Connect Bluetooth headset to watch & iPhone simultaneously?

Question

Level 1

24 points

Connect Bluetooth headset to watch & iPhone simultaneously?

Is this true or is there a way to connect a Bluetooth device to the Apple Watch and iPhone Simultaneously?

To my understanding:

Currently the apple watch can not stream phone conversations directly to Bluetooth. And the Speakers are literally worthless under normal background sounds.

If you connect a Bluetooth headset to the apple watch, currently it can only play music (Force touch to change source) stored on the Watch internal memory. If you get a phone call and you answer it on the apple watch it will only play on the watch speakers (which is impossible to hear in with background noise) and the only way to get it to play on your Bluetooth headset is by pulling out your phone and going to settings > Bluetooth and selecting the device and wait about 3 seconds for it to automatically disconnect from watch and connect to the phone.

SO, If I want to use my Bluetooth headset to have a phone conversation I have to pull out my iPhone every time to either answer the call or manually switch the headset to the iPhone (if I was currently connected to the apple watch) which ruins the point of the Apple Watch.

Is this true? is there a work around? if not how do you manage to get around this flaw?

Apple Watch, watchOS 1.0.1

Posted on Jun 25, 2015 3:53 PM

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Answer 1

Jul 1, 2015 1:44 PM in response to 0itouch_man0

The simple solution is to use the button on your bluetooth headset device to answer the call. Answering calls on the watch is more just to impress your nearby friends; not really practically useful as there is a delay and the volume in minimal.

I feel the taps that someone is calling, phone in my pocket on vibrate, look at my wrist and see who it is, then answer with my BT headset. Boom done.

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Answer 2

Sep 4, 2015 6:37 PM in response to 0itouch_man0

i don't about other iPhones but my iPhone 6plus is capable of keeping my watch connected while I have a Bluetooth headset paired with my phone! This way I can play a music from my iPhone and control it from my watch and even answer calls on my headset! I found it easier this way that pairing the headset directly with my watch witch is useless unless you have musics stored on your watch!

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Answer 3

Lola5881

Level 1

19 points

Jul 1, 2015 6:42 AM in response to 0itouch_man0

On the watch where the call rings, if you slide up it gives you an option to "answer on my iphone". Wouldn't the most elegant solution just be to pair the bluetooth with the iPhone so that any call answered on the watch through iPhone goes to the bluetooth headset when you choose "answer on my iphone"?

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Answer 4

Jonathan UK

Level 10

164,015 points

Oct 20, 2017 8:45 AM in response to 0itouch_man0

Hi

Since your question was posted, Apple has released various products that connect to both Apple Watch and iPhone at the same time, with sound switching automatically between them as required:

AirPods:

BeatsX Earphones:

Buy BeatsX In-Ear Headphones - Apple

Powerbeats3 Wireless Earphones:

Powerbeats3 Wireless Earphones - Neighborhood Collection - Brick Red - Apple

Beats Studio3 Wireless Over-Ear Headphones:

Beats Studio3 Wireless Over-Ear Headphones - Shadow Grey - Apple

Beats Solo3 Wireless On-Ear Headphones:

Beats Solo3 Wireless On-Ear Headphones - Neighborhood Collection - Break Blue - AppleBB

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Answer 5

0itouch_man0 Author

Level 1

24 points

Jun 25, 2015 7:20 PM in response to Lawrence Finch

The problem with "just connecting it to the phone" is if you answer the phone call through the smart watch the watch speakers will play the audio not the headset if you want to switch to headset you got to pull out your phone and doesn't that ruin the entire concept of the smart watch?

I must be the only person using a headset and a apple watch I can't believe nobody else is reporting this problem!

edit: a future firmware update needs to be able to change audio source to headset (connect to iPhone) by just force touching while in the phone app. This will allow a seamless transfer from the watch speakers to the headset connected to the phone.

