Here’s what you need
- Your Apple ID and password (so you can turn off Activation Lock)
- Your old and new iPhone both need to be connected to Wi-Fi
- Your Apple Watch and iPhone both need to be at least 50 per cent charged
- Your Apple Watch passcode
If you don’t have your old iPhone, you need to use different steps. Choose an option below.
If you have your old iPhone
Use these steps to back up your Apple Watch before pairing with your new iPhone.
Update your old iPhone
Before you switch your Apple Watch to a new iPhone, update your old iPhone to the newest version of iOS that’s available. You should also update your Apple Watch. It can take from several minutes up to an hour for the update process to be completed. You might want to update overnight or wait until you have time, and make sure that both of your devices are charged.
“ You may see that your iPhone is up to date on its current version, but there’s an update available. For example, even if your iPhone is up to date and running the latest version of iOS 14, there may be an option to update to iOS 15”
Check your Health and Activity settings
If you back up using iCloud, go to Settings > [your name] > iCloud and make sure that Health is on.
If you back up using your computer, encrypt your backup to save your Health and Activity content.
iCloud doesn’t store your Activity Sharing data.
Check your Health and Activity settings
If you back up using iCloud, go to Settings > [your name] > iCloud and make sure that Health is on.
If you back up using your computer, encrypt your backup to save your Health and Activity content.
iCloud doesn’t store your Activity Sharing data.
Set up your new iPhone
Set up your new iPhone. When asked if you have an iCloud or iTunes backup, choose your most recent backup to restore your data from your old device to your new device. Make sure that your iPhone and Apple Watch are up to date; if they aren’t, you might not see your backup in the list.
If your iPhone asks if you want to use your Apple Watch, make sure your watch is unlocked and on your wrist, then tap Continue. If it doesn’t ask, you can still set up your Apple Watch manually in the next step. Get help if your iPhone doesn’t ask if you want to use your Apple Watch.
Open the Apple Watch app on your new iPhone
Keep your Apple Watch unlocked and on your wrist with your iPhone nearby. Open the Apple Watch app on your iPhone.
If your iPhone asks you to confirm that you want to use your watch, follow the onscreen steps to finish setting up.
If your iPhone asks you to Start Pairing, unpair your Apple Watch so that you can set it up.
After setup, you can start using your Apple Watch with your new iPhone.
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159 comments
Can someone give me the simple version? I’m about to change my iPhone and don’t want to mess up my Watch 😂.
What’s the biggest mistake people make when moving an Apple Watch to a new iPhone?
So basically: update, backup, restore, then pair?
I didn’t know computer backups needed encryption for Health data.
The Health backup section was the part I nearly skipped.
This guide is way better than randomly pressing buttons and hoping for the best 😂.
I followed the guide and it actually worked first time!
Best advice: DON’T erase your old phone too early 😂.
My Apple Watch has been paired with my old iPhone for years. I’m nervous about moving it.
Can I use an old backup if it’s the only one I have?
What if my backup is from three months ago?
I didn’t realise my iPhone backup was so important for my Watch.
My old phone screen is smashed but I have a backup.
My old iPhone is broken but still turns on. Can I use it?
Do I need to keep my old iPhone and new iPhone next to each other?
I started the process at midnight and regret it 😂.
My Watch update is stuck. Should I force restart it?
I live somewhere with slow Wi-Fi. Will this take ages?
Can I do this using mobile data instead?
Do I have to be connected to Wi-Fi the whole time?
Restarting didn’t work. Now what?
My Watch says pairing failed. What should I do?
I thought restoring my iPhone backup would automatically do everything.
My new iPhone restored everything except the Watch. I’m annoyed.
Can someone else pair my Watch if they don’t know my Apple ID?
I keep getting asked for my Apple ID. Is something wrong?
My Watch says it’s locked. What does that mean?
What happens if I don’t have the Watch passcode?
Do I need to reset my Watch before changing iPhones?”
My wife has an Apple Watch too. Can both watches use the same iPhone?
I have two iPhones. Which one should my Watch connect to?
Can I pair the same Apple Watch with two iPhones?
This is why I hate changing phones. Something always goes missing.
Why wasn’t my Activity Sharing data restored?
My steps disappeared after moving to the new iPhone!
I don’t care about Activity Sharing. I just want my steps.
I forgot to back up before unpairing. 😭
My new iPhone says Start Pairing even though the Watch was already paired.
I already erased my old iPhone. Am I screwed?
Can I give my old iPhone to someone else before transferring my Watch?
I thought my Watch was broken because the new phone didn’t recognise it.
My Watch wasn’t on my wrist and it still wouldn’t continue.
Why does Apple make you keep the Watch unlocked?
I started the update when I was leaving for work. BIG mistake 😂.
