Pairing an Apple Watch with an iPhone links the devices for notifications, health and fitness features, apps, settings, and—on cellular models—optional cellular service.
Pair an Apple Watch With an iPhone
- Turn on the Apple Watch. Hold the Side button until the Apple logo appears.
- Bring the watch near the unlocked iPhone.
- Tap Continue when the pairing message appears. You can also open the Watch app and choose the option to add a watch.
- Choose Set Up for Myself when appropriate.
- Hold the iPhone over the pairing animation on the watch.
- Follow Setup Assistant. Choose whether to set up as new or restore an available backup.
- Sign in and configure the requested settings.
- Set up cellular if you have an eligible cellular watch and plan.
- Keep the devices near each other until syncing finishes.
If Automatic Pairing Does Not Work
Use the manual pairing option in the Watch app and follow the code-based instructions shown on the devices. Make sure Bluetooth and Wi-Fi are available and that the iPhone and watch meet the current software and compatibility requirements.
If the Watch Was Previously Owned
An Apple Watch that is still protected by Activation Lock may require the Apple Account credentials of the previous owner. Erasing the watch alone does not necessarily remove Activation Lock.
Moving an Existing Watch to a New iPhone
If the watch is already paired to your old iPhone, follow Apple’s transfer or unpairing process rather than treating it as an unknown new watch. A current backup can preserve supported watch information during the move.