Excited about your new iPhone and wondering how to connect your Apple Watch? Upgrading to a new iPhone doesn’t mean you have to leave your Apple Watch behind. Transferring your Apple Watch to a new iPhone is a straightforward process, ensuring you keep all your activity data and settings. This comprehensive guide will walk you through exactly how to pair your Apple Watch to a new phone, making the transition seamless.
Before You Begin: Essential Preparations
To ensure a smooth pairing process between your Apple Watch and your new iPhone, make sure you have the following ready:
- Your Apple ID and Password: You’ll need these to disable Activation Lock and access iCloud services.
- Stable Wi-Fi Connection: Both your old and new iPhones need to be connected to Wi-Fi for updates and data transfer.
- Sufficient Battery Charge: Ensure both your Apple Watch and iPhones are charged to at least 50% to prevent interruptions during the process.
- Apple Watch Passcode (if enabled): You might need your Apple Watch passcode during the unpairing or pairing steps. If you’ve forgotten it, Apple Support provides guidance on how to reset it.
The pairing method differs slightly depending on whether you still have access to your old iPhone. Let’s explore both scenarios.
Scenario 1: Pairing Apple Watch with New iPhone When You Have Your Old iPhone
This is the most common and recommended method, allowing for a backup of your Apple Watch data before connecting to your new iPhone. Follow these steps to learn How To Pair Apple Watch To New Phone when you have your old device.
Step 1: Update Both Your Old iPhone and Apple Watch
Before making any changes, it’s crucial to update the software on both your old iPhone and Apple Watch to the latest versions available. This ensures compatibility and a smoother transfer process.
- Update your old iPhone: Go to Settings > General > Software Update and install any available updates. This might take some time, so ensure your iPhone is connected to Wi-Fi and charging.
- Update your Apple Watch: Typically, your Apple Watch updates automatically when connected to your iPhone and charger. However, you can manually check by opening the Apple Watch app on your old iPhone, going to General > Software Update, and following the prompts.
It’s recommended to perform these updates well in advance of starting the pairing process, perhaps overnight, to avoid delays.
Alt text: iPhone 15 Pro screen shows the Software Update menu within General Settings, highlighting the availability of iOS updates.
Step 2: Verify Health Data Backup Settings
Your Health and Activity data is valuable. Ensure it’s properly backed up, especially if you are health-conscious.
- For iCloud Backup users: Navigate to Settings > [Your Name] > iCloud > Show All and confirm that Health is toggled on. This ensures your Health data is included in your iCloud backup.
- For Computer Backup users: If you prefer backing up to your computer, remember to encrypt your iPhone backup using iTunes or Finder. Encrypted backups are essential to save your sensitive Health and Activity data.
Note that Activity Sharing data is not backed up in iCloud.
Alt text: iCloud settings on an iPhone screen, emphasizing the Health data option is enabled for backup.
Step 3: Create a Backup of Your Old iPhone
Now, back up your old iPhone. This backup will also include your Apple Watch data, settings, and most importantly, allow you to restore it all to your new iPhone seamlessly.
- iCloud Backup: Go to Settings > [Your Name] > iCloud > iCloud Backup > Back Up Now. Ensure you are connected to Wi-Fi throughout the backup process.
- Computer Backup: Connect your old iPhone to your computer and use Finder (on macOS Catalina or later) or iTunes (on older macOS or Windows) to create a backup. It’s highly recommended to choose “Encrypt local backup” to save Health and Activity data.
Learn more about what is included in your iPhone backup.
Step 4: Set Up Your New iPhone and Restore from Backup
Power on your new iPhone and follow the on-screen instructions to set it up. When you reach the “Apps & Data” screen, choose “Restore from iCloud Backup” or “Restore from Mac or PC Backup”, depending on where you created your backup. Select the most recent backup of your old iPhone.
Ensure both your iPhone and Apple Watch are updated to the latest software versions. If not, the backup might not be visible in the restore options.
During the iPhone setup, you might be prompted to use your Apple Watch. If so, ensure your watch is unlocked and on your wrist and tap Continue. If you don’t see this prompt, don’t worry; you can manually pair your Apple Watch in the next step.
Alt text: iPhone setup screen showing the ‘Apps & Data’ transfer options, highlighting ‘Restore from iCloud Backup’.
Step 5: Pair Your Apple Watch with Your New iPhone
With your new iPhone set up and restored from your old iPhone’s backup, it’s time to pair your Apple Watch to your new phone.
- Open the Apple Watch app on your new iPhone.
- Keep your Apple Watch unlocked and nearby.
- If your iPhone prompts you to “Use your Apple Watch”, tap Continue and follow the on-screen prompts to complete the setup.
