Smartwatches have now blended into everyday life, with users relying on them for most tasks. If you love how they complement your iPhone, it is typical to want to pair it with another smartphone for added capabilities.
So, can an Apple Watch be connected to two phones? All smartwatches, including Apple Watches, do not simultaneously support pairing with more than one phone. Each wearable links with one compatible cell phone and will only connect to another when you sever the previous ties. It means pairing and unpairing the watch to whichever iPhone you need. Alternatively, you can buy an extra wearable to pair with another phone or buy a cellular iWatch to serve as a phone extension if it is too hectic.
Ideally, professionals and people with active lifestyles usually have two or more phones to separate work from personal lives. The smartwatch complements phones and is a fantastic way for users to receive calls and messages. Therefore, it would be incredible if you could sync both devices to one watch to make it flexible to use either phone.
Sadly, like other smartwatches, the iWatch does not allow connection to more than one phone at a go. One watch always syncs to one iPhone unless the two are unpaired, allowing the connection to another cellphone. However, you can buy two watches and connect them to each phone, making them work as independent pairs.
Otherwise, you can link to one phone and then unpair to reconnect to the other, which may be tasking. Lastly, you can buy a cellular Apple Watch to expand phone capabilities from one iPhone.
It is common for people to have two phones for private use and work. If you are thinking of pairing your Apple watch to both iPhones, it implies that you want to use any cell phone, depending on your needs.
You may want to use the setup for calls or messages and exercise at the same time while syncing to both phones. Unfortunately, none of the smartwatches in the market has this capability yet, Apple included.
Luckily, some effective methods may help you use two phones with one Apple watch. The first practical system involves using two wearables, each pairing with one phone. They will work independently, but the downside is that it is expensive since you will need to invest in another watch. You can have the same ID on the two phones and easily sync data through iCloud for the two devices, and it avoids confusion as each pairing works separately.
Alternatively, a cheaper but hectic workaround is to pair the watch to one phone and then unpair it before syncing with the other iPhone. It works best when you occasionally need to switch, but many users find it tedious and confusing.
Besides, this system does not allow data to move between the two phones freely. Unpairing with one cellphone means resetting and erasing your data, but you can restore it from your backed trackers.
If the two options don’t work for you, you can opt for a cellular Apple Watch. It ensures a seamless data connection on your smartwatch, allowing you to make and receive calls and texts, meaning that you can use it as one phone’s extension.
Although you won’t receive the other iPhone’s notifications, you will still have an internet connection. The cellular + GPS watch may be relatively more expensive than the conventional version, but it is a better option than having a wearable for each phone.
Can an Apple Watch Be Paired To Multiple Phones?
Apple Watch owners are content with their devices, thanks to their capabilities. While standalone options are available, other versions depend on your iPhone to run via Bluetooth or Wi-Fi. It is understandable to want to pair your iWatch to several phones simultaneously, but does the system allow this?
The rule of thumb is that one Apple Watch will tether to a single iPhone, and if you must use a new handset, you have to unpair the previous connection. Since the smartwatch functions with one phone at a time, you can opt to buy another watch for your other iPhone if you have two. Otherwise, if you have more than two iPhones, using the pairing and unpairing method would be more practical, which may be hectic but cheaper than buying a watch for each phone.
For the best results and convenience, one iWatch should sync with one iPhone. The manufacturer has not yet designed the phone to tether to different watches to guarantee smooth running.
There are already several tasks that the two perform in sync, and factoring in more phones will be too complex, and it may overwhelm the smartwatch and cause inconsistencies in the readings. Therefore, for seamless communication and efficacy, it is best to stick to one pairing at a time.
Since it is challenging to pair more than two phones to the Apple Watch, some users have resorted to workarounds to stay connected. The watch still won’t function with multiple iPhones simultaneously, but you will connect with more phones independently. You can pair them with different phones to link them individually. The process involves tethering one of your phones with the watch and leaving the details in the iPhone.
Next, pick the second phone and follow the same procedure with the initial handset. This way, whenever you unlink the watch, it leaves data backed up in the phone. Therefore, if you tether the Apple watch to the iPhone, you will only need to click Restore Data.
The method may not be very convenient but can assist users who want to pair various phones to a single watch. You can also solve the pairing problems by acquiring an all-in-one Apple Watch that can serve both GPS and cellular functions.
This watch will save you from connecting and disconnecting different iPhones because it can also serve as an independent cellular gadget. However, if you still want to pair your phones simultaneously, an option would be to purchase another iWatch exclusively for pairing with each iPhone. If you have more than two phones and find this method too expensive, you can use the pair and unpair procedure.
Luckily, it is simple to pair an iWatch with an iPhone. First, erase all the data after unlinking the previous Apple Watch. On the Watch program, select Settings, go to General, and finally Reset before clicking Erase All Content and Settings.
