--- description: Hackers have discovered a workaround to the Apple Watch lock screen, enabling thieves to potentially wipe the device clean. title: Why Thieves Love the Apple Watch image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt5a1dbe81226b6b0a/6987eea5e20a872f59a89436/apple-watch-consumer-reports.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  * [Business](/section/business/) ## Business Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close * [Tech](/tag/time-section-tech/) ## Tech Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # Why Thieves Love the Apple Watch  by [Dan Kedmey](/author/dan-kedmey/)  ## Dan Kedmey Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close May 14, 2015 4:11 PM CUT  Customers look at Apple Watches on display at an Apple Store in Palo Alto, Calif., on April 10, 2015. Customers look at Apple Watches on display at an Apple Store in Palo Alto, Calif., on April 10, 2015.David Paul Morris—Bloomberg  by [Dan Kedmey](/author/dan-kedmey/)  ## Dan Kedmey Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close May 14, 2015 4:11 PM CUT Hackers have discovered a workaround on the Apple Watch lock screen that could enable thieves to wipe the device clean and pair it with a new iPhone. A video [posted](http://www.idownloadblog.com/2015/05/13/the-apple-watch-thieves-reset-no-activation-lock-security/ "undefined") to iDownload shows how a thief can bypass the lock screen in less than one minute by holding down the power button, selecting an option to “erase all content and settings,” and restoring the device to its factory settings. “In other words, it’s totally feasible to steal an Apple Watch and set it up on a different device as if you just purchased it from an Apple Store,” wrote [blogger](http://www.idownloadblog.com/2015/05/13/the-apple-watch-thieves-reset-no-activation-lock-security/ "undefined") Jeff Benjamin. While the workaround poses no security threat to users’ personal data, it does highlight the notable absence of a “kill switch,” a security feature which became standard on iPhones with the release of iOS 7 in 2013\. City officials have [hailed](http://time.com/3704939/smartphone-kill-switch-2/ "undefined") the kill switch as a major deterrent for thieves, as they dramatically reduce the value of stolen phones. ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/3858762/apple-watch-theft/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/3858762/apple-watch-theft/"},"headline":"Why Thieves Love the Apple Watch","datePublished":"2015-05-14T16:11:10.000Z","dateModified":"2026-04-13T08:05:16.239Z","description":"A security feature that has caused major declines in smartphone theft is noticeably absent from the Apple Watch","url":"https://time.com/3858762/apple-watch-theft/","keywords":["Tech","Security","Apple watch"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt5a1dbe81226b6b0a/6987eea5e20a872f59a89436/apple-watch-consumer-reports.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Dan Kedmey","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/dan-kedmey/"}],"articleSection":"Business","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt5a1dbe81226b6b0a/6987eea5e20a872f59a89436/apple-watch-consumer-reports.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"Apple Watch Consumer Reports","caption":"Apple Watch Consumer Reports","creditText":"David Paul Morris—Bloomberg","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/business/","name":"Business"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/time-section-tech/","name":"Tech"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/3858762/apple-watch-theft/","name":"Why Thieves Love the Apple Watch"}}]}] ```