Apple Watches Have a Secret Port You Didn’t Know About…
If you’ve ever seen the dreaded “Too Many Passcode Attempts” message on an Apple Watch, you know how frustrating it is to reset it. There’s no obvious port like on an iPhone, so how are you even supposed to connect it to iTunes?
Well, here’s the thing: Apple Watches actually have a secret port almost no one talks about.
Finding the Secret Port
The port is hidden right under where the wristband connects to the watch. It’s tiny, but if you look closely near the model number, you’ll see it. To open it, I used a pair of tweezers to carefully remove the little cap, and there it was: the Apple Watch’s hidden diagnostic port.
Different generations of Apple Watch have a different number of pins here. One model I had showed five pads, while another had six pads, so it depends on which watch you’re working with.
How I Restored the Apple Watch
To restore the watch, I used a device called an iBus. This tool connects to the hidden port and essentially gives you a Lightning port for the watch.
Here’s how it worked:
I slid the iBus placeholder into the port.
Plugged the iBus into the watch.
Put the watch into DFU Mode by holding down both the Digital Crown and the Side Button at the same time.
Connected the iBus to my computer using the Lightning port on the bottom and restore it directly through iTunes.
Once the restore was complete, the watch was ready to set up again as long as you know the iCloud password tied to it.
Final Thoughts
Apple really doesn’t advertise this port, but it’s a lifesaver if you ever need to reset a locked watch. With the right tool, you can bring an Apple Watch back to life, even if it’s stuck on “Too Many Passcode Attempts.”
Honestly, I think this secret port is Apple’s way of saying, “Shh, don’t tell anyone… but here’s a cheat code.”
Find the Ibus tool here: https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_onER3g1
See you in the next article.
