Apple Confirms Activation Lock Safety Feature for watchOS 2 - MacRumors
Skip to Content

Apple Confirms Activation Lock Safety Feature for watchOS 2

Following today's big WWDC keynote address in San Francisco, a few new details and confirmations have been made about the Apple Watch, specifically regarding a crucial security feature for the wearable. Activation Lock, previously available for iPhones and iPads, was confirmed to be coming to Apple Watch with watchOS 2. The feature lets users secure their Apple Watch with their Apple ID, preventing malicious users from wiping or activating the wearable device if it gets lost or stolen.

applewatchpasscode
In the days and weeks following the Apple Watch launch, many users questioned the device's security due to its inherent requiring of the iPhone to perform most of its tasks. With only a simple four-digit passcode protecting the wearable, it was discovered in early May that that code could be entirely bypassed with a simple settings wipe able to be performed by anyone who came into contact with your personal Apple Watch.

With today's confirmation of Activation Lock for the Apple Watch, users concerned about losing or having the new Apple wearable stolen from them can no doubt feel a bit more at ease with the security of the device. Registered developers will be able to gain access to watchOS 2 starting today, with a wide public release coming sometime this fall.

Related Roundup: Apple Watch 11
Buyer's Guide: Apple Watch (Neutral)

Popular Stories

watchos 26 gradient light

watchOS 26.4 Now Available With Workout Update and New Emoji

Tuesday March 24, 2026 10:02 am PDT by
Apple today released watchOS 26.4, the fourth major update to the watchOS 26 operating system that came out in September. watchOS 26.4 comes a month and a half after Apple released watchOS 26.3. watchOS 26.4 can be downloaded for free on an iPhone running iOS 26.4 by opening up the Apple Watch app and going to General > Software Update, or initiating an update in the Settings app on the...
Apple Watch Series 10 Jet Black

No Major Apple Watch Redesign Expected This Year

Thursday March 26, 2026 11:12 am PDT by
In addition to indicating that a new full-sized HomePod is in the works, and that the foldable iPhone will likely ship later than the iPhone 18 Pro models this year, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman today said he does not expect any major design changes for the next-generation Apple Watch models coming later this year. Gurman revealed all of this information in a live Q&A call today on the Bloomberg...
earth day 2025 apple watch

Apple Watch Earth Day and International Dance Day Activity Challenges Launching Later This Month

Tuesday April 14, 2026 12:00 pm PDT by
Apple has two new Apple Watch activity challenges coming up, celebrating Earth Day and International Dance Day. The Earth Day activity challenge will launch on Wednesday, April 22, while the Dance Day challenge will take place a week later on Wednesday, April 29. To complete the Earth Day challenge, Apple Watch owners will need to complete a workout that lasts for 30 minutes or longer. This ...

Top Rated Comments

142 months ago
Well, now that there are more than 5 watches in the wild, this feature will be quite useful.
Think you forgot to say million after 5!
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
iConnected Avatar
142 months ago
Apple: "Activation Lock ... lets users secure their Apple Watch with their Apple ID, preventing another user from wiping or activating the device if it is lost or stolen."

Excellent news. Apple Watch now has a powerful theft disincentive built in, as it should have had from the start.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
142 months ago
Great, now thieves know they have a countdown for sellable apple watches...
Are you seriously finding a negative about completely good news?
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
sniffies Avatar
142 months ago
Well, now that there are more than 5 watches in the wild, this feature will be quite useful.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
142 months ago
They seriously need to bring this feature in to their Mac lines as well. From what I understand with how things are right now, a simple hard drive swap can erase your computer and will let anyone use it as if it was theirs the entire time. If they could somehow integrate activation lock to the logic boards of the computer like they do with their phones, that would be an entirely new security feature in the PC world.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
142 months ago
Finally! Not that I am worried about someone stealing my watch but why not have this in place.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)