- If you see a “Start Pairing” message, it means your Apple Watch is still paired with your old iPhone. In this case, you’ll need to unpair your Apple Watch first before proceeding with pairing to the new iPhone. Then, you can set it up again.
After following these steps, your Apple Watch should be successfully paired with your new iPhone, and you can start enjoying all its features.
Scenario 2: Pairing Apple Watch with New iPhone Without Your Old iPhone
If you no longer have your old iPhone, or it has been erased, you can still pair your Apple Watch with your new iPhone, but the process is slightly different. This scenario will also guide you on how to pair Apple Watch to new phone when your old device is unavailable.
Step 1: Erase Your Apple Watch
Since you don’t have your old iPhone to unpair the watch, you need to erase your Apple Watch directly.
- On your Apple Watch, open the Settings app.
- Go to General > Reset > Erase All Content and Settings.
- Follow the on-screen prompts to erase your watch. You may need to enter your Apple Watch passcode.
This process unpairs your Apple Watch from your iCloud account and prepares it for pairing with a new iPhone.
Step 2: Set Up Your New iPhone
Set up your new iPhone as usual, and sign in with your Apple ID. If you have already set up your new iPhone, you can skip this step.
Step 3: Pair Your Apple Watch with Your New iPhone
- Open the Apple Watch app on your new iPhone.
- Bring your Apple Watch close to your new iPhone and follow the on-screen pairing instructions.
- When prompted, choose to Restore from Backup if you have a previous Apple Watch backup available (usually from iCloud). Select the most recent backup. If you don’t have a backup, you’ll need to set up your Apple Watch as new.
Important Note: Restoring from a backup is recommended to retain as much of your previous data and settings as possible. However, if you set up as new, you will lose Activity, Workouts, and settings changes made on your watch since the last backup. Health and Activity data is generally stored in iCloud if you use iOS 11 or later and are signed in with the same Apple ID across devices.
Step 4: Complete the Setup
Follow the remaining on-screen steps in the Apple Watch app to finish the pairing and setup process. Once completed, you can start using your Apple Watch with your new iPhone. It might take a few days for all your iCloud data to fully sync.
Troubleshooting Common Apple Watch Pairing Issues
Encountering problems while trying to pair your Apple Watch to new phone? Here are solutions to some common issues:
Apple Watch Pairing Not Complete
If you transferred data from your old iPhone to your new one, but the Apple Watch pairing didn’t finish:
- Open the Apple Watch app on your new iPhone.
- Go to the My Watch tab and tap All Watches. “Pairing Not Complete” should appear next to your Apple Watch.
- Ensure your Apple Watch is on your wrist and unlocked.
- Tap Finish Pairing to sync your Apple Watch content with your new iPhone.
Apple Watch Stuck on Apple Logo During Pairing
If your Apple Watch freezes on the Apple logo screen during pairing:
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Force restart your Apple Watch: Press and hold both the Digital Crown and the side button simultaneously until the Apple Watch restarts and you see the Apple logo again. Then release both buttons.
Alt text: Illustration showing how to force restart an Apple Watch by pressing and holding the Digital Crown and side button.
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After restart, firmly press the screen or press and hold the Digital Crown until the Reset option appears.
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Tap Reset.
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Once reset, you can pair your Apple Watch with your iPhone again. Bring your iPhone near your watch and follow the on-screen instructions.
iPhone Doesn’t Prompt to Use Apple Watch During Setup
If your iPhone setup didn’t ask about using your Apple Watch:
Unpair your Apple Watch from your old iPhone (if you have it), and then pair it with your new iPhone manually via the Apple Watch app. When pairing, choose to restore from an Apple Watch backup.
Missing Health and Activity Data After Transfer
- iCloud Users: If you use iCloud for Health data, ensure Health is enabled in iCloud settings on both your old and new iPhones (Settings > [Your Name] > iCloud > Health). Your data should sync automatically when connected to Wi-Fi and signed in to iCloud.
- Computer Backup Users: If you restored from a computer backup and Health data is missing, ensure you used an encrypted backup. If not, and you still have your old iPhone, create a new encrypted computer backup or an iCloud backup, then erase your new iPhone and restore it from this new backup. Remember to pair your Apple Watch again.
- No Old iPhone or Backup: Unfortunately, if you don’t have your old iPhone and didn’t create a backup, it’s impossible to recover your Health and Activity content.
Conclusion
Pairing your Apple Watch with a new iPhone is generally a simple process, especially if you have your old iPhone and follow these steps carefully. By understanding how to pair Apple Watch to new phone, you can ensure a smooth transition to your new device while keeping your valuable data and enjoying seamless Apple Watch functionality. Whether you have your old iPhone or not, this guide provides the necessary steps to get your Apple Watch up and running with your new iPhone.
