You’re standing there, wrist held up, tapping four tiny digits for the tenth time today. It’s annoying. I get it. We’ve all been there where the friction of "security" starts to outweigh the actual utility of the device. Maybe your watch is fitting a bit loose and keeps locking itself, or perhaps you’re just tired of the extra step every time you want to check a notification. Whatever the reason, you want to know how to turn off Apple Watch passcode requirements without bricking your favorite features.
It’s surprisingly easy. Honestly, it takes about thirty seconds.
But before we dive into the "how," we need to talk about the "why not." Disabling your passcode isn’t just about convenience; it’s a massive trade-off. When you kill the passcode, you're also killing Apple Pay. You lose the ability to unlock your Mac automatically. You essentially turn a highly secure personal computer into a basic digital timepiece that anyone can factory reset if they swipe it off your nightstand.
If you're cool with that, let's get into the mechanics.
The quick way to turn off Apple Watch passcode on your wrist
The fastest way to do this is right on the watch itself. You don't even need your iPhone nearby.
First, press the Digital Crown to see all your apps. Find the Settings icon—it looks like a grey gear. Scroll down. Keep going past "Display & Brightness" and "App View" until you hit Passcode. Tap that. You'll see an option right at the top that says Turn Passcode Off.
Tap it.
The watch will ask you to enter your current passcode one last time. This is the "are you sure?" moment. Once you punch those numbers in, the passcode is gone. Your watch is now wide open.
Using your iPhone to manage watch security
Sometimes it's just easier to use a bigger screen. If you find the watch interface a bit fiddly, grab your paired iPhone. Open the Watch app.
Make sure you're on the My Watch tab at the bottom left. Scroll down to—you guessed it—Passcode. When you tap "Turn Passcode Off" here, you'll still have to finish the process on the watch face itself for security reasons. Apple wants to make sure the person holding the watch is the person authorizing the change.
It's a smart safety net.
The hidden cost of going passcode-free
Most people don't realize that the Apple Watch uses a feature called "Wrist Detection." It's clever tech. It uses the green LEDs and infrared sensors on the back of the casing to sense when skin is present. When you have a passcode enabled and Wrist Detection on, you only have to unlock the watch once when you put it on in the morning.
As long as the watch stays in contact with your skin, it stays unlocked.
If you turn off the passcode, you're basically telling the watch to stop caring who is wearing it. This has a massive ripple effect on your digital life. Apple Pay is the biggest casualty. For obvious security reasons, Apple will not allow credit card data to be active on a device that doesn't have a lock. The moment you disable that passcode, all your cards are wiped from the Watch’s internal storage. You’ll have to add them back manually if you ever decide to turn the passcode back on.
Then there's the "Unlock with iPhone" feature.
This is usually the middle ground people are actually looking for. Instead of turning the passcode off entirely, you can set it so that unlocking your iPhone automatically unlocks your watch. It’s the best of both worlds. You keep your security, you keep Apple Pay, but you never have to type that tiny PIN on your wrist.
To set this up, go to Settings on the Watch, tap Passcode, and toggle on Unlock with iPhone.
What about corporate-managed devices?
Here is where things get sticky. If your Apple Watch is connected to an iPhone that has a corporate "Management Profile" (MDM), you might find the "Turn Passcode Off" button is greyed out.
I’ve seen this happen a lot with folks who work in finance, healthcare, or tech. Your IT department can actually force a passcode requirement on your personal watch if it’s synced to a phone that carries company data. If that’s your situation, no amount of digging in settings will fix it. You’d have to remove the corporate profile from your iPhone, which usually means losing access to your work email and Slack.
It’s a bummer, but that's the price of "Bring Your Own Device" policies in 2026.
Troubleshooting the "Turn Passcode Off" button
If the button isn't greyed out by a boss, but it's still not working, it's usually a software glitch. Try the "Force Restart" first. Hold down both the Digital Crown and the side button simultaneously for about ten seconds. Don't let go until you see the Apple logo.
Once it reboots, try the settings menu again.
Another weird quirk? Check your Screen Time settings on your iPhone. Sometimes, "Content & Privacy Restrictions" can interfere with the ability to change passcode settings on secondary devices. It’s rare, but it happens.
The Reality of Apple Watch Security
Look, we live in an era where our watches hold more personal data than our laptops did ten years ago. Your heart rate trends, your GPS location history, your text messages—it's all there.
Turning off the passcode is a risk.
If you're doing it because the watch keeps locking while you're wearing it, the problem isn't the passcode. The problem is likely your watch band or your skin. Tattoos can actually block the sensors from "seeing" your wrist, causing the watch to think it's been removed. If you have heavy ink on your wrist, you might be forced to turn off the passcode just to make the watch usable.
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If you don't have tattoos and it's still locking, try tightening the band by one notch. The sensors need a consistent "read" to stay unlocked.
Actionable Next Steps
- Check your Apple Pay: Before you disable the passcode, make sure you don't rely on your watch for transit or groceries. You'll lose those cards immediately.
- Try "Unlock with iPhone" first: Go to the Watch App > Passcode > Unlock with iPhone. Toggle this on. It solves 90% of the "passcode fatigue" people feel.
- Verify Wrist Detection: Ensure "Wrist Detection" is toggled ON in the Passcode settings. This ensures you only have to enter the PIN once per day.
- The Nuclear Option: If you still want it off, go to Settings > Passcode > Turn Passcode Off on your watch and confirm.
Once you’ve made these changes, your watch will remain open to anyone who picks it up. Use that freedom wisely, and maybe keep a closer eye on where you leave your charger.
Expert Tip: If you ever lose your watch after turning the passcode off, immediately go to the Find My app on your iPhone and mark the watch as lost. This will remotely lock the device and prevent anyone from accessing your data, even if the local passcode was disabled.