Apple Watch pairing guide: Set up for the first time or to a new iPhone

If you’re connecting a new Apple Watch to your iPhone for the first time or re-pairing after a factory reset, understanding how to pair them is crucial.

Below, we’ve covered all the scenarios you may encounter when pairing the Apple Watch.

We’ve listed basic instructions for pairing new Apple Watch devices and slightly more in-depth follow-along instructions for those pairing to a new iPhone or requiring manual pairing.

Check out our other Apple Watch guides for more information.

Before you begin pairing your Apple Watch

Pairing mode on the Apple Watch will be prompted automatically when an unassigned device is detected near your iPhone. However, you’ll have to ensure three things are complete before pairing the Apple Watch.

The first requirement is that the iPhone you’ll use to pair the smartwatch is running the latest software. At the time of writing, that’s watchOS 26 and iOS 26.

The second is that the iPhone and Apple Watch are compatible with each other. For example, the current-gen Apple Watch Series 11, SE 3, and Ultra 3 require at least an iPhone 11 and iOS 26 or later to be installed on it. 

Lastly, make sure Bluetooth is enabled on the iPhone and that it’s close to the Apple Watch.

How to pair your Apple Watch

If you know the three requirements listed above are met, you can turn on your Apple Watch and begin. 

To pair, follow these instructions:

1. Start by putting the Apple Watch on your wrist and turning it on.
2. Next, hold the iPhone near your Apple Watch and wait for the pairing screen to appear.
3. After tapping ‘Continue’, then select ‘Set Up for Myself’.
4. When asked, position the iPhone so the Apple Watch appears in the viewfinder in the app. 
5. The pairing should now be complete, and you can move on to setting up the watch.

Pair your Apple Watch to a new iPhone

If you’ve lost or perhaps just upgraded to a new iPhone, pairing the Apple Watch with it is pretty simple.

To do so, you’ll need to make sure that you have your Apple Account details at the ready. Also, check that both devices can connect to the same Wi-Fi network, are at least 50% charged, and that you remember any Apple Watch passcode previously assigned to it.

It’s also important to note that the steps differ depending on whether you still have access to your old device.

If you still have your old iPhone

1. Update your old iPhone and the Apple Watch to the latest software.
2. Back up your old iPhone and go to the My Watch tab in the iPhone’s Watch app to unpair your selected device.
3. Begin setting up the new iPhone.
4. Open the Apple Watch app on your new iPhone and follow the pairing steps outlined above – you’ll likely want to restore from backup if picking up on a new iPhone.

• Tip: To ensure your Health data syncs across to the Apple Watch, it must be turned on in Settings > Your Name > iCloud > Health

If you don’t have your old iPhone

1. Erase data from the Apple Watch, as outlined in the section above.
2. Set up your iPhone and sign into iCloud, then open the Watch app and pair your device with the new iPhone.
3. Attempt to restore from backup after you’ve updated the software on both devices. You’ll lose Activity, Workouts, and Settings changes on the watch that occurred between your backups.
4. Follow the on-screen setups and finish setting up the Apple Watch on the new iPhone. Apple states that you might have to wait a few days for all your iCloud data to appear.

Manual Apple Watch pairing

We’ve personally experienced the odd incident of pairing older Apple Watch devices where the iPhone didn’t recognize the space animation on the Apple Watch and, thus, didn’t pair.

In this instance, you can tap ‘Pair Manually’. This puts the Apple Watch into Bluetooth pairing mode, and the iPhone will search for its Bluetooth ID.

You can then pair using a six-digit security code, which is displayed on the Apple Watch.