How to Backup and Restore Apple Watch Data

If you use an iOS device, you're probably familiar with the process of backing it up with iTunes. However, with the Apple Watch, you don't use iTunes, but rather your iPhone.

Apple Watch content backs up automatically to your companion iPhone when you unpair your Apple Watch from your iPhone. In this process, all the data is erased natively on Watch while iPhone retains the copy. When you pair Apple Watch and iPhone again, you can restore the data to Apple Watch.

 Here's how to unpair Apple Watch from iPhone and backup Apple Watch

1. Make sure that your iPhone is near your Watch as backup will not be created if you unpair Watch while iPhone is not in range.

2. Open the Apple Watch App on your iPhone.

3. Tap My Watch > Apple Watch, then tap Unpair Apple Watch.

4. Tap on Unpair Apple Watch again to confirm the action. All content and settings will be erasing from the Watch. Don’t worry! Your iPhone has made a backup of your Apple Watch before completing the unpairing process.

Important Notes:

• The Apple Watch DOES NOT CONTINUOUSLY backup to the iPhone. The only time it backs up is WHEN YOU REMOVE PAIRING. Therefore, if you haven’t removed paring for a month, then your Watch HAS NOT backed up to your phone for a month.
• How to check the first point is correct? Pick up your iPhone and go to Settings > Usage > Storage > Manage Storage. Then scroll down the list of apps on your phone and find "Apple Watch". You’ll see the list of Apple Watch backups and the dates it has made.
• If you select Settings > General > Reset > Erase all Content and Settings on the Apple Watch itself to unpair your Watch and iPhone, iPhone won’t backup your Watch automatically.
• When you back up your iPhone to iCloud or iTunes, your iPhone backup will also include your Apple Watch data.

How to restore Apple Watch from backup

You can pair your Apple Watch again to restore it from a backup.

1. On your iPhone, make sure Bluetooth is on. Also, confirm that it is connected to Wi-Fi or a cellular network.

2. Launch the Apple Watch App on your iPhone.

3. Tap on "Start Pairing".

4. Choose the option "Restore from Backup".

5. Confirm the  backup which you want to select.