Apple watch not pairing to new phone

iPhone 14 not pairing with Apple Watch

I replaced my broken iPhone 7 yesterday with a new iPhone 14 Plus. I have an Apple Watch Series 6 that was paired with the iPhone 7. I cannot get the watch to pair with my new iPhone.

- Question from Apple Community

Apple Watch is such an incredible accessory for iPhone to keep tracking your health and fitness, take your hands off the phone to make phone calls, etc. After buying a new iPhone 14, you must want to pair it with a new iPhone. However, it may be frustrating if you find Apple Watch not paring with iPhone 14. Don’t be annoyed, this guide is coming for help.

Preparation: Check if the Apple Watch is paired with old iPhone

You need to make sure the Apple Watch isn’t paired with the old iPhone first, or the Apple Watch won't pair with your new iPhone 14/13. Depending on whether you have the paired iPhone, you can have a check in two ways.

If you have the paired iPhone
If you have the paired iPhone, you can follow the steps below to check if the Apple Watch is still paired with it. If it is, unpair it.

Step 1. On your iPhone, go to the Watch app > Tap My Watch > Tap All Watches at the top of the screen.

Step 2. Tap the “i” icon next to the Apple Watch you want to unpair > Tap Unpair Apple Watch. When you see a prompt saying Start Pairing on Apple Watch, you can try to pair it with iPhone 14 again.

Notes:
▸It takes time to unpair Apple Watch with the old iPhone since the unpairing operation will backup Apple Watch at the same time. You’re able to restore the backup to it after pairing it with iPhone 13/14.
▸How to pair Apple Watch to new iPhone 13/14: Go to the Watch app on your iPhone > Follow the on-screen instruction > Make sure choose Restore from Backup when asked.

If the paired iPhone is broken or not available
You’re not allowed to unpair Apple Watch if the paired iPhone is broken or not available. You can only erase Apple Watch and try to pair it with new iPhone 13/14 again, which means you will lose all data in Apple Watch.

On your watch, open the Settings app > General > Reset > Tap Erase All Content and Setting > Finally, tap again to confirm. Wait for the watch to unpair, then you can pair it again.

Note: You’ll need the Apple ID and password that were used to set up the watch.

4 fixes to Apple Watch not pairing with iPhone 13/14

If you’re sure that the watch isn’t paired but still can’t pair with iPhone 13/14, you may try the following 4 fixes one after another until the trouble gets fixed.

Solution 1. Check if relative settings prevent Apple Watch from being paired

Sometimes, it’s not always a software error or hardware bug that causes Apple Watch not pairing with iPhone. You may need to check if any relative settings that result in the issue.

▸Turn off Airplane mode on both devices. An enabled Airplane mode on either device will prevent all communications. Please make sure the Airplane mode is turned off in Control panel on both devices.
▸Turn on Wi-Fi and Bluetooth on both devices. An enabled Wi-Fi and Bluetooth help your Apple Watch and iPhone be detected by each other.
▸Keep the two devices close to each other. The Apple Watch and iPhone should be in a Bluetooth range, so that they can be paired.

Solution 2. Restart iPhone and Apple Watch  

If checking the relative settings doesn’t work, you can restart iPhone and Apple Watch to refresh them. It’s one of the most basic solutions to troubleshoot.

Hold down the Sleep/Wake button on your iPhone, then slide to power off your iPhone. It’s helpful to refresh all services on your iPhone. You can check your Apple Watch connection after restarting it.

For Apple Watch, hold down the button under the crown to power it off. Then, press the side button again to power it on.

If your problem is existing, it’s time to try some deeper troubleshooting solutions.

Solution 3. Check iOS update

It is suggested to keep your iPhone running with the latest version of iOS. Since an outdated iOS may have some software glitches, including the one that stops iPhone 13/14 from pairing with Apple Watch.

To check iOS update, go to Settings on your iPhone > General > Tap Software Update > If there is an update available, tap Download and Install.

Solution 4. Reset network settings on iPhone

Any network issues can also prevent iPhone connect to Apple Watch. If necessary, you can reset network settings on iPhone. Resetting network settings does no harm to the data on your iPhone, instead, all Wi-Fi passwords and Bluetooth connection history will be erased.

To reset network settings, go to Settings on your iPhone > General > Transfer or Reset iPhone > Reset > Reset Network Settings.

Bonus: Keep iPhone data safer via FoneTool

It’s acknowledged that any iPhone error may cause data loss. To keep your iPhone data safer, it is recommended to try the professional backup and transfer tool - FoneTool to backup essential files from iPhone to computer.

Compared with iTunes or iCloud, FoneTool provides you with an easier and quicker way to backup selective photos, music, etc. from iPhone to computer.

Want to browse or edit iPhone photos, contacts and so on? You can also try the function "iPhone to PC" in FoneTool to make it.

Free download FoneTool to your computer by clicking the icon below, and explore more powerful functions on your own.

Conclusion

That’s all about Apple Watch not pairing with iPhone 14/13 Pro/Pro Max. In conclusion, You need to check if the watch has been paired before every specific solution. Hope this guide can help you out. For any other queries, please feel free to contact us.

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