How to Transfer Apple Watch to New iPhone

Wondering how to pair your Apple Watch to a new iPhone? No matter whether you have old iPhone at hand or not, this guide will elaborate how to transfer Apple Watch to new phone for you.

Demi

By Demi / Updated on September 4, 2024

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Switching to a new iPhone is always exciting, but ensuring that all your data, including data on your Apple Watch, transition smoothly can be a bit challenging. Transferring your Apple Watch to a new iPhone is essential to retain your health data, activity history, and personalized settings.

transfer apple watch to new phone

This guide will walk you through the process of how to transfer Apple Watch to new phone step-by-step, whether you have access to your old iPhone or not.

How to Transfer Apple Watch to New Phone from Old Phone

If you have both your old iPhone and new iPhone at hand, transferring your Apple Watch is relatively straightforward. Just do some simple preparations, and follow the instructions to smoothly pair Apple Watch to new iPhone.

Preparations Before Pair Apple Watch to New iPhone
• Upgrade watchOS and iOS on old iPhone. Your new iPhone will be running the latest OS, so you need to upgrade both the old iPhone and the Watch to ensure that all data transfers properly and setup goes smoothly.

>>> To Update iOS: Go to iPhone Settings app > General > Tap Software Update > If there is an update available, tap Download and Install.

ios software update

>>> To Update watchOS: On your old iPhone, go to Apple Watch app > My Watch > General > Software Update.

update watchos

• Sync Apple Watch Data. If you wonder how to transfer Apple Watch to new phone without losing data, you need to backup Apple Watch in advance.

Do this by going to Settings > [your name] > iCloud and make sure the Health slider is set to on/green.

icloud health

Unpair Apple Watch from Old iPhone. Go to Watch app on old iPhone > My Watch > All Watches > Tap the “i” icon next to the Apple Watch > Tap Unpair Apple Watch.

unpair apple watch

How to Transfer Apple Watch to New Phone
Step 1. Set up Your New iPhone, and select Restore from iCloud Backup >Sign in with your Apple ID. Choose the latest backup, which should include your Apple Watch data.

set up new iphone

Step 2. When the iPhone asks if you want to use your Apple Watch, tap Continue. Put the new iPhone and your Apple Watch near each other.

Step 3. On the new iPhone, open the Apple Watch app > Tap Start Pairing.

Step 4. Tap Restore from Backup when the Apple Watch has paired > Choose the latest version of backup to restore.

restore apple watch backup

How to Pair Apple Watch to New Phone Without Old Phone

What to do if you don’t have your old iPhone? If you no longer have access to your previous iPhone, or if you've wiped or restore it to factory settings, your Apple Watch may still be paired with it. To successfully pair the Watch with your new iPhone, follow these steps.

Step 1. 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.

erase apple watch

Step 2. Position the iPhone and Apple Watch close to each other > Open Apple Watch app on iPhone > Click Start Pairing.

Step 3. When the iPhone and Apple Watch detect each other, a swirling animation appears on the Apple Watch screen.Move the iPhone so that the Apple Watch appears in the frame on the iPhone.

Step 4. After pairing your iPhone and Apple Watch > Select Restore from Backup. Otherwise, choose Set Up as New Apple Watch.

pair apple watch without old phone

Bonus: Backup iPhone to PC to Keep Health & Activity Data Safer

Transferring health and activity data to a new iPhone can sometimes be risky, especially if relying solely on iCloud. To ensure that your data is always safe, it’s a good practice to regularly back up your iPhone to your PC. This way, you can always restore your health data if something goes wrong.

To make the backup process as simple as possible, you can try AOMEI FoneBackup, a free iPhone backup and transfer tool. Not only Health data, but all your iPhone files, system settings, and apps will be fully backed up to PC.

Download AOMEI FoneBackup to your computer, and follow the simple steps to backup iPhone to computer.

Download FreewareWin 11/10/8.1/8/7/XP
Secure Download

Step 1. Connect your iPhone to computer with USB > Launch AOMEI FoneBackup, and click Phone Backup > Click Get Started under Full Backup.

full backup

Step 3. If necessary, you can enable Backup encryption > Choose a storage path and click Start Backup.

start backup

AOMEI FoneBackup also provides powerful data transfer functions, enabling you to transfer wanted or all data from iPhone to iPhone, iPhone to PC, and vice versa.

Conclusion

Whether you have access to your old iPhone or not, there’s a method that works for you if you wonder how to transfer Apple Watch to new phone. And by regularly backing up your iPhone to your PC using tools like AOMEI FoneBackup, you can keep your health and activity data safer than ever.

Ensuring a smooth transition to your new iPhone will keep your Apple Watch functioning perfectly and preserve your valuable health data for years to come.

Demi
Demi · Editor
Demi from AOMEI group, knows iOS devices like the back of her hand. She's great at fixing problems and keeping data safe. She loves to help people keep their iOS running well. When not teaching, Demi enjoys hiking and taking pictures of nature.