How to Pair Apple Watch to New Phone (Complete Guide) 2023

Oskar Fällman

Updated on:

Apple watch laying on iphone

When you are getting a new phone you will need to unpair your Apple Watch from the old one and back up its data. It’s an easy process to unpair and pair an Apple Watch with your iPhone. We’ll cover the steps to unpair your Apple Watch from your original device and how to connect your Apple Watch to a new phone.

Before you start you will need some information, have both devices charged and also be connected to a Wi-Fi network.

Here’s what you need before starting the pairing process

  • Your Apple ID and password
  • The old and new iPhones both need to be connected to Wi-Fi
  • The Apple Watch and iPhone both need to be at least 50% charged
  • The Apple Watch passcode (if you have lost it follow these steps)

Note: If you don’t have your old iPhone, you need to follow the steps below

How do I pair my Apple Watch to my new iPhone without erasing data?

If you have your old iPhone at hand, the first step is to backup all data before you start pairing the Apple Watch to the new phone. Use these steps to back up your Apple Watch before pairing it with your new iPhone.

  1. Make sure that both your Apple Watch to a new iPhone is updated to the latest version of iOS that’s available.
    • Note: it’s important to also update the Apple Watch.
  2. To back up to iCloud, go to Settings >> [your name] >> iCloud and make sure that Health is activated.
  3. Make sure that the phone is connected to a Wi-Fi network.
  4. Go to Settings >> [your name] >>  iCloud.
  5. Navigate to iCloud Backup.
  6. Tap Back Up Now to start the process
    • Note: stay connected to your Wi-Fi network until the process ends.

The next step is to pair the watch to the new Phone and restore your Apple Watch from an iCloud Apple Watch backup you just uploaded.

  1. Connect your Apple Watch and the new Phone to power and place them next to each other.
  2. Make sure that the new Phone is set up before continuing with the following steps. 
  3. To pair the Watch with your new Phone, open the Watch app on your iPhone.
  4. Tap Start Pairing.
    • Note: make sure the watch and phone are close together and connected to the same Wi-Fi
  5. When the pairing is finished you will be asked to Restore from Backup.
  6. Finished
iphone apple watch

What to Do If You Don’t Have Your Old iPhone

The Apple Watch will be paired with your old phone and needs to be reset before it can be paired with the new device. Here is how to perform a reset it to factory settings and then how to pair the Watch to your new iPhone:

  1. First, you need to erase all content and settings on the Apple Watch. Go to Settings >> General >> Reset >> Erase All Content and Settings
  2. Follow the on-screen instructions to erase and reset the watch.
  3. Make sure that the new Phone is set up before continuing with the following steps. 
  4. To pair the Watch with your new Phone open the Watch app on your iPhone.
  5. Tap Start Pairing.
    • Note: make sure the watch and phone are close together and connected to the same Wi-Fi
  6. When the pairing is finished you will be asked, if possible, to Restore from Backup.

How do I pair an already paired Apple Watch?

If you have the passcode to the Apple Watch you first reset the watch from the Settings (Settings >> General >> Reset >> Erase All Content and Settings.) The watch is now ready to be paired with another phone. If you have forgotten the passcode follow the steps below.

Reset Apple Watch if you don’t know its passcode

If you have forgotten the passcode to your Apple Watch then the only way is to reset the watch. Keep in mind that the watch is still protected by your Apple ID and the password that you used to set it up. Here is how to reset an Apple Watch.

  1. First, put the Apple Watch on its charger.
  2. While on the charger, press and hold the side button until you see Power Off.
  3. Press and hold the Digital Crown to enter the menu and then press Reset.
  4. The Apple Watch will reset and when finished can be paired again. 
Reset Apple Watch

Troubleshooting

Here is a short list of some of the most common issues you could encounter while pairing the Apple Watch to your phone.

Why won’t my Apple Watch pair to my new phone?

If the Apple Watch isn’t pairing with your phone follow these steps to fix the connection.

  1. Make sure both devices have Wi-Fi and Bluetooth enabled and are in the range of each other. 
  2. Resetting the network settings and restarting both the Apple Watch and Phone sometimes fixes the connection issues.

If your Apple Watch is stuck while pairing

If your Apple Watch gets stuck while pairing and has a black screen that shows the white Apple logo, follow these steps to fix the issue:

  1. Simultaneously press the side button and the Digital Crown until your watch restarts. 
  2. Release both the side button and the Digital Crown 
  3. After your watch restarts, firmly press the screen or press and hold the Digital Crown to enter the menu.
  4. Tap Reset.

After your watch resets, you can pair it with your iPhone. Bring your iPhone near your watch, then follow the on-screen instructions. For more instructions read the section above.

About Oskar Fällman

Oskar Fällman, founder of FallmanTech, is a seasoned Onewheel rider and a visionary system engineer with a master's in Industrial Management and Engineering from Lunds University. With thousands of miles under his belt, Oskar combines technical expertise with a passion for technology and innovation. As a leader in the Onewheel community, he not only rides Onewheel's but also prioritizes safety, new innovations and the growth of the sport. As a system engineer he also holds a multiple patents and innovations. LinkedIn, Academia profile, Contact, Twitter, Patents.