Afterward, confirm your action to factory reset the watch, and the next step is to tether the phone. Lay the devices close to each other, open the Apple Watch app from the phone, click on New Watch, and follow simple on-screen directions to complete the setup.
On the other hand, to unpair your Apple Watch from the connected phone, put the two devices closer first, open the Apple Watch app on the iPhone, tap the My Watch button and click All Watches.
Consequently, tap the info key next to the Apple Watch icon and click Unpair Apple Watch. Cellular iWatch users may want to remove or keep their data plans. Click the final step and confirm. Remember to delete your data plan on the account you don’t need or contact your service provider for details.
Why Is My Apple Watch Disconnected from iPhone?
Your iPhone relies on Bluetooth or Wi-Fi connection to communicate with your phone. Its functionality depends on the cellphone, such that any linking issues will limit what the smartwatch can do. If you have any connection problems, the following are likely reasons why and how to solve them.
In most cases, system errors and improper settings are responsible for pairing issues between the Apple Watch and iPhone causing disconnection. Users mistakenly enable airplane mode or disable Bluetooth, which hinders seamless connection. Other times, the two devices may have bugs interfering with their function.
You can force restart for your watch or phone to reboot; hopefully, turning them on again will solve the problem. Network connection issues may also play a huge role in preventing the two from syncing, but this can go away after resetting. If none of these methods works, the final resort would be to reconfigure the watch, risking your data.
There are various reasons explaining the connection error between your phone and watch. Before getting into the details, it is essential to note that you can only link the two if you have an iPhone 6 or later release because older phone models are incompatible with the setup.
Additionally, iPads, android cellphones, and MacBooks do not support the WatchOS. If your phone is a current generation but still has disconnection problems, the following troubleshooting methods may help.
- Check the Connection
New users often encounter this problem when they don’t know how to check the connection status through the watch. When you swipe up the display with the face screen on, you can check the control center to confirm the phone connection.
While the green logo indicates that the pairing is successful, the red option states that the two are not connected. Ensure that your phone is always close to the watch and the Wi-Fi symbol is on for effortless connection.
- Eliminate Pairing Impediments
If you are confident that your phone is connected and you can see the green logo, but there is still no connection, the next thing is to check for connection obstacles. If the airplane mode is on, all the devices’ communication shut down, including pairing.
To confirm it is not on, you can swipe up and scroll to the quick menus, then turn off the mode if you mistakenly set it. It should not display an orange light, and your connections should resume when you turn it off.
The phone’s airplane mode also hinders the link, but it is easy to turn it off. Swipe down from the action center to find the airplane symbol and click to remove the mode if enabled. Similarly, you can confirm that the phone’s Bluetooth is working to facilitate the connection. Tap to turn it on, and it will light up blue, ready to pair with the Apple Watch.
- Reboot Devices
Rebooting or restarting works for iDevices and will apply to your phone and watch. It can help clear any bug problems to pave the way for the two to communicate seamlessly. For the iWatch, you can long-press the power button, which is the tiny key on the side. A reset option will pop up, allowing you to restart the watch.
On the other hand, you can reboot your iPhone by pressing the volume and power/ Siri buttons to power off. You can wait a few minutes before turning it back on, after which it will have cleared all errors and reconfigured the settings. Hopefully, the two will sync after reboot, and you can try to pair the watch and phone again.
- Reset Network
Another effective remedy involves network resetting. The network needs to be stable and free from errors for your watch and phone to link via Wi-Fi. This reset will help refresh the connection and eliminate any bugs interfering with pairing, and it helps that it is a fast and straightforward process.
Go to the General Settings and scroll down to locate the Reset option from where you can click to enable it. Therefore, you will lose all your previous customizations like Wi-Fi passwords facilitating an automatic connection.
- Reset Watch
If none of the above fixes works, the last resort may be to reset the Apple Watch. You can go to the smartwatch’s settings as you do with your phone in General Settings. Next, move down to the last option, reset and click on it. You will have alternatives to erase all data. When you tap that, the system will ask for the passcode.
Enter it or click to go to the next screen. If you do not have a passcode, you will receive a disclaimer that all your data will erase. It would be a great decision if you have had disconnection issues for a long time and don’t mind starting afresh. If successful, you can repair the two, and you will have solved your pairing issues.
Summary
Any user would want to connect their smartwatch to as many phones as possible. If you have two or more iPhones for various needs and want to pair them to a single watch, you may have to wait a little longer for Apple to make some design changes.
Currently, no smartwatch can link to two phones. If you must connect to the watch using a different phone, you must first unpair the previous connection. Alternatively, you can buy another iWatch to link with the other phone. If these two methods are too hectic or too expensive, you can opt for a GPS+ cellular Apple Watch that serves as a phone extension.