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Answer 6

Feb 7, 2017 7:49 PM in response to crashCart

crashCart wrote:

This is a great question. I have an AppleWatch S2 and am wasting money buying BT devices that it won't sync with. I mean literally I follow these steps with NO resolution

1. Put Headphones in pair mode

2. Go to setting on watch and select Bluetooth and I see the headphones.

3. I tap pair ...

4. Cycling dots to show processing

5. Please be sure to turn Bluetooth device on and put in in pair mode

6. Waste hours reading threads that are filled with people who don't know the answer to the question telling me not to use the device as intended.

I want to use my watch during workouts where I don't have my phone with me. Fewer distractions. This is how it was intended to work. I have used BT 3.0 to BT 4.1 with NO success.

I'm not entirely clear why your responding to me. I think you'd get more assistance if you started your own thread as your problem is not the same as the subject of this thread which is how to pair a BT headset to an Apple Watch and an iPhone at the same time. That question has been answered: you can't. It sounds as if you're having trouble pairing a headset to your Apple Watch.

I'd suggest you review this support article:

Use Bluetooth accessories with your Apple Watch - Apple Support

If that doesn't help, start your own thread with subject line that describes your problem.

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Answer 7

Jun 26, 2015 1:12 AM in response to 0itouch_man0

Don't answer the call using the watch. Instead push the button on the headset. Just about all headsets work this way. Many even accept voice commands. My Q3, for example I can just say "answer".

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Answer 8

Jun 25, 2015 4:30 PM in response to 0itouch_man0

Some BT headsets can pair to more than one device. My BlueAnt Q3 can. I have paired it to two phones at the same time. I've never tried pairing it to both the watch and the phone as I have no music on my watch.

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Answer 9

0itouch_man0 Author

Level 1

24 points

Jun 25, 2015 4:51 PM in response to IdrisSeabright

Yes, its called Multi-Point the HSB-900 by LG has it but while it will connects 2 phones it will not connect a iPhone and a Apple Watch at the same time. Being connected to one device and switching to the other will disconnect the previous connection automatically and then connect to the new connection, The process only takes about 3-5 seconds but I fell it ruins the point of having a Apple Watch.

This might just be a issue with LG, I'm hopping ill get a reply by other users that have either a work around or a device that allows the two.

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Answer 10

0itouch_man0 Author

Level 1

24 points

Jun 25, 2015 4:53 PM in response to IdrisSeabright

"I've never tried pairing it to both the watch and the phone as I have no music on my watch."

For me that is not the reason I want it. I would like to be able to answer a phone call through my apple watch and have the audio play on my headset instead of the watch speakers.

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Answer 11

Jun 25, 2015 9:28 PM in response to 0itouch_man0

I used a beats blue tooth headset and operated it with my watch while I played music (nice combo!). I had the problem you described when I had a wired headset plugged into my phone and I answered with my watch. I then had the call on my watch speaker instead of my headset. I hadn't figured out either yet and an answer to your question would help me too.

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Answer 12

0itouch_man0 Author

Level 1

24 points

Jul 1, 2015 1:34 PM in response to Lola5881

Just tested this out. When I touch "Answer on my iPhone" it does t actually answer my iPhone instead it accepts the call and makes a sonar sound that only the other person hears and it requires you to pull out your iPhone and manually accept the call.

If I tell my watch to "Answer on my iPhone" then why does it force me to pull out my iPhone to accept the call?

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Answer 13

Jul 1, 2015 9:22 PM in response to 0itouch_man0

I really hope Apple updates the firmware to enable using 2 at the same time (if that is indeed what the solution is). It's easy to answer calls but initiating a call via the Watch would be handy. I suppose the (hopefully temporary) work-around is to use the headphone's mic and command Siri to place the call.

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Answer 14

Jul 2, 2015 6:30 AM in response to garage band guitar

What you are asking is technologically impossible. A Bluetooth hands-free device can only connect to one audio source at a time. It's a limitation of the Bluetooth standard and the way it is implemented.

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Answer 15

Jul 2, 2015 7:47 AM in response to garage band guitar

Check your headset's capabilities. My Q3 can make calls by voice command, so I don't need to touch my watch or my phone to make or receive calls. And I generally don't. I just double-press the phone's button, which wakes Siri, and say "Call John Doe" - as long as the name is in my contacts. And if it isn't I can say "dial 123-456-7890"

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