Unable to pair Apple Watch after a reset

Reset your watch:

- On your watch, go to the Home screen (via a single press on the Digital Crown) > Settings (cog icon) > General > Reset > Erase all Content and Settings.

Then re-pair your watch using the Watch app, choosing to Restore from Backup when offered the option:

Set up your Apple Watch - Apple Support

Hi

Please clarify your watch's status, both according to your watch and according to your iPhone. For example:

Watch

Is your watch still operational, but just disconnected?

Do you still have access to the watch face and other functions, but with a disconnected status icon shown at the top of the watch face when viewing the time?

Or is it unpaired - and asks you to choose a language when you turn it on?

iPhone

In the Watch app, go to: My Watch:

- Is your watch shown at the top of the My Watch screen?

- If you tap on it and then tap on the "i" icon next to your watch on the next screen, does the subsequent screen state "Paired" above the watch's name?

Also

In your question, you say "It was not finding my iPhone". Please clarify what you mean by this.

Once you have re-paired your watch, keep in mind for future reference that Bluetooth disconnections can be normal, happening whenever the paired iPhone becomes unavailable (for example, if it is turned off or too far away).

When this happens - and if your watch is also unable to connect to a known Wi-Fi network as a fallback - your watch will display the Disconnected status icon at the top of the watch face:

Whenever this happens, your watch and iPhone should reconnect automatically a short while after being brought close together again.

If they do not reconnect automatically, do not unpair your watch. Instead, try keeping your iPhone and Apple Watch close by each other and follow these steps until they do reconnect:

• Check that both Bluetooth and Wi-Fi are enabled on your iPhone:

  It may help to toggle Bluetooth off and on again on your iPhone (Settings > Bluetooth).

• Check that Airplane Mode is not enabled on your watch:
  • When viewing the time on your watch, swipe up on the watch face > swipe left / right to the Settings Glance.

    If the Settings Glance already states Connected and the symbol at the upper-right corner is a green phone symbol, then your watch is already connected to your iPhone via Bluetooth.

  • If your watch is not connected and Airplane Mode is turned on, tap the button to turn it off.
  • It may otherwise help to toggle Airplane Mode on and off again.
• Restart both devices, turning both off together, then restarting your iPhone first.

For the best performance from your watch, keep both Bluetooth and Wi-Fi permanently enabled on your iPhone.

shanaber wrote:

.. It was not finding my phone so I unpaired it. ..

After having re-paired your watch, note that, in order to check the connection status of your watch in future, do not go to the Home screen > Settings > Bluetooth on your watch.

That setting is where you would tell the watch to search for and pair with additional Bluetooth devices (such as a headset). It is normal for the paired iPhone not to be listed there and it is also normal for the screen to report "searching".

Instead, go to the Settings Glance: when viewing the time on your watch face, swipe up on the screen > swipe left / right to the Settings Glance.

• If this states Connected and shows a green phone symbol, then your watch is connected to your iPhone via Bluetooth.
• If it states Connected with a green cloud symbol, then your watch is disconnected from your iPhone via Bluetooth, but has instead connected (as a fallback) to a known Wi-Fi network.
• If it states Disconnected, your watch is neither connected via Bluetooth nor connected to a Wi-Fi network. The symbol at the upper-right corner will be a red phone with a line through it - and the same icon will be shown on the top of the watch face.
  • Follow the steps in my previous reply to address this.
  • Even when they are disconnected, your iPhone and watch still remain paired - so it not necessary to unpair or re-pair the devices.
• When done, swipe down again to exit Glances and return to the watch face.

This has happened to me too. What I did was delete the apple watch of my iPhone and reset the apple watch to factory settings. Then pair them again and you should be golden. If not feel free to join back and ask more. 🙂