Apple Watch Missing Developer Mode Option

Developer Mode is at the bottom of Settings > Privacy & Security. The cell is tappable; once you tap it, you'll see the switch.

I have exactly the same issue. If I go to the bottom of Privacy & Security on the watch there is an option to go into the App privacy report but no option to switch on Developer mode Please advice

Same issue here, I have the ultra, and everything is updated but no developer mode setting available on the watch...

The developer mode button is missing for me too. There's nothing below App Privacy Report on my new Apple Watch.

I had Xcode playing nice with my older Apple Watch, and was able to load apps that I wrote onto it. Since I got a new watch, I can no longer test apps on my watch. It is listed as "waiting for first unlock" in the simulator list despite it and my phone both being unlocked... I thought the solution might be that I needed to turn on developer mode--that's when I discovered the option is missing).

After a while and quitting/restarting Xcode while my phone was connected, the message changed to say developer mode was disabled on my watch. Then the developer mode setting magically appeared and I could enable it. Then the Xcode message changed back to waiting for first unlock. Then I had to trust the computer (again - I already did this on the new watch while trying to debug this problem). It still wasn't working until I quit and restarted Xcode yet one more time. Then it finally worked.

I had to have my phone plugged in to access developer mode on my Apple Watch. I didn't need to restart Xcode tho

For me it took un-pairing and re-pairing the phone to Xcode, which then decided it didn't know my watch's metadata anymore for a bit... (Device was called for a while) But once Xcode re-fetched the device metadata, and got into a state where it said developer mode was disabled, only at THAT point did the option of enabling Developer mode appear in Settings > Privacy & Security for me. (Way at the bottom, so you know where it ISN'T, and know where to look once it DOES show up.)

No Apple documentation on this anywhere that I could find.

I was able to get Developer Mode option in Privacy&Settings following these steps (watchOS 9.3):

0.) I turned on developer mode on my iPhone 1.) I tried to run watchOS app from Xcode on my watch although it said its unavailable 2.) I turned off developer mode on my iPhone and they turned it back on 3.) Tried to run app watchOS app from Xcode again on my watch, this time I got error massage that I need to turn on developer mode 4.) I went back to Privacy&Settings on my watch I Developer Mode appeared on the bottom

Hope this helps!

I see the same issue with a Watch Series 9. There is no switch to enable developer mode in the Privacy & Security menu (WatchOS 10.0.1), and the Watch also does not show up in Xcode. Developer mode works as expected on iPhone.

I was also struggling with this problem for a week and tried nearly every link I found on Google...

So I had a perfectly working setup where I could run and debug my app on the Watch. Then I got a new Watch, but could not enable developer mode and hence did not see the Watch in Xcode. The setup: Xcode 15.0, WatchOS 10.0.2, iOS 17.0.2, macOS 14.0, iPhone 15 Pro, Watch Series 9.

Here is what worked in the end:

• Unpair Watch from iPhone.
• Unpair the iPhone in Xcode.
• Switch off development mode on iPhone.
• Turn off iPhone.
• Delete all Xcode settings as described in https://developer.apple.com/forums/thread/705846.
• Delete Xcode, empty trash.
• Restart Mac.
• Restart iPhone.
• Download Xcode 15.0.
• Unpack, open Xcode 15.0.
• Open project (no elegible devices connected to My Mac).
• Connect iPhone to Mac via USB cable.
• Select "Trust computer" on iPhone. iPhone shows up in Xcode, but asks that developer mode to be enabled.
• Enable developer mode on iPhone.
• Restart iPhone.
• iPhone shows up in Xcode as development device.
• App starts successfully on iPhone.
• Close Xcode.
• Disconnect iPhone from USB cable.
• Pair Watch to iPhone as new watch (no restore from backup).
• Wait until all Watch apps have been installed.
• Open Xcode.
• Connect iPhone with USB cable.
• Watch shows up in device overview in Xcode, but asks that developer mode to be enabled.
• Developer mode finally appears on the Watch.
• Enable developer mode on Watch.
• Restart Watch.
• Start Watch app in Xcode. Prompt to register device appears.
• Register device.
• The app starts on the Watch.

I wish there was a less invasive way to solve the problem, but I found none and this worked for me.

After looking for quite a bit... watch --> settings --> Scroll to the very bottom, below all of the apps --> HERE is developer

It is not under privacy & security on watch

At the top of the settings app on my watch was a notice to sign in to my AppleID. This made the developer setting appear again

In my case, my Watch even doesn't appear on devices list on Xcode and the developer mode was hidden.

The steps below made the device appear on the list and the "Developer Mode" option appears to on Settings -> Privacy & Security.

1 - Unplug the iPhone from Mac. 2 - Unpair the iPhone on Xcode 3 - Disable developer mode on iPhone 4 - Enable developer mode on iPhone (here, in my case, the devices list already appears the watch) 4.1 - Restart the iPhone.... 5 - Enable developer mode on Watch.

In my case, my Watch even doesn't appear on devices list on Xcode and the developer mode was hidden.

The steps below made the device appear on the list and the "Developer Mode" option appears to on Settings -> Privacy & Security.

1. Unplug the iPhone from Mac
2. Unpair the iPhone on Xcode
3. Disable developer mode on iPhone
4. Enable developer mode on iPhone (here, in my case, the devices list already appears the watch)
5. Restart the iPhone....
6. Enable developer mode on Watch.

With Watch OS 10.1 and Xcode 15.0.1 I was facing the same issue, Developer Mode was missing. After spending the whole night the issue was my Mac's Bluetooth, it was turned off and I spent all night finding the fix. Turning Bluetooth on solved the problem. Developer Mode showes up in Privacy & Security and everything worked fine.