5 ways to fix your Apple Watch and iPhone when they aren’t connecting
- If your Apple Watch isn’t pairing, you’ll see a red iPhone icon or red X on your watch face.
- Moving your devices closer together or restarting them can resolve your issue.
- If all else fails, reset your Apple Watch and try re-pairing it to your iPhone.
When your Apple Watch isn’t paired to your iPhone, the number of features it has decreases dramatically.
Sure, you can still record a workout and check the time, but you won’t get any notifications, messages, or calls on your watch.
The good news is that — in most cases — Apple Watch pairing issues can be fixed in a matter of minutes. Just follow the steps outlined below to reconnect your devices.
Mục Lục
1. Move your iPhone closer to your Apple Watch
There’s a chance your phone is simply too far away from your Apple Watch, or that it’s in a bag or drawer that is blocking a clear signal.
Because the watch and phone pair via Bluetooth, proximity is key. So, get them closer together and see if that alleviates the issue.
When the devices are connected, the iPhone icon in the Apple Watch Control Center is green.
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2. Check the settings on both devices
If your phone has Wi-Fi or Bluetooth turned off — or if either of your devices are in Airplane Mode — they won’t be able to pair. Make sure all settings are set properly to facilitate the connection.
On the iPhone, you can quickly check this in the Control Center. Swipe down from the top-right corner of your screen and ensure Bluetooth and Wi-Fi are on (the icons will be blue) and Airplane Mode is off (the icon will be gray). On the Apple Watch, swipe up from the bottom of the screen to open the Control Center.
The Wi-Fi and Airplane Mode icons look the same in the Apple Watch’s Control Center.
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3. Turn your devices off and on again
There’s no doubt that you’ve heard this tech troubleshooting tip before, but it’s a popular one for a reason.
To turn off your iPhone, hold down the side lock button and volume up buttons until the slide to power off toggle appears. Slide the power button to turn the phone off. Hold the side button until the Apple logo appears to turn the phone back on.
You can shut down your Apple Watch by holding down the side button (not the crown) and then swiping the power off slider. Press and hold the side button to turn the watch back on.
Try these tips if you want to force quit or close out apps on your Apple Watch.
You’ll need to enter your passcode once your Apple Watch restarts.
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4. Reset your Apple Watch
If you’ve followed all of the previous steps and you’re still having issues, it’s time to reset that watch. This fix should resolve the pairing issue, but it will wipe saved data off the watch, so you should back it up before doing so.
In the watch’s Settings app, choose General, then Reset, then Erase All Content and Settings.
Erasing an Apple Watch and re-pairing it with your iPhone will take a few minutes, so only try this method if you’ve already ruled out everything else.
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5. Unpair your iPhone and Apple Watch, then pair them again
In the Watch app on your iPhone, tap All Watches, the information button next to your Apple Watch, then Unpair Apple Watch.
You can also access the Find My feature in this menu.
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Now everything should be just like new, and you’ll be able to pair your Apple Watch and iPhone.
Quick tip: For more information on how to pair an Apple Watch with your iPhone, check out our guide.
Steven John is a freelance writer living near New York City by way of 12 years in Los Angeles, four in Boston, and the first 18 near DC. When not writing or spending time with his wife and kids, he can occasionally be found climbing mountains. His writing is spread across the web, and his books can be found at www.stevenjohnbooks.com
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Abigail Abesamis Demarest is a contributing writer for Insider based in New York. She loves a good glazed donut and nerdy deep dives into the science of food and how it’s made.
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