7 Proven Fixes When Apple Watch Won’t Pair With New Phone (Don’t Panic!)

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Apple Watch Won’t Pair With New Phone 

Getting a brand-new iPhone is exciting—until you realize your Apple Watch won't pair with new phone no matter what you try. Don’t worry, you’re not alone. Many Apple users face this issue when upgrading to a new device, and the good news is, it’s usually easy to fix.

👉 If you’re also curious about Apple Watch charging speed, we’ve covered that too.”

In this guide, we’ll walk through why your Apple Watch won't pair with new phone and the exact steps to get it connected again without losing your data.

Why Apple Watch Won’t Pair With New Phone?


Before jumping into the fixes, let’s understand why your Apple Watch won't pair with new phone in the first place. The most common reasons include:

  • You didn’t unpair the Apple Watch from your old iPhone.

  • Your old phone was erased without unpairing the watch.

  • Activation Lock is still tied to your Apple ID.

  • Bluetooth or Wi-Fi isn’t properly turned on.

  • The watch or phone is running an outdated version of iOS or watchOS.

Knowing the cause will help you pick the right fix.

7 Fixes When Apple Watch Won’t Pair With New Phone



1. Make Sure Bluetooth and Wi-Fi Are On

Your Apple Watch won't pair with new phone if basic connections are off. 

Go to Settings → Bluetooth and Wi-Fi on your iPhone and turn them on. 

Keep your devices close together.

2. Update iOS and watchOS

Sometimes your Apple Watch won't pair with new phone because one device is outdated. Make sure your iPhone has the latest iOS and your watch is updated to the latest watchOS.

3. Unpair From the Old iPhone (If You Still Have It)

If you still have access to your old phone, open the Watch app → My Watch → All Watches → Info → Unpair Apple Watch. 

This step is crucial because it backs up your watch data and removes Activation Lock.

 Otherwise, your Apple Watch won't pair with new phone at all.

4. Erase Your Apple Watch and Try Again

No old phone? No problem. On your watch, go to:
Settings → General → Reset → Erase All Content and Settings.
After erasing, try pairing again.

⚠️ Note: If you didn’t unpair properly, unsynced data may be lost. If your watch had an iCloud backup, you can restore it after pairing.

5. Remove Activation Lock via iCloud

If Activation Lock is stopping the process, go to iCloud.com, sign in with your Apple ID, and remove the Apple Watch from your account under Find My iPhone → Devices. 

Only then can your Apple Watch pair with new phone successfully.

6. Restart Both Devices

It sounds simple, but a quick restart works wonders. Hold the side button on your iPhone and Apple Watch, power them off, then turn them back on. If your Apple Watch won't pair with new phone, this refresh may solve it instantly.

7. Contact Apple Support (Last Resort)

If none of these fixes help, and your Apple Watch won't pair with new phone no matter what, it could be a hardware or deeper software issue. Apple Support can run a check and reset things on their end.

FAQs About Apple Watch Pairing

Q1: Will I lose data if my Apple Watch won’t pair with new phone?
Not if you unpaired correctly—your data is backed up automatically. But if you skipped unpairing, unsynced data may be lost when erasing.

Q2: My Apple Watch won't pair with new phone and I don’t have my old phone. What now?
You’ll need to erase the watch and then pair it as a new device.

Q3: Why does Activation Lock stop pairing?
Because your watch is still linked to your old iPhone’s Apple ID. You must remove it via iCloud to fix the “Apple Watch won't pair with new phone” problem.

Final Thoughts

It’s frustrating when your Apple Watch won't pair with new phone, but in most cases, the fix is quick—turn on connections, unpair correctly, or reset the watch. With these 7 proven steps, you’ll have your devices synced in no time and can get back to enjoying your new iPhone.


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