The Apple Watch is robust in design, versatile with rich features, and optimized for performance. Explore its full potential and I doubt you’ll ever want to buy a smartwatch from a different brand. But can you use an Apple Watch with an Android phone?
You can’t pair and use an Apple Watch with Android. Apple locks its smartwatches into its ecosystem, which means they aren’t as versatile when it comes to cross device compatibility. If you want to own an Apple Watch, you must get an iPhone too.
But there’s a caveat.
While Apple has made you believe that its smartwatches can work only within its ecosystem, it’s possible to do your setup in a way that allows you to use the watch with Android.
In this guide, I show you exactly how to do that set up, so you can have your Apple Watch working seamlessly with an Android smartphone.
Key Takeaways
Honestly, connecting an Apple Watch to an Android phone is going to take some elbow grease. But first, make sure you meet the following requirements:
- Your iPhone must be running on iOS 6 or later.
- The Apple Watch must support cellular networks.
- Your iPhone’s SIM card should fit in your Android phone without force.
- Ensure your Android phone, iPhone, and Apple Watch is not in locked state.
How to Set Up and Use Your Apple Watch with an Android Phone
Let me make one thing clear:
There’s no mobile app designed to connect your Apple Watch to an Android smartphone. So if you’ve had a thought in this direction, you’ve mistakenly considered an option that won’t suffice.
Instead, here’s what you need to get this to work:
- An iPhone
- A cellular Apple Watch
- Your SIM card (for the initial set up process)
- A SIM tool
Now, here’s how you can set up your Apple Watch to work with your Android phone:
- Start by turning off your Apple Watch
- Insert the SIM card in your iPhone and then turn on the Apple Watch and the iPhone.
- Connect the Apple Watch to your iPhone.
- Again, turn off the Apple Watch and the iPhone.
- Use the SIM tool to remove the SIM card from the iPhone and insert the card in your Android smartphone.
- Turn on the Android phone, give it a few minutes to connect to the cellular network, and then turn on the Apple Watch.
And that’s it.
Why it’s a Bad Idea to Connect Apple Watch to an Android Phone
Here are some of the disadvantages of connecting your Apple Watch to an Android phone:
1. You’ll Experience Poor Battery Life
Here’s the thing:
Connecting your Apple Watch to an Android ecosystem might seem interesting at first, but you’re going to sacrifice battery life for this.
Why?
Because, once connected to the Android phone, the Apple Watch will use the LTE connection, which is a technology known to drain Apple Watch battery fast.
I would rather you stick to the Apple’s ecosystem rather than having to spend too much of your time close to a wall charger.
2. You Miss Important Notifications
If you decide to connect your Apple Watch to your Android phone, you won’t receive important notifications such as incoming calls, reminders, and messages from apps.
And even though the Apple Watch will still be able to monitor your health and fitness, there’s no way you’re going to sync the data to the Android device.
What Works Well When You Connect Apple Watch to Android Phone
Here are some of the features that you’ll still have access to if you ever device to use your Apple Watch with an Android smartphone:
1. Receive Calls and Messages
Even with your SIM card now inserted in your Android smartphone, you should still be able to receive calls and reply to messages from your Apple Watch.
Keep in mind that your Android device isn’t in synchronization with the Apple Watch. In fact, the two are 100% incompatible.
However, it’s still possible to get the basics done without necessarily needing an iPhone.
2. Use the GPS System Independently
The built-in GPS system is one of the technologies on the Apple Watch that works independent of the iPhone.
You can use it to track total distance covered during an exercise or to map routes and track locations.
3. Listen to Spotify Music
From Pandora Radio and Amazon Music to Apple Music and Spotify, you do get more than enough music apps that can work with your Apple Watch without your iPhone.
And Spotify is always on top of the list, mostly because of its popularity.
Even if you set up your Apple Watch on your Android smartphone, you will still be able to connect to Spotify and listen to your favorite tunes.
4. Connect to External Sound Device
You can actually connect wireless devices such as Airpods, Airpods Pro, and any other Bluetooth headset to your Apple Watch.
Remember, you cannot listen to music on your Apple Watch unless you connect wireless earbuds or headphones for audio output.
This is one of the examples where your Apple Watch needs Bluetooth to be active all the time.
5. Track Your Health and Fitness Metrics
One thing that stands out to me about Apple Watch is how it doubles down as a health and fitness tracker.
And it works independent of the iPhone.
For example, the device can count calories burned, monitor your ECG at rest, check your blood oxygen level, and track your sleep in three stages.
The only problem is you can’t get these metrics on the Android phone.
Closing Thoughts
Do I recommend using an Apple Watch with an Android phone?
Well, I DON’T.
But you can go down that road if you want to, particularly if you’re so curious that you can’t resist the urge to run the test.
While you can use your Apple Watch with an Android smartphone, you’re going to do so at the expense of some functionalities.
For example:
- You won’t use the watch to send quick replies to texts.
- Your Apple Watch will track your health and fitness, but you can’t sync the data to an Android device.
- It’s impossible to ping your Apple Watch with the Android device.
Given just how much you’re leaving on the table, it just might be pointless trying to connect an Apple Watch to an ecosystem never built for it in the first place.
But then that’s just how I look at it.
