You can pair your Apple Watch with your iPhone in a few simple steps, and you can then play music or podcasts on the watch. But, pairing the two devices is not always that simple. Many users have reported facing trouble while trying to pair their Apple Watches and iPhones. If you are facing the same problem, you can usually fix it all by yourself by applying a few simple solutions.

The ‘iPhone not pairing with Apple Watch’ issue might have various causes. And, you must try out the solutions mentioned below to fix it. At least one of them should provide you with an effective solution. If they do not, then you can always contact the nearest Apple service center.

7 Ways to Fix iPhone Pairing Issues with Apple Watch

The issue you are facing might not always be as complicated as it seems. It might simply have something to do with a temporary error. Sometimes, it might have a more complex cause.

Are you unsure about the cause of your iPhone not pairing with Apple Watch? You must simply try out the following fixes until you get a solution: 

  • Restart Your Apple Watch and iPhone

Your iPhone or Apple Watch might have encountered an issue preventing pairing. So, you must try restarting both of them if the pairing fails repeatedly. Turn off your iPhone for a minute or simply opt for a restart on it. Press and hold down your Apple Watch’s side button and click on Power Off.

Turn both the devices back on after leaving them idle for a minute. Then, check on the ‘iPhone not pairing with Apple Watch’ issue. Try out the next solution if the problem persists. 

  • Bring Your iPhone Closer to the Apple Watch

The pairing issue might also have something to do with the distance between the devices. After all, you need to keep them within a fixed range of each other. So, ensure your iPhone is not too far from your Apple Watch. Hold them closer to each other and check whether that does the trick.

Does this step fix the problem in your case? If yes, you can try it out anytime the problem occurs again. But, if it is ineffective, you need to try other viable solutions to the problem. 

  • Disable Airplane Mode on Apple Watch and iPhone

The ‘iPhone not pairing with Apple Watch’ might indicate that the Flight Mode is enabled. And, this might apply to either device. So, you must ensure that both the devices have Flight Mode disabled. Swipe down on the Home screen on your iPhone and check the airplane icon. Turn it off if you find it enabled on your device.

On your Apple Watch, you must swipe up on the Home screen. Then, check whether the Airplane Mode option is enabled. If it is, turn it off immediately before pairing the watch with your iPhone. You should be able to pair the devices successfully without any issues this time. 

  • Make Sure the Bluetooth is Enabled

The ‘iPhone not pairing with Apple Watch’ might also occur due to a disabled Bluetooth. So, you need to ensure that Bluetooth is enabled on both of them. Go to your iPhone’s settings and check whether the Bluetooth is on. Enable it in case you have not already done that. Then, you must check for the same problem on your Apple Watch.

Go to your Apple Watch’s settings menu and click on Bluetooth. Make sure it is on, and then retry the pairing. But, what if the pairing fails when the Bluetooth is on? You must restart the Bluetooth on both devices and then check on the problem.  

  • Unpair and Pair the Devices Again

Does your iPhone fail to connect with the Apple Watch despite being paired with the latter? You simply need to unpair them and renew the pairing. So, open the Bluetooth section in any of the two devices. Remove the other device from the list of paired devices.

Once you are done, you must pair your iPhone and Apple Watch again. This should refresh the pairing and fix any temporary errors in it. And, you might then succeed in using both the devices together. 

  • Reset your iPhone’s Network Settings

Are you unable to pair your iPhone and Apple Watch after applying the aforementioned fixes? Then, resetting your iPhone’s network settings might do the trick. You can do that from the Settings menu of the device. It has often provided an effective solution to the iPhone not pairing with Apple Watch issue. So, you should consider giving it a try if nothing else works.

Open the Settings on your iPhone and navigate to the Reset section. Then, click on the Reset Network Settings and check whether that does the trick. If the problem persists, you must consider updating both the devices. 

  • Update Your iPhone and Apple Watch

An updated system can cause quite a lot of issues on your iPhone and Apple Watch, including failure of both the devices to pair with each other. So, you must check whether this applies in your case. Open your iPhone’s settings and navigate to the update section. Then, look for the latest update and install it on your device.

On your Apple Watch, you must go to the Software Update section in the General settings. Download the latest update available, and then check whether the watch can pair with your iPhone.

What if These Methods do not Work?

As mentioned earlier, at least one of the aforementioned fixes should provide you with a solution. In case none of them works, you must consider resetting your Apple Watch. This step can often fix various misconfigurations causing the problem. But, what if that fails to do the trick as well? In that case, you might want to contact the Apple support team as soon as possible.