How to Pair Your Apple Watch with an iPhone

Co-authored by Gonzalo Martinez

Last Updated: May 8, 2021 References

Your Apple Watch takes data from your iPhone and displays it on your watch. Signing in with your Apple ID, either during initial setup or through the Apple Watch app on your iPhone, will sync your iCloud information such as contacts, calendars, and email. Apps compatible with Apple Watch can be transferred from your iPhone to your watch, which will sync their data with your watch as long as your phone is nearby.

Part 1

Part 1 of 2:

Pairing the Watch

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1
Update your iPhone. You'll want to be running the latest version of iOS on your iPhone in order to get the most out of your Apple Watch. The Apple Watch app will only appear if you're running iOS 8.2 or later on an iPhone 5 or later. You can update your iPhone by checking the "General" section of the Settings app, or by connecting your iPhone to your computer and opening iTunes.
- See Update iOS for instructions on updating your iPhone.
2
Enable Bluetooth on your iPhone. The Apple Watch will connect to your iPhone via Bluetooth, so the Bluetooth radio on your iPhone needs to be turned on. Swipe up from the bottom of the screen and tap the Bluetooth button to turn it on.
- Your iPhone will also need an internet connection, either via Wi-Fi or your cellular network.
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You'll find this app on one of your Home screens as long as you are using an iPhone 5 or later running iOS 8.2+. If you don't see the app, your iPhone doesn't meet one or both of the requirements.
4
Power on the Apple Watch. Hold the button underneath the wheel on the side of the watch for a few moments to power it on. When the watch boots up, it will load the setup process.
- Use the touch screen or wheel on the watch to select your language.
5
Tap "Start Pairing" on the watch and on the phone. You'll see a pattern appear on the watch screen and your phone's screen will open the camera.
- If the Apple Watch doesn't pair or says it's paired to another device, go into the Settings menu on the watch and tap on "Reset" to restore the watch to factory settings.^{[1]
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  Gonzalo Martinez
  Computer & Phone Repair Specialist
  
  Expert Interview. 4 May 2021.}
6
Point the iPhone camera at the pattern on the watch screen. Line up the watch in the box on the iPhone screen. When the camera is lined up properly, the watch will quickly vibrate.
- If you can't get the two to pair using the camera, tap "Pair Apple Watch Manually." Select your Apple Watch from the list and then enter the code from your watch's display into your iPhone.^{[2]
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7
Tap "Set Up as New Apple Watch" on your iPhone. This will setup the Apple Watch as new and allow you to sync your content from your iPhone.
- If you've used an Apple Watch before, you can restore from an old backup instead. The backup will be downloaded from iCloud.
8
Select which wrist you'll be wearing the watch on. This will help the watch's sensors. You'll likely want to wear it on your non-dominant hand so that you can use your dominant hand to control it.
- Tap "Left" or "Right" on your iPhone to select the wrist you're going to use.
This isn't required, but will give you access to some of the more advanced Apple Watch features like Apple Pay, which allows you to pay at supported registers using just your watch. If you do sign in, make sure to sign in with the same Apple ID you use on your iPhone.
10
Create a passcode for your watch. This will help secure your watch in case it gets stolen. You'll be prompted for the passcode when you take the watch off and put it back on again. It's not necessary to create a passcode.
- You'll also be prompted to choose whether unlocking your iPhone unlocks your watch at the same time.
11
Install your Apple Watch-compatible apps. You'll be prompted to install all available apps, or choose later. Your Apple Watch cannot download and install apps from the App Store. Instead, you'll install compatible apps directly from your iPhone. This will also sync the data for that app with your watch.
- See the next section for details on choosing which apps you want to sync if you don't want to install all of them at once.
After selecting whether or not to install all available apps, your watch will sync. This will be quick if you chose to select apps later, but may take a while if you're installing all of the compatible apps. The watch will notify you when the sync is complete.

Part 2

Part 2 of 2:

Syncing Content

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1
Sign in with your Apple ID on your Apple Watch. This will sync information stored in iCloud, including your contacts, calendars, email accounts, and favorite iCloud photos. You can only have one Apple ID logged in on an Apple Watch at a time. If you didn't log in during the initial setup, you can use the Apple Watch app on your iPhone:^{[3]
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- Open the Apple Watch app on your iPhone.
- Tap the "My Watch" tab at the bottom of the screen and then tap "General."
- Tap "Apple ID" and then log in with your Apple ID. Your iCloud data will begin syncing to your watch from your iPhone, which may take a while to complete. If you use multiple Apple IDs, you'll need to be signed in with the one you want to use on your iPhone first to be able to use it on your Apple Watch.
2
Transfer apps and data from your iPhone. Besides syncing your iCloud information using your Apple ID, you can also transfer Apple Watch-compatible apps from your iPhone to the watch. You were prompted to install all of them at once during the initial setup, but you can customize which apps appear using the Apple Watch app on your iPhone:
- Open the Apple Watch app and tap "My Watch" at the bottom of the screen.
- Scroll down and tap the app that you want to add or remove from your watch. You'll only see apps that you have installed on your iPhone that are also compatible with Apple Watch.
- Toggle "Show App on Apple Watch" on or off. This will determine whether the app is installed on your watch. It may take a moment for the change to sync to your watch. App data is still handled completely by the iPhone.
3
Sync music to your watch to listen without your iPhone. Normally, your Apple Watch simply acts as the control for music playing on your iPhone. You can sync a playlist to your Apple Watch that can be listened to without your iPhone present, as long as you have a Bluetooth headset paired with the watch. You'll need to create the playlist on your iPhone first:
- Open the Music app on your iPhone and create a new playlist. You can store up to 2 GB of music on your watch (about 200 songs). All of the songs you want to listen to will need to be in the same playlist.^{[4]
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- Connect your Apple Watch to its charger and make sure Bluetooth is turned on for your iPhone.
- Open the Apple Watch app on your iPhone and select "My Watch" at the bottom of the screen.
- Tap "Music" and then "Synced Playlist." Select the playlist that you want to sync with your watch. The length of the sync will depend on how much music you're transferring. You will only see the synced playlist if you have a Bluetooth headset paired with the watch.^{[5]
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Question

Why is my watch not pairing with my iPhone?

Gonzalo Martinez
Computer & Phone Repair Specialist
Gonzalo Martinez is the President of CleverTech, a tech repair business in San Jose, California founded in 2014. CleverTech LLC specializes in repairing Apple products. CleverTech pursues environmental responsibility by recycling aluminum, display assemblies, and the micro components on motherboards to reuse for future repairs. On average, they save 2 lbs - 3 lbs more electronic waste daily than the average computer repair store.

Gonzalo Martinez

Computer & Phone Repair Specialist

Expert Answer

If you have a used Apple Watch, it may still be synced with another device. Go into the Settings menu on the watch and tap "Reset" to completely erase its memory.

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I just got a previously-owned watch from my boyfriend and need to sync it to my iPhone and wipe out his info. How?

Community Answer

Open the Apple watch app on your phone, sync it to the watch and all your info will be there.

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