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Look at how shockingly easy it is to steal an Apple Watch

Published May 14th, 2015 10:15AM EDT
Apple Watch Features

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Apple put a huge amount of time and effort into the creation of the Apple Watch, the company’s first new product line since the original iPad was released in 2010. The hardware is a cut above anything we’ve seen launch ahead of the device, and the software experience widens the gap even further.

But there’s one area Apple apparently didn’t put much thought into at all, and the Watch is absurdly easy for thieves to steal as a result.

DON’T MISS: The little red dot that saved me from my iPhone

With the Apple Watch, Apple has done a fantastic job of protecting the user’s data. Most data is stored off-device on the iPhone anyway, but the personal data that is found on the Watch is guarded by a simple PIN system that locks the Watch as soon as it’s taken off the wrist.

Yes, your data is protected… but your Watch itself is an easy mark for thieves.

A post from iDownloadBlog shows just how easy it is for anyone to steal an Apple Watch, reset it, and then keep it for themselves or sell it. Apple Watches are still very difficult to come by, and they’re being sold at substantial markups on sites like eBay and Craigslist.

As the blog post explains, thieves don’t need to enter a user’s PIN or connect the Watch to a user’s iPhone in order to wipe the device and restore it to factory settings. Once that’s done, it’s essentially a brand new Watch and can be set up from scratch like any other Apple Watch.

A built-in activation lock feature on iPhones and iPads prevents devices from being reset and reactivated if they’re stolen, but there’s no such security feature on the Watch.

A video detailing the painfully simple process is embedded below.

Zach Epstein
Zach Epstein Executive Editor

Zach Epstein has been the Executive Editor at BGR for more than 10 years. He manages BGR’s editorial team and ensures that best practices are adhered to. He also oversees the Ecommerce team and directs the daily flow of all content. Zach first joined BGR in 2007 as a Staff Writer covering business, technology, and entertainment.

His work has been quoted by countless top news organizations, and he was recently named one of the world's top 10 “power mobile influencers” by Forbes. Prior to BGR, Zach worked as an executive in marketing and business development with two private telcos.