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To unlock your Apple Watch when you unlock its paired iPhone, open the Apple Watch app on the iPhone and go to My Watch > Passcode, then turn on Unlock with iPhone. Keep the devices nearby and Bluetooth available. This setting unlocks the watch with the iPhone; it is different from using an Apple Watch to unlock an iPhone.
Turn on Unlock with iPhone
- On the iPhone paired with your watch, open the Apple Watch app.
- Tap My Watch.
- Tap Passcode.
- Turn on Unlock with iPhone. Follow any on-screen prompt to enter the watch passcode or enable a required security setting.
To test it, wear the watch, keep it close to the iPhone, and unlock the iPhone. If the watch is locked and the connection and security conditions are met, it can unlock without you entering the watch passcode. Apple’s Apple Watch guide describes a normal Bluetooth range of about 10 meters (33 feet); walls and interference can shorten the practical range.
What needs to be in place
- The watch is paired with this iPhone. If you use more than one watch, confirm the correct one is selected in the Watch app.
- The watch has a passcode and Unlock with iPhone is enabled.
- The devices are close and connected. Bluetooth is the key published requirement for this feature. Apple specifically notes that if Bluetooth is off on the watch, you must unlock it manually. Wi-Fi is not listed as a categorical requirement for this direction of unlocking; while troubleshooting, keep wireless connections on and Airplane Mode off.
- Wrist Detection is on and the watch is being worn securely enough to detect your wrist.
- The watch has not been manually locked or left in a security state that requires a passcode.
Your iPhone and watch do not need the same passcode. Apple says they can differ and recommends using different passcodes. Unlock with iPhone does not copy or reveal the iPhone passcode: Apple describes a protected Bluetooth Low Energy relationship that uses an escrowed unlock secret between the paired devices. See Apple’s security documentation.
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If the watch does not unlock automatically
Work through these checks in order, starting with the least disruptive:
#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.
- Check the right setting. On iPhone, go to Apple Watch app > My Watch > Passcode and verify Unlock with iPhone is on. The similarly named setting under iPhone Settings > Face ID & Passcode controls the opposite feature.
- Enter the watch passcode once. If the watch has just restarted, was manually locked, or has not been authenticated since a security event, unlock it on the watch, keep it on your wrist, and unlock the iPhone again.
- Bring the devices together. Put the iPhone close to the watch and try again. The approximate 10-meter Bluetooth range is not a guarantee through walls, interference, or other difficult radio conditions.
- Check wireless settings. Turn off Airplane Mode and confirm Bluetooth is on on both devices. On Apple Watch, open Control Center and check for a disconnected-iPhone indicator. Keeping Wi-Fi on is a sensible general connection check, but do not confuse the reverse iPhone-unlock feature’s Wi-Fi requirements with this feature.
- Check Wrist Detection. On the watch, open Settings > Passcode > Wrist Detection and leave it enabled. Make sure the band fits securely; a loose watch may interpret the fit as removal.
- Restart both devices. Restart the iPhone and Apple Watch, then test again. Apple’s connection troubleshooting steps also recommend checking proximity and wireless settings.
- Install available software updates. Update iOS and watchOS using Apple’s current instructions, then test again. The feature’s core guide does not establish a universal minimum version, so do not treat a particular release number as a requirement.
- Unpair and pair again only as a last resort. Re-pairing can erase the watch’s content and settings; a backup may be available to restore. Follow Apple’s connection guidance before taking this step.
When a passcode prompt is expected
A passcode prompt is not necessarily a fault. Apple Watch normally locks when removed from the wrist. It may also require the passcode after you manually lock it, restart it, lose the Bluetooth connection, or trigger another security check. A poor fit can cause Wrist Detection to treat the watch as removed. If Bluetooth is off on the watch, Apple says to unlock it manually.
If you have forgotten the watch passcode, do not try to bypass it. Apple’s documented recovery process involves erasing or unpairing the watch and setting it up again; Activation Lock may require the Apple Account associated with the watch. See Apple’s forgotten-passcode guidance.
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.
Unlock with iPhone vs. Unlock with Apple Watch
| Your goal | Setting | Where to find it |
|---|---|---|
| Unlock Apple Watch when you unlock the paired iPhone | Unlock with iPhone | Apple Watch app on iPhone > My Watch > Passcode |
| Use Apple Watch to unlock the iPhone when Face ID cannot recognize you | Unlock with Apple Watch | iPhone Settings > Face ID & Passcode |
The second feature is useful in situations such as wearing a mask, but it is not needed to unlock the watch with the iPhone. Apple documents its separate setup and requirements here.
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Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Keep Wrist Detection enabled
Turning off Wrist Detection is not a good workaround for repeated passcode prompts. With Wrist Detection disabled, automatic locking and unlocking stop; heart-rate tracking and notifications are disabled, some Activity measurements become unavailable, Apple Pay requires passcode entry on the watch, and automatic emergency calling after a hard fall is affected. Keep Wrist Detection on, improve the fit if needed, and use the passcode when the watch has locked for a security reason. Apple explains these effects in its security guide.
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.*
Security and convenience
Unlock with iPhone is designed to reduce repeated passcode entry while the paired devices are near each other; it does not remove the watch’s passcode protection. Because unlocking the paired iPhone can trigger an authorized watch unlock when the feature is enabled, protect the iPhone with its own passcode and do not leave it accessible to someone you do not trust. If your routine often separates the devices, disables Bluetooth, or involves frequent watch removal, expect to enter the watch passcode more often.
Quick Recap
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.
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.*
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