The iPhone uses a Bluetooth connection and Wi-Fi to communicate with Apple Watch, and an issue with either of these may cause your wearable to be disconnected. If your Apple Watch is not connecting to your iPhone, there are a few simple troubleshooting steps that will cure most problems and get your Apple Watch paired in no time. Show
Check Your Apple Watch's ConnectionThe first thing we should do is make sure the Apple Watch is disconnected from the iPhone. It's possible to have a problem with the Apple Watch that mimics not being paired with the iPhone. You can check the connection status of your watch by swiping up on your Apple Watch display while on the clock face screen. This will bring up the Apple Watch's control center which, in addition to having a lot of great shortcuts, will show the watch's connection status in the upper-left corner. Apple, Inc.
Make Sure Settings Aren't Preventing Your Apple Watch Being PairedIt is not always a software glitch or hardware failure that causes your Apple Watch to unpair from your iPhone. An Apple Watch not connecting to the iPhone may be caused by something as simple as a setting on your watch or on the phone, so we'll take a look at a few of these that can cause problems. Apple, Inc.
Reboot Your iPhone If Your Apple Watch Won't PairNow that we've checked some of the basic settings, we'll fall back on the oldest troubleshooting step in the book: rebooting the device. If your Apple Watch won't pair, there may very well be a problem on the iPhone side of the equation. A quick reboot may help you get back up and running in no time.
Reboot Your Apple Watch If It Still Isn't PairingWhile you can do these two steps in any order, generally it is better to reboot the iPhone and then reboot the Apple Watch. This helps ensure there are no lingering problems on the iPhone when the watch boots up.
Rebooting the devices should solve most problems when your Apple Watch won't pair. If you are still having problems, it is time to dive into some deeper troubleshooting steps. Check Your iPhone's Operating System for UpdatesIt's a good idea to make sure you're on the most current version of your iPhone's operating system, especially before troubleshooting steps that require deleting information from the device. You can check your version of iOS by launching the iPhone's settings app, choosing General and tapping Software Update. You will be prompted to Download and Install if there is a more recent version of iOS available. Unfortunately, you cannot check your version of WatchOS when the Apple Watch isn't pared with the iPhone. Clear the iPhone's Network SettingsThe iPhone stores information about all connecting networks to make reconnecting a smoother process. It's also possible for this data to become corrupted, which can keep an iPhone from connecting to an Apple Watch. Resetting this information means you may need to log in to your home Wi-Fi network again, so be prepared by ensuring you have the password handy.
My Apple Watch Won't Pair: What's Next?Still not connecting? This last step is to reset the Apple Watch, which will cause any data on the Apple Watch that hasn't been backup up to be lost. This is why we save it for last. However, you should be able to restore most of your Apple Watch's data from the most recent backup after unpairing and then re-pairing the Apple Watch and the iPhone. The unpairing process will erase all data on the Apple Watch. When finished, you will set up the Apple Watch just as you did when you got it out of the box. This step should solve most problems. On the Apple Watch:
On the iPhone:
If you still have problems pairing your Apple Watch to your iPhone after following these steps, it is time to contact Apple Support. The Apple Support phone number is 800-692-7753. You can also schedule an appointment at the Genius Bar at any Apple retail location. How to Resync an Apple Watch Thanks for letting us know! Get the Latest Tech News Delivered Every Day Subscribe |