My update took almost an hour. I thought my Watch was dead.
Why do I need to update everything before pairing? That’s ridiculous.
I changed phones before and didn’t have to do all this.
Apple makes this way too complicated. Why can’t I just move the Watch with one button?
I’m scared to unpair it because I might lose everything.
That’s understandable. Make sure your old iPhone has been backed up properly before unpairing. The backup is an important part of protecting your information.
I restarted both devices and suddenly it worked 😂
Sometimes the classic restart really does save the day. 😂
My Watch is nearby but it still won’t connect.
Try keeping the Watch and iPhone very close together, ensure the Watch is unlocked, and reopen the Apple Watch app.
Do I need Bluetooth turned on?
My Watch battery drops really fast. Should I wait until it’s fully charged?
You don’t necessarily need 100%, but the guide recommends at least 50% charge on both devices. I’d start with more battery rather than less.
Can I transfer the Watch while it’s charging?
The guide focuses on having enough battery and keeping the devices ready for the transfer. If you’re concerned about battery life, keeping the devices charged is sensible.
My Watch is asking for a password I don’t remember.
It may be your Apple Watch passcode or Apple ID credentials. Check which one it’s requesting before entering anything.
Everything is updated but my backup still isn’t showing.
Check that you’re signed into the correct Apple ID and that the backup actually completed. Also make sure you’re connected to Wi-Fi.
My new iPhone doesn’t show my old backup.
The guide notes that your iPhone and Apple Watch should be up to date; otherwise, you might not see your backup in the list.
I prefer computer backups because I don’t trust cloud storage.
That’s a personal preference, and computer backups are a valid option. Just remember the encryption requirement mentioned in the guide if you want to preserve Health and Activity content.
Can I transfer everything using a computer instead of iCloud?
Yes. The article discusses computer backups as an alternative to iCloud and specifically mentions encrypting the backup for Health and Activity content.
My old phone is almost full. Can I still make a backup?
You may need to check your available iCloud or computer storage. Make sure the backup completes successfully before you start changing the Watch over.
Do I need to back up the new iPhone first?
Does restoring the iPhone backup restore the Apple Watch too?
The process described in the article uses your recent iCloud or computer backup while setting up the new iPhone, followed by setting up the Watch with the new phone.
My Watch has all my fitness history. I really don’t want to lose it.
Then definitely check your Health and Activity backup settings before moving to the new phone. That’s one of the most important parts of the process.
I forgot my Apple Watch passcode. Can I still pair it?
You’ll need to resolve the passcode issue before completing the normal setup process. Don’t guess repeatedly—check Apple’s current recovery/reset instructions.
What is Activation Lock?
Activation Lock is an Apple security feature associated with your Apple ID. That’s one reason the Apple ID and password are important when transferring your Watch.
I got a new iPhone but my Watch still thinks the old phone is its owner.
That’s usually because the Watch hasn’t been transferred or unpaired properly. Follow the old-iPhone backup and new-iPhone setup process.
Can I just pair the Watch directly without backing up?
You can start a new setup, but if you want to preserve your existing Watch information, backing up first is the safer approach.
It says Start Pairing. What now?
According to the guide, if the new iPhone asks you to Start Pairing, you need to unpair the Apple Watch before setting it up again.
My Watch is unlocked but my iPhone isn’t detecting it.
Keep the devices close together and open the Apple Watch app on the new iPhone. Also check that Bluetooth and Wi-Fi are working normally.
Can I keep the Watch on the table instead?
For the setup step described in the guide, keeping it unlocked and on your wrist is recommended. I’d follow that rather than changing the process unnecessarily.
Does the Watch need to be on my wrist during setup?
The guide recommends keeping the Watch unlocked and on your wrist with the iPhone nearby when using the Apple Watch app.
Where do I find the Apple Watch app?
Open the Apple Watch app on your new iPhone while keeping the Watch unlocked and nearby.
My phone didn’t ask about my Apple Watch. Did I mess something up?
My phone didn’t ask about my Apple Watch. Did I mess something up?
Not necessarily. The guide says you can still manually set up your Apple Watch through the Apple Watch app.
My new iPhone asks if I want to use my Apple Watch. What should I press?
If your Watch is unlocked and on your wrist, follow the onscreen instructions and tap Continue when prompted.
When should I set up the new iPhone?
After preparing and backing up the old device, set up your new iPhone and restore it from your most recent iCloud or computer backup.
I didn’t know my Apple Watch data could be affected by backup settings.
Yeah, it’s easy to overlook. That’s why checking your Health and Activity backup settings before changing phones is a smart idea.
Why does the computer backup need to be encrypted?
According to the guide, encryption is needed to save Health and Activity content in the backup.
