With its latest iPhone 13, Apple is also set to launch the new watch – Apple Watch 7. As you need to pair an Apple Watch with an iPhone to operate, you will have to pair your new gadget to your smartphone before you can start the exchange of information. So, If you are considering upgrading your smartwatch here’s how you can connect it to your phone.
But, how do you pair an Apple Watch? How do you connect it to your phone? How do you unpair it too? We’ve put together this guide for all those questions and more.
How to pair your Apple Watch – iPhone pairing (using iOS 12)
Before getting started there are a few things to make sure:
– Your watch has at least 50% battery life before starting the process;
– Your iPhone has at least 50% battery life;
– Bluetooth is on in both devices;
– Both devices are close to each other.
With these requisites taken care of, below are the steps to pair the two gadgets together.
Step 1: Erase your existing Apple Watch
In order to set up a new watch, you will need first to erase the old one. Therefore, first, you have to set up a new iPhone with your current iCloud info. You will also need a backup from the old device.
Does that sound too convoluted? Don’t worry! Let me explain.
When you first pair an iPhone with an Apple watch, all the information of the Watch is backed up and stored on the smartphone. In case you don’t have the backup, you will have to set up the watch as a new device.
However, if you have used your Apple watch before, you will have to erase it first. To do this, follow this navigation path on the Apple’s Watch:
Settings > General > Reset > Erase all Content and Settings
If you have a password on your watch, you will need to enter it.
Pro Tip: Whenever you are resetting your watch, don’t forget to keep the same plan with your current carrier.
Once the old watch has been erased, it’s time to pair the new model.
Step 2: Install Apple’s Watch app
Open the Watch app on your paired iPhone
– Make sure you have already downloaded and installed the latest version of Apple’s Watch app from the App Store.
– If not, navigate to My Watch > General > Software Update and download/install it before pairing your watch with your phone.
Step 3: Pair the Two
Touch your current watch at the top of the screen and select how you want to pair a new one (if you’re replacing an old device) or set it up for the first time (if this is a brand new watch). Select ‘Start Pairing’ if using a new Apple Watch; alternatively, choose ‘Restore from Backup’ if replacing an older device. This will allow you to keep all previous settings and data from your previous Apple Watch.
Touch the ‘i’ button to go into more information about pairing a watch with an iPhone. You should see ‘Pair Apple Watch Manually’, which you’ll need to select later on in the process.
If you’re replacing an old device, continue through this menu until you get to the option called Reset all settings. This means that when you pair your new watch with your iPhone, it will keep all of its previous settings and won’t have a factory reset…which is what we want! Tap on it so you can select ‘Reset’.
Step 4: The final Connect
After that’s done, open up Control Centre by swiping up from the bottom of your screen. You should see the ‘Connect’ button, which looks like two arrows directing towards each other. Tap on it and you’ll be taken to the Watch app for pairing your new Apple Watch with iPhone 7/Plus/XS/XR etc…
If this is not your first watch or you are setting up a new one, select Set Up as New Apple Watch, and you are done. Wait a few moments as the OS will pair the two devices together. Congratulations, you have successfully paired the Apple watch.
Unpairing an old Apple Watch
If you are replacing a device, follow the steps below:
Step 1: Open up the ‘Watch’ app on your paired iPhone. Make sure you have already downloaded and installed the latest version of the Apple’s Watch app from the App Store before starting this process.
Step 2: Select your Apple Watch from the My Watch tab at the bottom of the app. You will see a new button next to it called ‘i’, which you need to press.
Step 3: There are a few options here, but we’re going to press ‘Unpair Apple Watch’ , which is in big bold letters and the easiest way to go about removing your old Apple Watch from your paired iPhone.
NOTE: You must have the latest versions of both your iPhone and Apple’s Watch app from the App Store installed for this process to work properly. If done incorrectly, it may cause problems with syncing email, updates, apps, etc…
Step 4: After selecting ‘Unpair Apple Watch’, choose ‘Delete All Data’ since we want to start over fresh. This way if there were any issues with How to unpair an old Apple Watch, we can re-pair and start over from scratch.
Congratulations, you have successfully unpaired Apple Watch.
Final Thoughts
Once you are done with pairing your Apple Watch with an iPhone, you will then be able to take full advantage of all the excellent features available. This whole pairing (and unpairing) process is pretty easy if you are connecting a new Apple watch to an old iPhone. However, if you are new, the whole process may take some time. But, hey! Apple’s gadgets come with exciting features. They are worth exploring, anyway!
