How to Factory Reset Your Samsung Watch (All Models)

There’s something unsettling about staring at a locked Samsung watch screen with no idea how to get back in. Whether you’ve forgotten your passcode, bought a used watch, or are preparing to trade yours in, factory resetting the device is often the only clean way forward. The good news: most Samsung Galaxy Watch models—from the 4 to the latest Ultra and FE—support two distinct reset paths, one of which works even without the passcode. This guide walks you through both methods, step by step, so you can get back to using your watch or hand it off with confidence.

Supported models: Galaxy Watch 4, 5, 6, 7, Ultra, FE · Reset methods: 2 (Settings menu and hardware buttons) · Data erased: All personal data, accounts (if removed), and settings · Typical duration: 2–3 minutes

The table below summarizes the key specifications for a factory reset on supported Samsung Galaxy Watch models.

How do I factory reset my Galaxy watch?

Using the Settings app

• Swipe up on the home screen and tap the Settings gear icon.
• Scroll down to General and tap it.
• Tap Reset (or Reset watch on some models).
• If a security lock is set, you’ll be prompted to enter your PIN, pattern, or password — as required by Samsung official support (tier‑1 manufacturer guidance).
• Confirm the reset. The watch will reboot and begin erasing all user data.

Four settings taps, one confirmation — the Settings route is the most straightforward method, provided you know your passcode.

The pattern: When you can access Settings, this method is the fastest. But it demands your passcode, which is the very thing you might have lost.

Using hardware buttons (recovery mode)

• Power off the watch fully. If the screen is frozen, press and hold the Home button until it turns off.
• Press and hold both the Home (upper) and Back (lower) buttons simultaneously for about 7–10 seconds.
• Release both buttons when the Samsung boot logo appears. On the Galaxy Watch Ultra, quickly tap the Home button to enter reboot mode, as shown in a video tutorial (community source).
• In the recovery menu, use the Home button to scroll to wipe data / factory reset.
• Select it, then confirm factory data reset. The watch will format its internal storage and reboot.

The pattern: Both methods erase everything, but the buttons bypass the screen lock. If you can access Settings, use it; if you’re locked out, the recovery mode is the only path.

How to factory reset Samsung watch without passcode?

Using recovery mode buttons

• Power off the watch. If it’s on but locked, press and hold the Home button until the power menu appears and select Power off.
• Press and hold Home + Back until the Samsung logo appears, then release. On older Galaxy Watch models (Tizen‑based), community video tutorials (user‑reported method) suggest tapping the top button repeatedly to reach the Recovery option.
• Navigate to wipe data / factory reset and confirm. The watch will reset even though you never entered a passcode.

If watch is locked and paired with phone

• If the watch is still connected to your phone via Bluetooth, you can sometimes initiate the reset from the Galaxy Wearable app on the phone: go to Watch settings → General → Reset.
• If the watch is locked and the phone is not available, the recovery‑mode button method (above) is the only option.
• Note: On Wear OS models, after a hard reset your Google and Samsung accounts may still be associated with the watch, depending on whether FRP (Factory Reset Protection) is triggered. This is an area that Samsung official support (tier‑1 manufacturer guidance) does not fully clarify for every model.

The implication: If you’re locked out and just want to reuse the watch, the button reset works. If you’re selling, you still need to remove accounts to avoid FRP issues.

How do I wipe my Samsung watch before selling it?

Remove Google and Samsung accounts

• On the watch, go to Settings → Accounts and backup → Accounts.
• Tap each Google and Samsung account and choose Remove account. If the watch is locked, you may need to do this from the Galaxy Wearable app on your phone first.
• Removing accounts ensures that the next owner can set up the watch fresh without being blocked by Factory Reset Protection (FRP).

Perform factory reset via Settings

• Once accounts are removed, go to Settings → General → Reset.
• Confirm the reset. This will wipe all remaining user data and return the watch to new‑out‑of‑box state.
• If the watch is paired with a phone, you can also use the Galaxy Wearable app’s Transfer watch to new phone option, as shown in a Galaxy Watch 7 tutorial (community source).

Verify reset complete

• After the watch reboots, it will display the initial setup screen asking for language and Wi‑Fi — that’s your confirmation.
• Pair the watch with a test phone to ensure no accounts are left behind. If the setup asks for a previous owner’s account credentials, the removal step wasn’t completed.

Why this matters: A reset alone doesn’t sever account ties. According to Samsung official support (tier‑1 manufacturer guidance), a security lock stays active after a reset if the watch was not properly unlinked. Removing accounts first is the only sure way to avoid that.

How to reset Samsung Galaxy Watch without phone?

Using watch settings directly

• Ensure the watch is unlocked. Swipe up to open apps, then tap Settings.
• Go to General → Reset. The watch will reset without needing any phone connection.
• This method works on all current Wear OS models (4, 5, 6, 7, Ultra, FE) as long as you know the passcode.

Hard reset via buttons

• Power off the watch completely.
• Press and hold Home + Back until the Samsung logo appears, then navigate the recovery menu as described earlier.
• Neither a phone nor a passcode is required — the watch functions as a standalone device during this procedure, Verizon support (major US carrier) confirms this for all paired Galaxy Watch models.

The trade-off: Without a phone, you lose the ability to remove accounts via the Galaxy Wearable app beforehand. If you’re locked out, the hard reset works, but FRP may persist on Wear OS watches.

How to force a factory reset on Samsung?

Recovery mode steps

• If the watch is frozen, unresponsive, or won’t boot past the logo, force a reset using the hardware button method described above.
• The sequence is the same: Power off → hold Home + Back → release at logo → navigate to wipe data/factory reset → confirm.
• This is a standard procedure and does not void the warranty, as confirmed by Samsung official support (tier‑1 manufacturer guidance).

When to use force reset

• Use it when the watch is stuck on a screen, the touchscreen stops responding, or the device cannot boot normally.
• Also use it when you’ve forgotten the passcode and the watch is paired to a phone you no longer have access to.
• On models like the Galaxy Watch FE, the exact button combination may differ slightly — some community reports (user‑shared experience) suggest a longer hold is needed.

What this means: A force reset is the same recovery‑mode process. It’s a last resort, but it’s the most reliable way to revive an unresponsive watch and erase all data.

What we know and what’s unclear

Official guidance

“If you do not remember the password for a Samsung smart watch, you will need to reset the watch.”

Samsung official support (tier‑1 manufacturer guidance)

“Press and hold the Power/Home button until ‘Rebooting’ appears, then release it.”

Verizon support (major US carrier)

For anyone holding a locked Samsung watch — whether a Watch 4, a new Ultra, or a budget FE — the recovery route is your failsafe. But the real pitfall is not the reset itself; it’s the aftermath. If you skip account removal before hitting reset, you risk locking the next owner out of the device entirely. For a seller, the choice is clear: unlink accounts first, wipe second, verify third — or hand your buyer a smartwatch that demands your password.

If you need a refresher on the steps, you can find a complete guide to restoring your Samsung watch to factory settings in a separate article that walks you through the process without a passcode.

Frequently asked questions