While Apple Watch is a great way to track your daily fitness, send messages, and more, what happens if your Apple Watch won't pair?
Any new Apple Watch needs to be paired with an iPhone and maintain that connection to take advantage of all the wearable's features.
However, you may encounter issues during pairing or normal everyday use. Here are a few fixes if your Apple Watch won't pair with your iPhone.
Apple Watch Not Pairing with iPhone? Here's How to Fix It
To pair your Apple Watch and iPhone properly , make sure both devices are nearby and at least 50% charged. Wait until you see a pop-up on your iPhone that says " Use your iPhone to set up this Apple Watch . " Then tap Continue to begin the process.
You'll see the pairing screen on your iPhone and a unique pairing animation on your Apple Watch. Point your iPhone camera at this pairing animation and line it up with the viewfinder on the screen. You can also pair the devices manually by tapping the "i" icon in the lower right corner of your Apple Watch screen and following the on-screen instructions.
After pairing your Apple Watch with your iPhone, you can go through the rest of the initial setup process, like customizing watchOS settings, signing in with your Apple ID, creating a passcode, choosing apps, and more.
If you can't pair your Apple Watch with your iPhone, there are a few things you can do.
On your iPhone, swipe down to reveal Control Center and make sure both WiFi and Bluetooth are active. You need both for your iPhone to communicate with your Apple Watch.
During pairing, the Apple Watch screen will display a setup dialog. If you see the regular watch face instead, you'll need to unpair your Apple Watch first because it's already paired to another iPhone.
To prepare to pair your Apple Watch, go to Settings > General > Reset > Erase All Content and Settings in watchOS.
Even after you complete the pairing process the first time, your Apple Watch may not connect to your iPhone the next time. Here's what to do to get the devices communicating again.
To confirm that Apple Watch isn't connected to iPhone, swipe up on the Apple Watch face to see Control Center.
If you see a red X with the word Disconnected or an image of a red iPhone with a diagonal line through it, your watch is not connected to your iPhone. On the same screen, make sure WiFi is turned on.
Next, go to your iPhone, then confirm that both Bluetooth and WiFi are turned on.
The next step you can take is to restart your Apple Watch and iPhone.
On Apple Watch, press the Digital Crown and Side button at the same time for 10 seconds until you see the Apple logo. Wait until you see the Apple Watch face.
Next, it's time to move on to the iPhone. On iPhone X and later, press and hold the Side button along with the volume buttons until you see the Power Off slider . Select it by swiping to the right. Restart the iPhone by pressing the Side button until the Apple logo appears.
For iPhone 8 and earlier, press and hold the top or side power button (depending on your model) until the Power Off slider appears. Slide it to the right to turn the device off completely. Then press and hold that button until the Apple logo appears to turn the iPhone back on.
If your Apple Watch still won't connect to your iPhone, make sure both your Watch and iPhone are running the latest software.
To check for software updates on your Apple Watch, open the Watch app on your iPhone. In the My Watch tab , select General > Software Update . If an update is available, you can download and install it on your Watch.
You can check for software updates on your iPhone by going to Settings > General > Software Update .
Another step you can take if your Apple Watch won't pair is to reset the network settings on your iPhone. On your iPhone, go to Settings. Select General > Reset . Scroll to the bottom of the page and select Reset Network Settings .
The final, more drastic step is to unpair and then re-pair your Apple Watch with your iPhone. To start the process, go to Settings > General on your Apple Watch. Scroll down and select Reset. Then select Reset All Content and Settings .
To complete the process, you may need to disable Activation Lock . If you need more help with this step, here are the Apple Watch security tips you need to know .
Once your Apple Watch is erased, you can try pairing it with your iPhone again. If that works, you can restore your Apple Watch as a brand new device or using an earlier backup.
Hopefully one of these fixes will help resolve the issue of why your Apple Watch won’t pair or communicate with your iPhone. If you’re still having trouble after following these troubleshooting tips, it’s best to contact Apple support and discuss your options.
If you're new to Apple wearables, be sure to read our article explaining how to lock and unlock your Apple Watch to help protect your personal data.
Good luck with your troubleshooting!
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