannot bypass a forgotten watch passcode while preserving the watch’s current state. Apple’s recovery process requires erasing the watch and setting it up again. You can unpair it from the iPhone or reset the watch and pair it again; see Apple’s instructions for locking and unlocking Apple Watch for the recovery options.
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Best Value
![Apple Watch Series 11 [GPS 42mm] Smartwatch with Jet Black Aluminum Case with Black Sport Band - S/M. Sleep Score, Fitness Tracker, Health Monitoring, Always-On Display, Water Resistant](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41s72HIk5TL._SL160_.jpg)
- A FULL-FEATURED HEALTH TRACKER—Apple Watch Series 11 gives you invaluable insights about your body, right from your wrist. Take an ECG anytime* and get alerts for a high and low heart rate or an irregular rhythm*—so you can stay closer to your heart. You can also view your overnight health tracking metrics with the Vitals app* and be notified of possible sleep apnea.*
- KNOW YOUR SLEEP SCORE—With advanced sleep tracking, Series 11 gives you a daily sleep score. It’s an easy way to help measure and understand the quality of your sleep, so you can make it more restorative.
- GET HYPERTENSION NOTIFICATIONS—Did you know that Series 11 can spot signs of chronic high blood pressure? By analyzing how your blood vessels respond to beats of the heart, it can notify you of possible hypertension.*
- SAFETY FEATURES—A smartwatch that puts your safety first. Series 11 can detect a hard fall or severe car crash, automatically help connect you with emergency services, and notify your emergency contacts.* Check In can automatically notify a loved one when you’ve arrived at your destination.
- A POWERFUL FITNESS TRACKER—With advanced metrics and motivating features like Pacer, Heart Rate Zones, training load, and Workout Buddy powered by Apple Intelligence from your nearby iPhone*—Series 11 is made to help everyone stay active, from runners and hikers to strength-training enthusiasts.
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