Best Ways to Fix Apple Watch Not Syncing with iPhone
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What to Know
- If your Apple Watch is not syncing with your iPhone, it could be because your phone is too far or Airplane Mode was enabled.
- Some of the ways to remedy this is to restart both devices or check for updates.
- You can reset your Sync Data without losing anything or unpair and repair your Apple Watch.
Have you noticed your Apple Watch doesn't sync with your iPhone? Whether your Apple Watch data is taking a long time to sync or isn't showing up at all, we'll walk you through the steps to troubleshoot the issue causing your Apple Watch to not sync with your iPhone.
First Steps to Diagnosing Why Apple Watch Is Not Syncing with iPhone
- If your Apple Watch is not syncing with your iPhone, check that Bluetooth is active on your Apple Watch and iPhone. The Apple Watch connects to the iPhone through a Bluetooth connection, so if it is switched off, your Watch will not sync properly. To check this, open the Settings app, tap Bluetooth, and make sure the Bluetooth toggle is enabled.
- Make sure your Apple Watch is not in Airplane Mode. When Airplane Mode is on, all wireless connections, including Bluetooth, are deactivated.
- In your Apple Watch Control Center, confirm that your Apple Watch is still connected to your iPhone. If it is connected, you will see a green iPhone icon. If it is disconnected, you will see a red iPhone icon with a slash through it.
Related: How to See Steps on Apple Watch Face with a Step Counter App Complication
Troubleshooting Apple Watch Not Connecting to Your Phone
Even if your Apple Watch is not connecting to your phone, all hope is not lost! Below, we've compiled a list of common fixes that can help to solve the issue.
Fix #1: Toggle Airplane Mode On & Off
Toggling Airplane Mode on and off on your Apple Watch and iPhone resets all connections to the devices, which may help re-establish the connection between your iPhone and the Apple Watch. If your Apple Watch won't pair:
- On your Apple Watch, press the Side Button to access the Control Center. Note: the Side Button is a rounded rectangular button that is flush with the side of your Apple Watch. The circular button is the Digital Crown. See our article on how to find the Control Center on Apple Watch for more information.
- Tap the Airplane Mode button to enable Airplane Mode.
- On an iPhone without a Home button, swipe down from the upper-right corner of your screen to open the Control Center. On an older iPhone with a Home button, swipe up from the bottom of your screen.
- Tap the Airplane Mode button to enable Airplane Mode on your iPhone. Note: My Control Center has been re-arranged, so the location of the Airplane icon might be different on your phone.
- On your Apple Watch, tap the Airplane Mode button to turn it off.
- On your iPhone, tap the Airplane Mode button to switch it off.
Once you've switched off Airplane Mode on both devices, wait a few seconds to see if the connection between the devices is restored. If not, continue to the other solutions below.
Fix #2: Restart Your Apple Watch & iPhone
For more Apple Watch tips, sign up for our free Tip of the Day Newsletter. Restarting devices is a common solution for fixing software bugs, connection issues, and other problems. If you're not sure how to restart your devices, follow the steps below to restart your Apple Watch and iPhone.
- On your Apple Watch, press and hold the side button until the power options menu appears. Tap the power icon to power down your Apple Watch.
- On your iPhone, press and hold the power button and volume down button until the power options menu appears.
- Slide the toggle to power down your iPhone.
- To restart your Apple Watch, press and hold the side button until the Apple logo appears.
- To restart your iPhone, press and hold the power button until the Apple logo appears.
Fix #3: Reset Sync Data
This is a quick and easy solution that should help fix any Apple Watch sync issues that you are experiencing. Here is how to resync your Apple Watch:
- On your iPhone, open the Watch app.
- Tap General.
- Scroll down and tap Reset.
- Tap Reset Sync Data. This will erase any synced data on your Apple Watch and resync it with your phone.
When you tap this, you might not see any confirmation that your data is syncing, but the process should be working in the background.
Fix #4: Check Both Your iPhone & Apple Watch for Software Updates
Software updates often resolve bugs and software glitches. For this reason, it is important to keep your devices updated to the latest software. Sometimes your Apple Watch and iPhone simply need to be on the latest software to ensure they stay connected and sync properly. Before you do anything else, ensure you have the latest iOS update, and then find out how to update your Apple Watch.
Fix #5: Unpair & Re-pair Apple Watch
If your Apple Watch is still not syncing with your iPhone, you can unpair and re-pair your Apple Watch. This is the last solution that we recommend, as this process essentially factory resets your Watch. Before unpairing, your iPhone will automatically make a backup of your Watch, as this will completely erase all content and settings from your Watch. Here's how to re-pair your Apple Watch:
- Open the Watch app.
- Tap All Watches.
- Tap the Info icon next to your Watch.
- Tap Unpair Apple Watch.
- Tap Unpair My Apple Watch to confirm that you want to unpair the Watch.
- Enter your Apple ID and password.
- Tap Unpair.
- The unpairing process will start and might take a few minutes.
- To pair your Apple Watch, tap Start Pairing on the Watch app start screen.
- On your Apple Watch, you’ll need to choose a language and your region and then tap Start Pairing.
- Line up your Apple Watch in the frame on your iPhone screen. Once your phone recognizes the pattern, it will pair with the Apple Watch.
- Tap Restore from Backup.
- Tap the latest backup of your Watch data.
- Tap Continue.
- Your phone will connect to your Watch.
- Tap Agree to accept the Terms and Conditions.
- Continue through the Apple Watch setup process, following the prompts on your iPhone.
- At the end, your Watch will automatically begin syncing. This should restore the connection between your Watch and iPhone.
This will also help if your Apple Watch is not pairing with your new iPhone. You need to unpair your Apple Watch from the old phone before setting it up with the new device.
Hopefully, one of the above solutions worked for you, and your Apple Watch is now syncing with your iPhone! If you are still experiencing problems, the next step would be to contact Apple support or visit a nearby Apple Store. Apple’s skilled professionals will be able to help pinpoint any issues that are not fixed by the solutions presented in this article.
FAQ
- Which Apple Watch do I have? There are a few different ways to figure out which Apple Watch you have. Our Apple Watch model number check article should help you figure out your specific device.
- How long do Apple Watches last? The lifespan of your Apple Watch can depend on a variety of factors, like how frequently you charge it, how much you use the watch, if you've ever dropped it, etc. Our article on the life expectancy of an Apple Watch provides more detailed information.
- Where is the Digital Crown? The Digital Crown is the round dial/button on the side of your Apple Watch. There is another button, called the Side Button right next to the Digital Crown. We have an article that can tell you more about the Digital Crown on your Apple Watch, as well as the other buttons on the device.
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Rhett Intriago
Rhett Intriago is a Feature Writer at iPhone Life, offering his expertise in all things iPhone, Apple Watch, and AirPods. He enjoys writing on topics related to maintaining privacy in a digital world, as well as iPhone security. He’s been a tech enthusiast all his life, with experiences ranging from jailbreaking his iPhone to building his own gaming PC.
Despite his disdain for the beach, Rhett is based in Florida. In his free time, he enjoys playing the latest games, spoiling his cats, or discovering new places with his wife, Kyla.