Can I use my Apple Watch on another Apple phone?

Will I be able to use my Apple Watch on a different Apple phone?

iPhone XR, iOS 16

Posted on Mar 12, 2023 6:20 AM

Reply
Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Posted on Mar 14, 2023 9:53 AM

Hey there JGE56,


Yes you can. Here’s how:


Here's what you need
* Your Apple ID and password (so you can turn off Activation Lock)
* Your old and new iPhone both need to be connected to Wi-Fi
* Your Apple Watch and iPhone both need to be at least 50 percent charged
* Your Apple Watch passcode (get help if you forgot your passcode)
If you don't have your old iPhone, you need to use different steps. Choose an option below. 
* If you have your old iPhone
* If you don't have your old iPhone
If you have your old iPhone
Use these steps to back up your Apple Watch before pairing with your new iPhone. 

Update your old iPhone
Before you switch your Apple Watch to a new iPhone, update your old iPhone to the newest version of iOS that's available.* You should also update your Apple Watch. It could take from several minutes to an hour for the updates to complete. You might want to update overnight or wait until you have time, and make sure that both of your devices are charged.
* You might see that your iPhone is up to date on its current version, and there's an update available. For example, even if your iPhone is up to date on the latest version of iOS 14, there might be an option to update to iOS 15.
 
iPhone showing Apple Watch software update availableCheck your Health and Activity settings
If you back up using iCloud, go to Settings > [your name] > iCloud and make sure that Health is on.
If you back up using your computer, encrypt your backup to save your Health and Activity content.
iCloud doesn't store your Activity Sharing data.
 
iPhone showing iCloud settings

Back up your old iPhone
Use these steps to back up your old iPhone in iCloud or on your computer. Your iPhone also backs up your Apple Watch. Learn what's backed up
 
Set up your new iPhone
Set up your new iPhone. When asked if you have an iCloud or iTunes backup, choose your most recent backup to restore your data from your old device to your new device. Make sure that your iPhone and Apple Watch are up to date; if they aren't, you might not see your backup in the list. 
If your iPhone asks if you want to use your Apple Watch, tap Continue. If it doesn't ask, you can still set up your Apple Watch manually in the next step. Get help if your iPhone doesn't ask if you want to use your Apple Watch.
 
iPhone showing Apps & Data setup screen

Open the Apple Watch app on your new iPhone
Keep your Apple Watch and iPhone close together. Open the Apple Watch app on your iPhone.
If your iPhone asks you to confirm that you want to use your watch, follow the onscreen steps to finish setting up.
If your iPhone asks you to Start Pairing, unpair your Apple Watch so that you can set it up
After setup, you can start using your Apple Watch with your new iPhone. 


You can read more here:


How to pair your Apple Watch with a new iPhone - Apple Support


Take care.


1 reply
Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Mar 14, 2023 9:53 AM in response to JGE56

Hey there JGE56,


Yes you can. Here’s how:


Here's what you need
* Your Apple ID and password (so you can turn off Activation Lock)
* Your old and new iPhone both need to be connected to Wi-Fi
* Your Apple Watch and iPhone both need to be at least 50 percent charged
* Your Apple Watch passcode (get help if you forgot your passcode)
If you don't have your old iPhone, you need to use different steps. Choose an option below. 
* If you have your old iPhone
* If you don't have your old iPhone
If you have your old iPhone
Use these steps to back up your Apple Watch before pairing with your new iPhone. 

Update your old iPhone
Before you switch your Apple Watch to a new iPhone, update your old iPhone to the newest version of iOS that's available.* You should also update your Apple Watch. It could take from several minutes to an hour for the updates to complete. You might want to update overnight or wait until you have time, and make sure that both of your devices are charged.
* You might see that your iPhone is up to date on its current version, and there's an update available. For example, even if your iPhone is up to date on the latest version of iOS 14, there might be an option to update to iOS 15.
 
iPhone showing Apple Watch software update availableCheck your Health and Activity settings
If you back up using iCloud, go to Settings > [your name] > iCloud and make sure that Health is on.
If you back up using your computer, encrypt your backup to save your Health and Activity content.
iCloud doesn't store your Activity Sharing data.
 
iPhone showing iCloud settings

Back up your old iPhone
Use these steps to back up your old iPhone in iCloud or on your computer. Your iPhone also backs up your Apple Watch. Learn what's backed up
 
Set up your new iPhone
Set up your new iPhone. When asked if you have an iCloud or iTunes backup, choose your most recent backup to restore your data from your old device to your new device. Make sure that your iPhone and Apple Watch are up to date; if they aren't, you might not see your backup in the list. 
If your iPhone asks if you want to use your Apple Watch, tap Continue. If it doesn't ask, you can still set up your Apple Watch manually in the next step. Get help if your iPhone doesn't ask if you want to use your Apple Watch.
 
iPhone showing Apps & Data setup screen

Open the Apple Watch app on your new iPhone
Keep your Apple Watch and iPhone close together. Open the Apple Watch app on your iPhone.
If your iPhone asks you to confirm that you want to use your watch, follow the onscreen steps to finish setting up.
If your iPhone asks you to Start Pairing, unpair your Apple Watch so that you can set it up
After setup, you can start using your Apple Watch with your new iPhone. 


You can read more here:


How to pair your Apple Watch with a new iPhone - Apple Support


Take care.


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