I use computer backups instead of iCloud. Can I still transfer my Watch?
Yes. The guide says that if you’re backing up with a computer, you should encrypt the backup to preserve Health and Activity content.
Where do I check if Health is turned on in iCloud?
Go to Settings > your name > iCloud and check that Health is enabled.
Will I lose my Apple Watch data when I change iPhones?
You shouldn’t if you follow the backup and transfer process properly. The guide specifically explains backing up the Watch and restoring your iPhone from the appropriate backup.
Do I need to update the Apple Watch too?
Yes. The guide recommends updating both your old iPhone and Apple Watch before transferring to the new iPhone.
Can I update everything overnight?
The update is taking forever. Is my Watch broken?
Not necessarily. Updates can take several minutes or even up to around an hour according to the guide. It’s better to wait rather than interrupt the process.
My iPhone says it’s already up to date, but then it shows another update. What??
That can happen when a newer iOS version is available even though your phone is current on the version it’s running. Check for the latest available update before starting the transfer.
Should I update my old iPhone before transferring the Watch?
Don’t panic. You can still set up the Watch with your new iPhone, but you’ll need to follow the steps for when you don’t have the old iPhone.
I traded in my old iPhone already and now I have my Apple Watch 😭.
Do I really need the old iPhone?
If you still have it, the transfer process is easier because you can back up the Watch and move your information to the new device. If you don’t have the old iPhone, Apple provides a different setup process.
Do both iPhones need Wi-Fi?
Yes, the guide says both the old and new iPhone should be connected to Wi-Fi.
My Apple Watch is only 30% charged. Can I still do it?
I’d charge it first. The guide recommends having both the iPhone and Apple Watch at least 50% charged before starting.
Why do I need my Apple ID password for this?”
It’s needed for things such as Activation Lock and signing into your Apple account during the transfer. So don’t start the process if you’ve forgotten your password.
What do I need before pairing my Apple Watch with a new iPhone?
You’ll need your Apple ID and password, Wi-Fi on the relevant devices, your Apple Watch passcode, and enough battery on both the Watch and iPhone. The article recommends having both devices at least 50% charged.
I just bought a new iPhone. Do I have to reset my Apple Watch?
Not necessarily. If you still have your old iPhone, you can back up your Watch and transfer it to the new iPhone. Follow the setup process carefully before unpairing anything.
An excellent and easy-to-follow guide on how to pair your Apple Watch with a new iPhone. The instructions are clear and practical, making the setup process simple even for beginners.
A great step-by-step guide for pairing an Apple Watch with a new iPhone. The instructions are simple, clear, and useful for anyone who wants to transfer their Apple Watch to a new device without confusion.
Pairing an Apple Watch with a new iPhone is a simple process that helps users continue enjoying their connected experience. How can smart devices make everyday tasks more convenient and efficient
A helpful guide that makes pairing an Apple Watch with a new iPhone simple and easy to follow.
Easy steps to connect Apple Watch with a new iPhone
📱 Easy steps to connect your Apple Watch with a new iPhone
⌚ A simple guide that makes pairing an Apple Watch with a new iPhone much easier.
A practical guide that makes the Apple Watch pairing process much easier to understand. The step-by-step instructions are especially helpful when moving to a new iPhone.
A clear guide that makes switching an Apple Watch to a new iPhone simple.
A simple and practical guide. The backup and Health data tips are especially useful when switching to a new iPhone.
What should users check before transferring an Apple Watch to a new iPhone???????
⌚ Great guide! What is the easiest way to transfer an Apple Watch to a new iPhone without losing important health data?
Do you recommend setting up the new iPhone first before transferring the Apple Watch?
🍎 This guide is really helpful for anyone upgrading their iPhone. Moving an Apple Watch to a new device can feel confusing, but clear steps make the process much easier.👍
Would you prefer an automatic pairing process or more manual control when setting up a new device
How easy is the process of moving an Apple Watch to a new iPhone for first-time users? 🤔
How does Apple Watch data transfer to iPhone
Should wearable devices like the Apple Watch become completely independent from smartphones in the future? ? ? ?
What is the fastest and safest way to pair an Apple Watch with a new iPhone without losing data?
📲 Can I pair my Apple Watch to a new iPhone if I no longer have my old iPhone
Will I lose my Health and Activity data when pairing my Apple Watch with a new iPhone
Is the backup system for Apple Watch data reliable enough, or do users still risk losing health/activity data during transfer
Do I need to unpair it from my old iPhone first, or can it be transferred automatically during iPhone setup?
What steps are required to unpair an Apple Watch before connecting it to a new iPhone
Pairing your Apple Watch with a new iPhone is a simple process that helps you quickly sync your data, apps, and settings so you can continue using your watch without interruption.
Great guide! ⌚