8 Best Fixes For iPhone Won’t Pair With Apple Watch Issue

Apple Watch connects with your iPhone device through Bluetooth and Wi-Fi networks. So, the core issues lie within these two connections. And that makes your Watch unable to pair with the iPhone device. In this article, you will find some straightforward and advanced troubleshooting solutions. You can fix this issue with the help of these tips.

8 Solutions To Fix The Issue: iPhone Won’t Pair With Apple Watch

Below a list of all solutions is written in the form of an index:

1. Ensure That The Airplane Mode Is Turned Off
2. Make Sure That The Bluetooth Is Turned On
3. Make Sure The Software Is Kept Up-To-Date
4. Restart The Bluetooth On Your iPhone.
5. Unpair Your Apple Watch Then Pair It Again
6. Restart Both The Apple Watch And iPhone
7. Reset Network Settings
8. Factory Reset Your Apple Watch

1. Ensure That The Airplane Mode Is Turned Off

Airplane Mode is the most effective way to cut off all external communications(including WiFi & Bluetooth) on your device. So if your iPhone’s Airplane Mode is enabled, then the connection between your device and Apple Watch will not be successful.

• First, open the Control Center of your iPhone.
• If the Airplane Mode is turned off, then the airplane icon will be Grey. Otherwise, it will show an orange-colored icon.

• To turn off the Airplane Mode, tap on the option once. 

After you have checked your iPhone device, then it is time to check the same for your Apple Watch.

• On the Apple Watch screen, swipe up from the bottom of the watch screen face. It will open your Apple Watch’s Control Center.
• The color status of On/Off is similar t your iPhone, i.e gray indicates Airplane Mode turned off, and orange for turned On.

2. Make Sure That The Bluetooth Is Turned On

You have to make sure that your iPhone’s Bluetooth is turned On. You can do this by swiping down from the top of the screen. The Bluetooth icon will be blue when it is enabled. Or, directly go to Settings-> Bluetooth section to confirm this. 

• Open the Settings on your iPhone.
• Go to Settings-> Bluetooth.

• Check if the button beside the Bluetooth option is grey. If it is, then the Bluetooth is turned off. 
• Tap on the button. It will turn green if the Bluetooth is turned On.

• Try to disconnect all the connected devices. It can be done by tapping on the info(“i”) icon beside the device name, then clicking the Disconnect button.
• When all Bluetooth devices are disconnected, try to connect to your Apple Watch again.

3. Make Sure The Software Is Kept Up-To-Date

Sometimes the underlying operating software(iOS) is not up-to-date, which keeps your Apple Watch from pairing with the iPhone. In this situation, you need to perform a software update for both devices.

Update Your iPhone From The Settings App

• First, connect your iPhone device to the charger. Then connect it to a WiFi network.
• Open the Settings app.
• Tap On General and navigate to Software Update.
• Check for any latest download available online. If it is, then download and install it.

• Tap on the Install Now icon.

Update Your Apple Watch OS

• Connect your Watch to a WiFi network.
• Open the Watch app on your iPhone.
• Navigate to General-> Software Update.
• In case the latest update is available for your WatchOS. Then tap on the Download & Install option.

4. Restart The Bluetooth On Your iPhone.

Some users have reported the feasibility of this solution. Restarting the Bluetooth can solve most of the minor problems that arise when you try to pair the Apple Watch with your iPhone. 

• Open the Settings app on your iPhone device.
• Tap on Bluetooth.
• Tap the button beside the Bluetooth option. It will turn grey when turned off.

Now restart your iPhone device.

• Press and hold the volume button(any one of the two) and the side button. Release it after the slider appears on the screen. 
• Slide the power off button. 

5. Unpair Your Apple Watch Then Pair It Again

• Open the Apple Watch app on your iPhone device.
• Tap on the My Watches option. You can find it at the bottom of the screen, in the leftmost corner.
• Choose the information button (“i” icon) beside the already paired Apple Watch.
• Tap Unpair Apple Watch. A prompt will ask you to confirm the unpairing of the Apple Watch. Confirm it by tapping on the Unpair option.
• Enter your Apple ID password to verify.

