Cannot pair Apple Watch Series 8 to my iPhone 8 Plus

Question

Level 1

14 points

Cannot pair Apple Watch Series 8 to my iPhone 8 Plus

My brother-in-law gave me his Apple Watch Series 8. It was paired previously with his iPhone 16 Pro Max. He already un-paired it before giving it to me.

Based on Apple Support webpage, Apple Watch Series 8 is compatible with iPhone 8 or later and IOS 16 or later.

The problem is I cannot pair it to me iPhone 8 Plus.

Is there a solution to my problem? Upgrading to a new iPhone is not an option due to budget reason. :)

Thank you in advance on your feedback.

iPhone 8 Plus, iOS 16

Posted on Sep 3, 2025 7:13 PM

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Answer 1

Rudegar

Level 10

180,804 points

Sep 3, 2025 11:36 PM in response to areleich

it's never about the watch model, it's the version of watchOS it's running

iphone 8 can't run higher than

Current: iOS 16.7.11, released March 31, 2025[2]

iPhone 8 - Wikipedia

so if the watch is running watchOS 10 or higher you will not be able to use it with your phone

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Answer 2

Rudegar

Level 10

180,804 points

Sep 4, 2025 12:43 AM in response to areleich

they can't be downgraded

apple watch 8 was shipped with watchOS 9.0

and can be upgraded to latest watchos 11

if you wish to use the watch then you need to replace your iphone 8 with a newer model that support ios 18.X

iPhone models compatible with iOS 18 - Apple Support

if it was me who were in the market of getting a new one then I would make sure that it support the upcomming ios26 also Which iPhones Can Run iOS26? Check Out the Full List of Compatible Devices - CNET

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Answer 3

areleich Author

Level 1

14 points

Sep 4, 2025 12:33 AM in response to areleich

thank you.

my Apple Watch is Series 8 probably running WatchOS 10 at least.

I think I need to downgrade to WatchOS 9 which support Watch Series 8 and required iPhone 8 or later.

The problem is I don't know how to do it. Please help if you know the step-by-step procedure.

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Answer 4

areleich Author

Level 1

14 points

Sep 4, 2025 12:08 AM in response to Rudegar

thank you.

my Apple Watch is Series 8.

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Answer 5

areleich Author

Level 1

14 points

Sep 4, 2025 12:49 AM in response to Rudegar

thank you. if I factory reset my Apple Watch 8, will it go back to WatchOS 9.0?

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Answer 6

Rudegar

Level 10

180,804 points

Sep 4, 2025 2:26 AM in response to areleich

no, nothing can get it back.

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