Here’s how to add a passcode to your Apple Watch to make Apple’s smartwatch more secure.
The Apple Watch has been around for a little over six months, but while the excitement has subsided a bit, it’s still a very new device that has received its first major software update since the smartwatch was released in April.
WatchOS 2 comes with Activation Lock, which provides an extra layer of security for users and prevents others from using your Apple Watch as themselves. However, you can enable a passcode on your Apple Watch so that when you remove it or get it off your wrist by a thief, they have to enter the passcode to do anything.
You most likely have a passcode enabled on your iPhone and Touch ID if you have a newer model. Touch ID makes unlocking your iPhone easier and faster, but not with the Apple Watch. The good news is that the password on Apple’s smartwatch works a little differently, so it’s okay to use it on the backend.
Here’s how to add a passcode to your Apple Watch for an extra layer of privacy and security.
How Does Apple Watch Passcode Work?
Before adding a passcode to your Apple Watch, it’s important to know how it works on Apple’s smartwatch.
On the iPhone, you have to enter your passcode every time you want to access the device, and on the Apple Watch you might think it works that way, but that’s far from the truth.
With Apple Watch’s wrist detection feature, you only need to enter your passcode once after wearing the watch, and you won’t need to enter your passcode again unless you remove the watch and put it back on. When you remove your watch, it will automatically lock again and you have to re-enter your password.
Also, unless you are wearing the watch, you will have to enter the passcode every time the screen turns off, but once you wear the watch, you only need to enter your passcode once. You’ll also want to enable a passcode anyway, as it’s required to use Apple Pay on your Apple Watch.
How to Add Passcode to Your Apple Watch
To set a passcode on your Apple Watch, you need to go to the Apple Watch app on your iPhone and then tap on it. From there, select at the top.
At this point, you’ll be asked to enter a passcode on your Apple Watch twice to confirm. Once this is done, your Apple Watch will now have an activated passcode.
You can go back to your iPhone where it will give you more playing options.
In the Apple Watch app on your iPhone, you can change your Apple Watch passcode at any time by tapping . This will prompt you to enter your current passcode on your Apple Watch followed by the new passcode you want to use.
You can also disable Allows you to create a longer passcode, which can be up to 10 digits long, on your Apple Watch.
You can also enable to unlock your Apple Watch every time you unlock your iPhone, as long as you’re wearing the watch. Again, you only need to unlock your Apple Watch once the first time you put it on.
Finally, you can enable Erase Data, which will completely erase your Apple Watch after ten failed passcode attempts. This prevents thieves from having the opportunity to keep guessing what your password is, because after many failed attempts, it will eventually be a futile effort.