Now that you have unpaired the Watch and your iPhone. Try to pair them again, in the same way as you did the pairing when unpackaged for the first time. Also, if you find that the Apple Watch pairs first, then unpair automatically during setup. Force Restart your iPhone. Then start the pairing process all over again. For iPhone 8, SE(2nd generation), X, Xs, Xr, 11, 12, and 13 models.

• Press and quickly release the volume up button.
• Press and quickly release the volume down button.
• Press and hold the side button until the Apple Logo appears.

6. Restart Both The Apple Watch And iPhone

Restarting a device can fix most of the minor faults. In a similar case, you can try restarting both your iPhone device and Apple Watch.

• Press and hold the side button and any one of the volume buttons.
• Release it after the Power off slider appears on the screen.
• Slide the red Power icon, and your device will shut down.
• Now power On your iPhone again.

For Apple Watch, you can follow the steps similarly.

• Press and hold the side button until the power off slider appears on the watch face.
• Slide the power icon from left to right to power off your Apple watch.

7. Reset Network Settings

Resetting your iPhone’s network settings will restore all of the network settings(Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, VPN, APN) to their factory defaults. So, if your Apple Watch doesn’t pair with your iPhone. Try resetting the network settings, and start the pairing process again. Also, make a backup of your Wi-Fi password and other login details of your VPN.

• Open the Settings app on your iPhone device.
• Navigate to General-> Reset.
• Tap on the Reset network settings option.

• Enter the passcode for verification. After that, the reset process will start, and your device will power off.

8. Factory Reset Your Apple Watch

Factory Reset through Apple Watch

• On your Apple Watch, open the Setting menu.
• Tap on General, then choose the Reset option.
• Tap on the option “Erase all Content and Settings”.
• The Watch will prompt you to enter the Passcode. 
• Note that you will have two choices if your Watch has an active cellular plan: Erase all and Erase all & Keep Plan. 

Factory Reset Through Your iPhone Device

• Tap on the Apple Watch app on your iPhone.
• Select My Watch, then g to General-> Reset.
• Tap Erase Apple Content and Settings.
• Enter the passcode for verification.

Suppose You’re Unable To Access Settings On Your Apple Watch(Or, Forgotten Your Passcode)

• Connect your Watch to the charger.
• Press and hold the power button or side button until the Power Off option appears on the screen.
• Press and hold the Digital Crown.
• Then, Tap on the Reset option.

Why Can’t I Pair My Apple Watch With New iPhone?

Are you unsuccessful in your attempt to pair your new iPhone with your Apple Watch? Let’s look into different situations and solutions which will help you fix this issue.

If You Still Have Your Old iPhone

• Update your old iPhone. Also, update your Apple Watch. This will take time, ranging from a few minutes to an hour.
• If you make a backup of your iPhone using iCloud. Then make sure the Health feature is enabled. 
• Back up your old iPhone into your computer or on iCloud. This also backs up your Watch data.
• Set up your new iPhone device. Select the recent backup data when asked. After that, a prompt appears asking you if you want to pair it with Apple Watch. If not, then you have to pair your Watch manually.
• Launch the My Watch app on your iPhone. Follow the on-screen instructions and complete the pairing process.

If You Don’t Have Your Old iPhone Or You Have Erased It

• Erase all contents and settings on your Apple Watch.
• Set up your new iPhone and sign in to your iCloud account. Ignore this step if you have already set up your new iPhone.
• Launch the My watch app on your iPhone and pair it with the Apple Watch.
• Try to restore the most recent backup from iCloud or iTunes. Make sure that both the iPhone and watch are up-to-date. Otherwise, you might not see the most recent backup on the list.

If You Don’t Have Your Old iPhone And Didn’t Erase It

• Unpair your Watch from your old iPhone.
• If you set up your new iPhone and restore the most recent backup. Then pair your devices. 
• Or, if you restore backup data which is somewhat old. Then erase your new iPhone and transfer the contents from your old iPhone. Then pair your devices.

Conclusion

There may be problems regarding the pairing of your iPhone and Apple watch. This may happen due to issues with Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connections. You can try implementing the above solutions and fix this issue. 

Frequently Asked Questions(FAQs)