A person's wrist wearing a plain black smartwatch with a blank dark screen, resting on a wooden desk beside a cup of tea in soft morning light
AI-generated image, not a photograph of a real person or place.
doodlesmartwatch

WHAT THE GUIDANCE SAYS

A small computer
on your wrist.

UPDATE · CHARGE · RESET four habits, one watch

  • Keep it updated
  • Charge it sensibly
  • Wipe before you part
  • Simple habits, safer wearables

Treat a smartwatch like the connected device it is.

UK cyber security and fire safety guidance boils down to a few habits: keep it updated, lock the account, charge it sensibly, wipe it before it changes hands and never put it in the bin.

Updated

Check your situation

THE SHORT ANSWER

Updates, charging
and a clean handover.

Since 29 April 2024 UK law sets basic security rules for smart devices.
The NCSC names smart watches among them.

SECURITY

Check the update end date

Manufacturers must now publish the minimum period a device will get security updates. The NCSC calls the support date a "use by" date for your device.

Check your situation

CHARGING

Use the charger it came with

London Fire Brigade advises using the original charger, never covering chargers, and unplugging once charging is complete rather than leaving devices on overnight.

Charging habits

PASSING IT ON

Reset it, then recycle it

Factory reset before you sell or give a device away. When it is finished, keep it out of the bin: batteries hidden in electricals start fires in bin lorries.

See the numbers

A QUICK SITUATION CHECK

What are you doing
with the watch?

Pick a moment in a smartwatch's life to see what UK guidance asks of you. The bar shows how much there is to do.

Situation check

Choose a moment
Setting up a new watchLock it down

Change any default password on the device or its app, use three random words for a strong password, turn on two-step verification and switch on automatic updates.

Charging at nightUnplug when full

Use the charger that came with it and do not cover chargers. London Fire Brigade says it is best not to leave devices plugged in overnight once charging is complete.

Buying second-handCheck support

Avoid devices that are out of support or close to it, as they will not get security updates. Factory reset on arrival to clear the previous owner's data.

Selling or giving awayBack up, then wipe

Back up what you want to keep, then use the factory reset feature. If the reset offers to keep your personal files, do not choose that option.

The battery looks swollenStop charging

Stop charging, turn the device off, do not open the casing and contact the manufacturer or a certified technician.

Sources: NCSC, Smart devices: using them safely in your home; NCSC, Buying and selling second-hand devices; London Fire Brigade, Batteries and chargers.

Based on NCSC smart device and second-hand device guidance and London Fire Brigade advice on batteries and chargers. General information only.

TWO NUMBERS WORTH KNOWING

Small batteries,
big consequences.

One figure on charging fires in London,
one on batteries thrown away across the UK.

24 a week

Fires started by chargers, batteries and cables

London Fire Brigade says it attends on average 24 fires each week started by chargers, batteries and cables. It warns that batteries can be a fire risk when over-charged, short-circuited, submerged or damaged.

CHARGING FIRES · LONDON FIRE BRIGADE

1.6bn

Batteries thrown away in the UK, 2023/24

Material Focus figures, cited by Somerset Council and the Environmental Services Association, put it at about 3,000 every minute, and just over a billion of them were hidden inside electrical devices.

BINNED BATTERIES · MATERIAL FOCUS

The same April 2025 report says more than 1,200 serious battery-related fires happened in waste facilities or vehicles in 2023, a 70% increase on 2022.

FOUR HABITS TO TRY

Safer, longer,
without the fuss.

Hands placing an old smartwatch and its charging cable into a small electricals recycling bank at a recycling centre
AI-generated image, not a photograph of a real person or place.

None of these needs extra kit. They use settings your watch and its app already have, and the charger in the box.

  1. Turn on automatic updates

    Updates protect against criminals and can add features. If a prompt appears, the NCSC says do not ignore it.

  2. Add two-step verification

    Turn on 2SV for the watch's app or account so a stolen password alone is not enough to get in.

  3. Charge in the open, then unplug

    Use the original charger on a hard surface, never covered, and unplug once the charge is complete.

  4. Wipe it before it goes

    Back up, factory reset and decline any option to keep your files before you sell, trade in or give it away.

THE LAW SINCE 2024

Three rules
for the maker.

A smartwatch charging on a small puck charger on a clear wooden bedside table, away from pillows and bedding
AI-generated image, not a photograph of a real person or place.

The UK product security regime came into effect on 29 April 2024. Passwords must be unique per product or set by the user, makers must say how to report security problems, and they must publish the minimum period security updates will be provided, with an end date.

The NCSC lists wearable fitness trackers, including smart watches, among the devices covered. Breaking the rules is a criminal offence, with fines of up to £10 million or 4% of qualifying worldwide revenue, whichever is higher.

Questions

Questions people ask

Does UK smart device law cover smartwatches?

The NCSC lists wearable fitness trackers, including smart watches, among the consumer smart devices covered by the Product Security and Telecommunications Infrastructure Act, which took effect on 29 April 2024.

Why does the security update period matter?

Once updates end, the NCSC says devices become easier to hack or may stop working as designed. It calls the support end date a "use by" date and advises avoiding devices that are out of support or close to it.

Is it safe to charge a smartwatch overnight?

London Fire Brigade advises against leaving devices plugged in overnight and says to unplug once the charge cycle is complete, use the original charger and never cover chargers.

How do I clear my data before selling a smartwatch?

The NCSC advises backing up first, then using the factory reset or erase feature from the manufacturer's instructions, and not choosing any option that keeps your personal files.

Can I put an old smartwatch in the bin?

No. Batteries and small electricals in general rubbish can catch fire in bin lorries and waste sites. Use a small electricals collection or recycling point instead, such as a kerbside service where your council offers one.

Sources

Where the facts come from

  1. NCSC blog: Smart devices: new law helps citizens to choose secure products (29 April 2024)
  2. NCSC: Smart devices: using them safely in your home
  3. NCSC: Buying and selling second-hand devices
  4. GOV.UK: The UK Product Security and Telecommunications Infrastructure (product security) regime
  5. London Fire Brigade: Batteries and chargers
  6. Somerset Council: Universal kerbside battery collections needed to tackle epidemic of waste fires

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