Does Apple Watch Work with Android
The Apple Watch is one of the most compatible and tempting wearables devices on the marketplace. Due to its useful feature, Android users also want to use Apple Watch with their Android device, including smartphone and tablet. However, are you in a situation to leave your Android phone to use an Apple watch? A question arises: does the Apple Watch work with Android phones? Or there is a possibility to use Apple Watch with Android, so those Android users stay with it without switching to iPhone.
A straightforward answer is “No” the Apple Watch isn’t compatible with Android, and you can’t pair it with an Android phone.
The Apple Watch needs an iPhone for setup and will not pair with Android.
It is a widely asked question when a new Apple Watch comes, or any update comes in the previous Apple Watch: can Apple Watch work with Android?
There is no positive answer getting around whether the Apple Watch is compatible with Android or not . Instead, if you want to use the Apple Watch, you have to set it up with the iPhone. To set up an Apple watch and activate it on your iPhone, you have to use the built-in Apple Watch app on your iPhone device. You can also set up with other services like iCloud, Apple Pay, and cellular connectivity if your watch includes the LTE feature.
There is no method to pair and connect Apple Watch with an Android device; even if it is a Bluetooth device. Apple Watch is explicitly designed to work with iPhone. If you want to go in this direction, then the best Apple Watch you can use is the newly launched Apple Watch SE, the low-price cellular model.
The hacks aren’t worth it.
So technically, if you are trying to connect your Apple Watch with an Android smartphone via Bluetooth, your connection request will get rejected. As the straightforward answer from Apple, Apple Watch users reported that they experienced success using the Apple watch on Android devices. However, you can do well to make the Apple Watch work on Android devices. The steps to do this are limited and also not completely recommended. But if you want to take a risk and do an experiment, read below guides and steps that some people try to use the Apple Watch on Android phones.
However, several people on the web successfully connect and use the LTE-equipped Apple Watch with Android smartphones. You can perform by swapping out the SIM cards from used iPhones for initial setup with Android phones. It is just a simple experiment for some reasons in this way. However, the LTE connection means the use of less power-consuming Bluetooth technology. The final result of this experiment shows that the Apple watch battery drain very fast and has shorter life.
Performing experiment also requires a cellular Apple Watch as well as iPhone.
Performing technical experiments with Apple Watch and Android phone may let you use your Apple Watch with an Android smartphone. It may allow you to use Apple Watch while using an Android phone. As per information, several people on the web succeed with LTE-enabled Apple Watch with Android phones by swapping out SIM cards from iPhone for initial setup with Android phones.
As the Apple Watch and LTE work semi-autonomously, and they have their cellular network with your carrier, both of your devices, Apple Watch and Android phone, will receive a call. You can also see text messages on them.
To connect Apple Watch with your iPhone, you have to activate the cellular capability on watch and then need to swap the SIM card from your iPhone to your Android device, as mentioned in the below guide.
What functions can be used and what not after the success of connection?
When your Apple Watch is connected with an Android phone, the watch and apps will still enable over a cellular network. However, some of the apps, including health, physical fitness, and the downloading of any app, may not get performed. And also, iPhone access was terminated since you removed the SIM card and reinserted it to an Android smartphone; you can’t be able to keep Apple watch’s software up to date.
Use Apple Watch on Android Smartphone
Before you get started to connect Apple Watch and Android and make them functional, you have required to go through the following steps:
- Apple Watch with LTE features (unlocked).
- Android Smartphone (unlocked).
- An iPhone 6 or later model (unlocked) which supports Apple Watch.
- A tool to remove a SIM Card from an iPhone.
There might be some cases where you are not sure whether your Android device or iPhone is unlocked. In such a situation, you may contact your carrier to make sure. You should make sure that the cellular network on your Android smartphones also supports the usage of the Apple watch.
Set up Apple Watch on iPhone
Step 1: First of all, you have to be sure that the Apple Watch you want and try to connect with an Android smartphone is correctly and fully configured to your iPhone by connecting it to the LTE network’s carrier.
- Open the Apple Watch app on your iPhone device.
- Now, click on the Start Pairing There are two different ways to pair your devices either by manual option by choosing “Pair your watch manually” and clicking on your Profile name in the Apple Watch app. The other way to connect devices by holding the Apple Watch near your iPhone’s camera.
- Now, enter the 6-digit passcode that displays over the Apple watch.
- Click on the “Set Up as a New Apple Watch” option.
- After that, select your Wrist preference, either left or right.
- If terms and conditions appear on the screen, tap on Agree.
- Now, provide your Apple ID.
- Tap OK if prompt to access Siri, Diagnostics, and Location.
- Create a 4-digit password for your Apple watch.
- Choose an option, either YES or NO, as a display on your watch that asks you to unlock your Apple watch using an iPhone.
- You can also set Apple Pay and Emergency SOS if it prompts. Apple Pay facilitates your Apple Watch to make payments transactions via mobile phone. On the other hand, Emergency SOS allows you to add a series of 3 numbers to call and send alerts messages to your contacts in emergency cases.
- Next, click on the Install to download Apple watch software. You can also choose the option to download it later.
- Now, the Apple Watch and your iPhone device start syncing.
- After successfully setting up and syncing your Apple Watch with your iPhone, you will receive a notification message.
- And last, connect your Apple Watch to the LTE network of your carrier.
Step 2: Now, turn OFF all your devices, i.e., your Android phone, iPhone, and your Apple watch.
Step 3: Eject the SIM card from your iPhone device using a SIM removal tool.
Step 4: Insert the SIM card into your Android device to connect with your Apple Watch.
Step 5: Turn ON the Android smartphone and connect it to the cellular network.
Step 6: Also, turn ON your Apple Watch by pressing its button.
Step 7: You will see both devices, Android phone (connected to carrier) and Apple Watch, get connected.
For better understanding, the conclusion of everything stated above is the Apple Watch, and Android smartphones don’t communicate with each other, and both are not compatible. However, when you set up an Apple watch with your LTE smartphone, some of its functions may not be in use or no longer require connecting to your iPhone. Since the LTE smartphone uses the cellular network to connect, it affects watch battery life and drains it faster. Sometimes it may cause a problem for the Apple watch battery later, especially in the latest Apple watch where they have always ON.
Trying to connect an Apple watch with your Android smartphone is a fun activity, but if you really want a smartwatch for such a purpose, there are also some other smartwatches available which are compatible with Android devices.
Hope for the future
Even though you still can’t properly use an Apple watch with an Android smartphone. But we can hope for the future. At the same time, I don’t think that Apple will ever facilitate pairing its Apple watch with an Android smartphone or publish any version of the Watch app for Android.
Considering the features like Family Setup or the introduction of the App Store on watchOS 6, we are seeing that Apple Watch is continuously going independent from the iPhone. It is not difficult to imagine that a day will come when an Apple watch will be activated on its own or without the support of an iPhone device.
One day soon, it might be possible that the answer to a question that “does Apple Watch works with Android” will be closer to “yes” than “no.”