Pairing your Apple Watch with a new iPhone is relatively straightforward, but it requires following certain steps to ensure a smooth data migration and proper device connection. Here is a basic guide to the steps:
Preparation
Ensure your Apple Watch is at least running watchOS 6.2 or higher. If your Apple Watch is on an earlier system version, you’ll need to first pair it with your old iPhone and update the system.
Install the latest version of iOS on your new iPhone. This ensures compatibility between the two devices.
Back up your old iPhone. Use iCloud or iTunes to back up your old iPhone, ensuring all data (including Apple Watch health and activity data) is safely stored.
Make sure your Apple Watch and old iPhone are at least partially charged, ideally fully charged.
Start Pairing
Open the Apple Watch app on your new iPhone. If this is your first time using it, you’ll need to sign in with your Apple ID.
Place your Apple Watch near your new iPhone to start the pairing mode. You can restart your watch by pressing and holding the side button until you see the Apple logo.
On the iPhone, you should see a prompt asking you to use the iPhone’s camera to scan the animation displayed on the Apple Watch. If the camera can’t capture it, you can choose to pair manually and follow the instructions on the screen.
Choose to Restore from Backup. During the pairing process, choose to restore from an iCloud or iTunes backup to ensure your health and activity data is not lost.
Wait for the pairing and restoration process to complete. This may take some time, depending on the size of your backup and network speed.
Complete Setup
Finish setting up your Apple Watch. During the pairing process, you might need to configure some basic watch settings, such as language, region, and whether to enable route tracking, etc.
Check and update apps. Ensure all apps on your new iPhone are updated to their latest versions, especially those you plan to use on your Apple Watch.
Test connection and synchronization. After completing the pairing and setup, try sending a test message or using another feature to confirm the connection and synchronization between the two devices are working properly.
By following these steps, you should be able to smoothly pair your Apple Watch with your new iPhone without losing any important data. If you encounter any issues during the pairing process, consider restarting your devices or check Apple’s support documentation for help.
