How to Automatically Lock Your Apple Watch

The Apple Watch sure has revolutionized the smartwatch trend, no question about that. It has powerful hardware, and its software is easy to control with an iPhone. But by default, this watch doesn’t lock, making it a lot less reliable. Fortunately, there are ways to set this watch to lock itself when you’re not using it, so keep reading to learn more.

Enabling and Disabling Screen Lock on Series 3 and 4

Enable Screen Lock

Apple Watch Series 3 and 4 models all have an option to enable the screen lock feature on the watch itself, without having to use the iPhone:

1. To begin, go to the Apps menu. You can head thereby pressing the Digital Crown, the round red button on the right side of your Apple Watch.
2. Locate the settings.
3. After that, choose Passcode.
4. Tap on “Turn Passcode On.”
5. Type your new passcode, which is a four-digit number. It’s necessary to have one.
6. The watch will prompt you to reenter it to help you make sure you’ve entered it correctly the first time.
7. Finally, in the following menu, turn on the “Wrist Detection” option if it’s not enabled already. This locks the watch when it’s not around your wrist for safety reasons.
   

Unlock the Screen

To unlock the screen, press the Side Button, which is the ellipsoid button next to the Digital Crown, and enter the passcode.

Change the Passcode

If you want to change your passcode, locate the passcode settings the same way you did while setting your passcode for the first time. This time around, the option you’re looking for is “Change Passcode.” For security reasons, the device will first ask you to type the old passcode and then enter the new one twice.

Disable Screen Lock

In case you want to get rid of the passcode, enter the passcode settings. Choose the “Turn Passcode Off” option. You just need to enter your passcode once to confirm that you want to remove it.

Locking the Watch Manually

If you change your mind and decide that you prefer to lock your Apple Watch yourself, you first need to have the Wrist Detection option turned off.

1. Open the Control Center. To do this, you need to swipe up while on the Watch face.
2. Tap on the lock icon in the bottom-right corner of the screen.

If you need to lock the screen during an activity, first swipe right, then tap on the “Lock” option. To unlock the Watch afterward, press the Side Button and the Digital Crown at the same time.

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Accessing Apple Watch via iPhone

Thanks to the Watch app for iPhone, you can do pretty much everything covered here by using your iPhone too.

Unlock Apple Watch

First off, you can unlock your Apple Watch without even using it. This setting can be activated both from your Apple Watch and your iPhone. On an Apple Watch, go to the passcode settings and turn on “Unlock with iPhone.” On an iPhone:

1. First of all, open the Watch app.
2. Go to the My Watch tab.
3. Choose “Passcode.”
4. If it’s not already enabled, tap the switch to turn the “Wrist Detection” option on.

Note: If you keep this option off, some Watch functions won’t work.

Change the Passcode

If you want to change your Apple Watch passcode on your iPhone, you should go to the passcode settings in your Watch app for iPhone. Select the option “Change Passcode.” Additionally, if you want to choose a passcode that has more than four digits, turn off the “Simple Passcode” option.

Turn Off the Passcode

You can turn off the passcode in the passcode settings of the iPhone Watch app as well. The “Turn Passcode Off” option is just above the “Change Passcode” option.

Water Lock

Water can also make your screen activate. Starting with Apple Watch Series 2, there’s an option that prevents this and protects the device from water. It’s called Water Lock and is available to watchOS 5 and newer versions. This option is very important because it can keep water from damaging your device by preventing it from entering the device’s speaker holes.

It’s worth mentioning that the Workout app also has a water activity option that turns on the Water Lock automatically. Outside of workouts, however, you should turn it on manually:

1. While on the Watch’s Face screen, swipe up to open the Control Center.
2. Tap on the droplet icon. This way, you’re enabling Water Lock. This will prevent you from interacting with the device until you turn it off.
3. Turn the Digital Crown counterclockwise. The Apple Watch will let you know that you’ve unlocked it – in other words, that you have turned this option off.

Keeping Watch Over Security

Make sure to pay extra attention to your watch’s security because it’s not that hard to lose it. Having an automatic lock or passcode helps because it lets you reset it if it gets stolen. Also make sure to remember your passcode, because if you ever forget it, you’ll be forced to reset the watch and delete all of your data there.

Did you ever lose your Apple Watch? What made you want to increase its security measures? Let us know in the comments section below.