What Is the 'i' Icon on the Apple Watch?

It's there for information but also to help you with pairing and unpairing the watch

By
Tyler Hayes
Tyler Hayes
Tyler Hayes
Writer
Tyler Hayes is a former Lifewire writer covering Apple, Google, Spotify, and more. Tyler has written for Fast Company, Digital Trends, and Paste, and others.
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Updated on September 28, 2022

What to Know

  • The circled i on an Apple Watch stands for Information and is used to pair/re-pair Apple Watches & iPhones.
  • To unpair: On watch, tap Settings > General > Reset > Erase All Content & Settings.
  • To re-pair: On watch, tap i > enter numbers from watch onto iPhone.

This article explains what the i is on an Apple Watch and how to use it for pairing. Instructions apply to all versions of Apple Watch hardware and watchOS software.

What Is the 'i' icon on the Apple Watch?

The circled i icon on an Apple Watch stands for Information. Tap it for the code information to manually pair your watch to your iPhone. 

When and Where Will I See the 'i' Icon on Apple Watch?

You’ll see the i icon in the lower-right corner of the Apple Watch during the pairing process.

Apple Watch pairing process with scannable code highlighted

First, you'll tap Start Pairing on the watch to guide you through an automatic pairing. However, if the automatic process is not working, tap the i icon to manually pair your iPhone and watch.

The floating, swirling series of dots in a circle acts as a fancy QR code which passes information to the phone when scanned for automatic pairing.

How to Unpair Your Watch Manually Using the 'i' Icon

If you need to un-pair your Apple Watch, for whatever reason, follow these steps below.

You can erase and reset your Apple Watch from the watch itself, but it will still be locked to your iPhone. To sell it or get rid of it, you’ll need to un-pair the watch from your iPhone first.

  1. On the Apple Watch, press the digital crown > open Settings.

  2. Tap General.

  3. Tap Reset.

  4. Tap Erase All Content and Settings.

  5. On iPhone, open the Watch app and tap the My Watch tab.

  6. Tap the watch you want to un-pair.

  7. Tap the i icon next to the selected watch.

  8. Tap Unpair Apple Watch, then confirm the decision.

The lowercase i inside a circle is not unique to Apple Watch. It's a common symbol indicating a place to get more information across different software applications.

How to Manually Re-Pair Your Watch Using the 'i' Icon

Re-pairing your Apple Watch is easy and only takes a few moments.

  1. Follow the instructions on screen, including selecting your language, until you reach Start Pairing.

  2. On the iPhone, tap Pair Apple Watch Manually under the window trying to scan the code.

  3. On the Apple Watch tap the i icon.

  4. Enter the numbers from the watch on the iPhone.

  5. This will manually pair the watch to the phone. If it still disconnects or you experience additional issues, there may be other problems with the watch or iPhone that need to be addressed.

FAQ
  • What is theater mode on an Apple Watch?

    Theater Mode prevents your Watch screen from brightening every time you raise or roll your wrist. To use Theater Mode on Apple Watch, tap the screen and swipe up from the bottom to open Control Center. Swipe up until you see Theater Mode (two masks), and then tap it.

  • What is the digital crown on an Apple Watch?

    The Apple Watch digital crown is the side button on the Watch. This rotating button controls various functions, such as scrolling, zooming, viewing the Watch face, using Siri, and more. If you have an app open, the digital crown will also scroll up or down within the app.

  • What is the red dot on my Apple Watch?

    The red dot on your Apple Watch means you've received a notification that hasn't been read. Swipe down to read it. If you don't want this visual reminder, hide the red dot on Apple Watch by turning off the notification indicator.

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