Apple Watch or iPad locked to someone else’s Apple ID
How Activation Lock works on a watch or tablet, and how to get it released by its owner.
6 minute read Facts checked 11 October 2026
You’ve been given an Apple Watch, or bought an iPad second-hand, and it won’t set up. Instead it asks for an Apple ID and password that aren’t yours. On a watch, this usually happens when you try to pair it with your own iPhone.
This is Apple’s Activation Lock, the same protection that iPhones have. This guide explains how it works on a watch or tablet, and the steps that get it released, starting with the ones that cost nothing.
How the lock works on a watch or iPad
When someone switches on Find My, Apple links their device to their Apple ID. On an iPad that happens on the iPad itself. An Apple Watch is linked through the iPhone it’s paired with, so it’s protected as soon as Find My is on for that iPhone.
That link is stored by Apple, not on the device. So erasing an iPad, or resetting a watch from its own settings, doesn’t remove it. When the device starts up again it checks with Apple and asks for the Apple ID it belongs to.
The short version
The device is fine. It’s waiting to be released by the person whose Apple ID it’s on, and they can do that in a few minutes without having the device with them.
Apple Watch: getting it released
The easiest way is for the previous owner to unpair it. If they still have the iPhone it was paired with, it takes a minute:
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They open the Watch app
On their iPhone, they open the Watch app and tap All Watches at the top.
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They choose the watch
They tap the small “i” next to the watch you have.
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They unpair it
They tap Unpair Apple Watch and confirm. For a cellular watch, they can choose to keep or remove the mobile plan.
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You pair it with your iPhone
Restart the watch and pair it with your own iPhone as normal.
If they no longer have that iPhone, they can do it from a computer instead. They sign in at iCloud.com, open Find Devices, choose the watch and remove it from their account. Once that’s done, restart the watch and try pairing again.
iPad: getting it released
An iPad works the same way as an iPhone. If you know the Apple ID and password on it, type them in and it will finish setting up. If it belongs to someone else, they can remove it from their account without the iPad:
- They sign in at iCloud.com on a computer or another device.
- They open Find Devices and choose the iPad.
- They remove it from their account, then you restart the iPad.
If it’s your own Apple ID and you’ve forgotten the password, reset it at iforgot.apple.com first. Our guide to “Locked to Owner” on an iPhone covers that route in more detail, and it works the same way for an iPad.
If you can’t reach the owner
Keep trying the person you got it from, in writing if you can. If that doesn’t work, there are two other routes.
Ask Apple, with your proof of purchase
Apple accepts Activation Lock support requests from owners. Expect to be asked for the serial number or IMEI and a copy of the original receipt from the shop or network. If the device was bought by you, new, this is often enough.
Use the protection that came with the sale
If you bought it from a marketplace or paid by card, you may be able to get your money back because the device can’t be used. Our guide on buying a used Apple device that’s still linked to an Apple ID goes through the options, including a message you can send the seller.
If it says the device is lost
Sometimes the screen shows a message and a phone number, saying the watch or iPad is lost. That means the owner has marked it as missing in Find My.
Please don’t try to get round this
A device in Lost Mode belongs to someone who is looking for it. Call the number on the screen, or hand it in to the police. If you bought it, report the sale to the police and to the marketplace or shop. Nobody should help you use it, and we won’t.
IMEI or serial number?
This matters if you want to check the device or contact Apple, because not every model has an IMEI.
- Cellular iPads and Apple Watches (the ones that can take a mobile plan) have an IMEI, as well as a serial number.
- Wi-Fi only iPads and non-cellular watches have a serial number but no IMEI.
On an iPad, the serial number is usually printed on the back and on the box, and some models show it on the setup screen if you tap the small “i”. On an Apple Watch it’s engraved on the case, often under the strap, and it’s also on the box. The writing is tiny, so a magnifying glass or a zoomed-in photo helps.
What our check can and can’t do
Our diagnosis looks a device up by its IMEI. That means we can check cellular iPads and Apple Watches, but not Wi-Fi only models, because they don’t have an IMEI to look up.
For a cellular model, the check tells you whether Activation Lock is on, whether the device has been reported lost or stolen, and which network it’s tied to. If there’s a fix we can offer for that device, the results page shows it and its price, and you decide whether to go ahead. If there isn’t, we say so and suggest what to try instead.
What we will and won’t do
We ask for proof of ownership before working on any Apple ID lock, we can’t promise a result, and we turn away devices reported lost or stolen.
If it’s an iPhone you’re locked out of, our page for people locked out of an iPhone is the place to start.