How to pair and use an Apple Watch with your Android phone

The Apple Watch is probably one of, if not the best, smartwatches on the market. The best Android-compatible smartwatches aren’t too far behind, and now more than ever, give the Apple Watch a run for its money. However, the polished design and seamless connectivity between the Apple Watch and Apple’s ecosystem make it stand out. You’re also locked into the Apple ecosystem if you want to use the device.

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Well, at least that’s what Apple wants you to think. In reality, you can use the Apple Watch independently of an iPhone, so you can still have an Apple Watch on your wrist while rocking an Android. Here’s everything you need to do to operate your Apple Watch without an iPhone.

Fair warning: Your Apple Watch will lose some functionality

An Apple Watch Ultra and Apple Watch Series 8 next to each other with the same watch face

While you can pair your Apple Watch with an Android phone, you will lose out on a lot of the Watch’s functionality. The Apple Watch is designed to sync with an iPhone, so certain apps may not work right (or at all) while using the Watch with an Android device.

iMessages work fine when sent from the watch, but SMS messages tend to fail. However, you should be fine if you message using an app like Telegram. You can still use the Apple Watch’s fitness and health monitoring apps, but they won’t sync with your Android device. If you’re set on using an Apple Watch on Android, there is only one workaround.

What will I need to make my Apple Watch work on Android?

SIM cards next to the SIM tray sitting next to a Zenfone 8

You will need a few things to make the two devices work together. First, you need an iPhone (at least an iPhone 6) and a cellular Apple Watch. You will want the cellular model to make and receive phone calls and text messages independently of your iPhone. You’ll also need to transfer your SIM card into an iPhone during the initial steps.

If you have an iPhone 13 or an older iPhone, you need a SIM card tool to take out and transfer the physical SIM card between your devices. You’ll need to make sure your Android phone and iPhone use the same sized physical SIM card. All modern iPhones and most modern Android phones use a nano SIM card, but not all Android phones do. Some Android devices may use a micro SIM card. If you want to use an iPhone 14, you’ll need to use a virtual eSIM card on your Android phone that you can transfer to the iPhone.

The moral of the story here is to check the SIM card compatibility before continuing.

How to set up an Apple Watch to work with an Android phone

An Apple Watch Ultra on a wrist with a colorful watch face showing

Once you have all the items you need, follow these steps:

  1. Pair your Apple Watch with your iPhone. This step is necessary to connect the device with your phone number and download any apps you want on the Apple Watch.
  2. Make sure your SIM card is in the iPhone before turning on the Apple Watch.
  3. Turn on both devices and hold them near each other, then a new pairing screen appears. You can also go to the Watch app and select Pair New Watch.
  4. Select Set Up for Myself.

    2 Images

    The home screen of an iPhone with the Watch app highlighted with a red box around it The Start Pairing screen in the Apple Watch app on an iPhone

  5. A swirling blue circle appears on the Apple Watch, and the Viewfinder camera opens on your iPhone. Center the phone over the device so that the Viewfinder captures the image, and the devices begin syncing.
  6. Select Get to Know Your Watch to learn more about how the watch works and select apps.

    2 Images

    An Apple Watch being positioned within the frame to pair it in the Apple Watch app Manually setting up an Apple Watch through the Apple Watch app using a 6 digit pairing code

  7. Turn off all of your devices.
  8. Transfer your SIM card from the iPhone to the Android phone.
  9. Turn on your Android device and let it connect to your cellular network, then turn on the Apple Watch.

At this point, your Apple Watch should be able to receive calls and send messages, even though your primary number is now connected to an Android device. Your Apple Watch and Android phone aren’t connected, but you can use the watch’s basic functions without an iPhone. If you have trouble with messaging or phone calls, you may need to re-pair the device with your iPhone and update it.

A Wear OS smartwatch will serve you better

If you’re set on using an Apple Watch with an Android device, it is possible. Setting it up is tedious, and you lose most of the Apple Watch’s functionality, but you can make it happen. If you want the full-fledged smartwatch experience with your Android device, give the Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 or the Google Pixel Watch a try. Once you decide on your watch, check out these tips and tricks to make the most of your WearOS experience.

Google Pixel Watch

Google Pixel Watch

We’ve been waiting for Google to make a watch for the better part of a decade, and the Google Pixel Watch has finally arrived. The first Android smartwatch with Fitbit health tracking, the Pixel Watch aims to help you stay fit or get fit easily, while Wear OS 3.5 brings us Google’s vision for a wearable UI and exclusive Wear OS apps for Google services like Google Home.

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