HT205025: If your Apple Watch isn't connected or paired with your iPhone

Learn about If your Apple Watch isn't connected or paired with your iPhone
youbraham

Q: Need to recover pictures in my apple watch

I lost my Iphone and do not have a backup. how can I recover the pictures still in my apple watch to the new Iphone I just purchased

Apple Watch, iOS 9.3.5

Posted on Sep 16, 2016 10:02 AM

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Q: Need to recover pictures in my apple watch

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  • by KiltedTim,

    KiltedTim KiltedTim Sep 16, 2016 10:06 AM in response to youbraham
    Level 9 (55,537 points)
    Mac OS X
    Sep 16, 2016 10:06 AM in response to youbraham

    You don't.

  • by Jonathan UK,

    Jonathan UK Jonathan UK Sep 16, 2016 10:27 AM in response to youbraham
    Level 7 (33,939 points)
    Apple Watch
    Sep 16, 2016 10:27 AM in response to youbraham

    I'm afraid that is not possible.

     

    Photos can only be synced to Apple Watch from the paired iPhone. They cannot be synced in the other direction or otherwise exported from your watch.

     

    Even if this had been possible, the photos that are stored on your watch have been automatically resized to smaller pixel dimensions, for display on the watch's smaller screen.

     

    The best that you could do is to take photos (using your iPhone) of the photos on your watch.

  • by Jonathan UK,

    Jonathan UK Jonathan UK Sep 16, 2016 10:28 AM in response to youbraham
    Level 7 (33,939 points)
    Apple Watch
    Sep 16, 2016 10:28 AM in response to youbraham

    Also, as you have since bought a new iPhone, your watch is not paired with it.

     

    When you are ready to do so, before being able to pair your watch to your new iPhone, you will first need to erase your watch manually:

     

    • On your watch: when viewing the time, go to the Home screen (via a single press of the Digital Crown) > Settings (cog icon) > General > Reset > Erase all Content and Settings.
    • And then pair your watch by following the standard process:
  • by léonie,

    léonie léonie Sep 16, 2016 10:45 AM in response to Jonathan UK
    Level 10 (106,876 points)
    iLife
    Sep 16, 2016 10:45 AM in response to Jonathan UK
    The best that you could do is to take photos (using your iPhone) of the photos on your watch.

     

    Jonathan, would it be possible to take screenshots of the photos while browsing the album the photos on the watch? the quality would be better than iPhone photos. What I am not sure about is if it is possible to take and save screenshots while the watch is not paired with an iPhone. Pairing will probably erase the stored photos album, or will it?

  • by Jonathan UK,

    Jonathan UK Jonathan UK Sep 16, 2016 10:54 AM in response to léonie
    Level 7 (33,939 points)
    Apple Watch
    Sep 16, 2016 10:54 AM in response to léonie

    léonie wrote:

     

    .. would it be possible to take screenshots of the photos while browsing the album the photos on the watch? the quality would be better than iPhone photos. What I am not sure about is if it is possible to take and save screenshots while the watch is not paired with an iPhone. Pairing will probably erase the stored photos album, or will it?

     

    Hi léonie

     

    No, that is not possible. The screenshots would not be saved to the iPhone (as there is no paired iPhone).

     

    All content and settings on the watch will be lost when it is erased.

  • by léonie,

    léonie léonie Sep 16, 2016 10:54 AM in response to Jonathan UK
    Level 10 (106,876 points)
    iLife
    Sep 16, 2016 10:54 AM in response to Jonathan UK

    Thank you, Jonathan!