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9 Steps to Pair And Set Up Your Apple Watch With iPhone

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In this guide, I share exactly how to set up an Apple Watch, step-by-step.

The configuration steps are so easy to follow that it took me no more than 40 minutes, with a bit of patience and a few taps, to get my Series 8 up and running.

Whether you want to pair and set up a new Apple Watch for the first time, you want to reconfigure the same model after a reset, or you want to synchronize the smartwatch to a new phone, the process is pretty much the same.

How Do I Set Up an Apple Watch With iPhone?

Follow the steps below to pair any Apple Watch with your iPhone: 

Step 1: Charge Your Apple Watch

The first step is to charge your Apple Watch after unboxing if you haven’t done so already.

Although the watch comes with some battery life out of the box, it’s best to charge the device before you set it up for the first. You can charge the lithium-ion battery to 100%. However, 80% of battery life is good enough to get you through set up and configuration.

The charging duration depends on the Apple Watch model that you have, with the estimate time to reach 80% being between 45 and 60 minutes.

Alternatively, you can set up your Apple Watch while it’s charging because the process takes 60 minutes to 2 hours.

Step 2: Pair the Watch to Your iPhone

Long press the side button under the Digital Crown until the Apple logo appears on the screen. Bring your iPhone closer to the watch so that they’re in range. Then, open the Watch app and tap Start Pairing.

start pairing

Select Set Up for Myself. Hold your Apple Watch up to the camera such that it aligns with your iPhone’s viewfinder. Wait for about 5 seconds for the Apple Watch to pair.

pair apple watch for self

If you want to connect an Apple Watch for someone else to your iPhone, see my complete guide to Family Setup.

Step 3: Choose Your Set Up Option

The next screen presents you with two options. You can set up the smartwatch as a new Apple Watch or restore from backup.

Select restore from backup option if you previously used an Apple Watch with your current iPhone. Using backed up data is also the best option if you had unpaired your Apple Watch and want to use it with the same iPhone. 

set up as new apple watch

Otherwise, choose Set Up as New Apple Watch if you’re pairing for the first time.

Step 4: Choose Wrist Preference

For wrist preference, choose whether you’d like to wear your Apple Watch on your left or right hand.

personalized wrist experience apple watch

Later on, you can change the wrist and Digital Crown orientation for a more personalized fit, not to mention to ensure system features, such as Wake on Wrist Raise, work optimally.

Tap Continue, read and agree with the Terms and Conditions presented on the screen, and move on the next step.

Step 5: Create a Passcode

A passcode is one of the Apple Watch security features build into watchOS 11. The passcode automatically locks your watch when you take it off to keep your data safe. If set, you’ll need to enter this passcode to unlock the watch.

apple watch passcode

You have three options here. You can set a four-digit passcode, create a long passcode, or continue without one.

Keep in mind that you must set a passcode if you intend to use Apple Wallet with your Apple Watch wherever Apple Pay is accepted.

Step 6: Configure Your Reading Experience

The next screen asks you to choose your reading experience in terms of text size and style. Decide whether you want to bold text, increase or reduce the text size, or both.

apple watch reading experience

Alternatively, you can use the default settings or skip this step to set up your reading experience later in the Watch app.

Step 7: Personalize Fitness and Health

Here’s where you enter your birth date, sex, height, and weight.

set up profile information

Your Apple Watch uses this information to ensure your health and fitness metrics are as accurate as possible.

Step 8: Enable Health Notifications

Watch app has noise, cardio fitness, low heart rate, and high heart rate notifications active by default.

health alerts apple watch

You can toggle one or all of these options off or leave them as they’re. If you enable health notifications, your Apple Watch will alert you instantly about abnormal cardio fitness, heart rate, and noise levels.

On the next screen, the Watch app shows you the safety features designed to help you in the event of an emergency. These include Emergency SOS, Fall Detection, Crash Detection, and Backtrack.

safety screen apple watch

Step 8: Wait

It takes a couple of minutes for watchOS to save settings you’ve configured so far and sign into your Apple Watch account on iPhone.

Be patient for the set up process to complete.

Step 9: Set Up Apple Pay Or Skip for Later

The final screen asks you to add cards to Apple Pay on Apple Watch so you can make secure, contactless payments using NFC.

Again, you have the option to set up this later in the Watch app.

apple pay on watch

Note that Apple Pay isn’t in every country yet, so you may or may not see this option depending on your where you come from.

How Do I Set Up Cellular for My Apple Watch?

You can set up cellular when you pair the smartwatch initially or later in the Watch app on your iPhone.

This works only for a cellular Apple Watch. Once you set up mobile service, you’ll continue to make and receive calls and access apps using mobile data when your iPhone is off or isn’t nearby.

Keep in mind that you’ll need an active data plan from a carrier of your choice to use an Apple Watch independent of your iPhone.

Can I Pair an Apple Watch With Android?

No, you can’t use an Apple Watch with Android phones. Apple locks all its smartwatches into iOS and watchOS ecosystems, meaning they’re not as versatile when it comes to compatibility with other operating systems.

You need to get an iPhone first if you want to use an Apple Watch.

Photo of author

Michael Jonathan

Michael Jonathan is the brainchild of Apelo Studio. He loves talking about wearable devices, and he is passionate about helping you push your wearable device to its limits.

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