The basic process: unpair, then pair again

To move your Apple Watch to a new iPhone, you must first unpair it from your old phone, then pair it with the new one. The watch itself stays the same — you are just changing which iPhone it connects to. The entire process takes about 15 to 20 minutes and requires both devices to be nearby and charged.

Before you start, make sure your new iPhone is set up and running the same or a newer version of iOS as your old phone. Your Apple Watch should have at least 50% battery. If you have a cellular Apple Watch, you will need to contact your carrier to switch the cellular plan to your new phone, but you can do that after pairing.

Key Takeaways

  • Unpairing your watch from your old iPhone erases the watch completely, so back up your data first through the Watch app on your old phone.
  • After unpairing, put your new iPhone next to your watch and open the Watch app to start pairing — the watch will prompt you to hold it near the iPhone camera.
  • Pairing restores your apps, health data, and settings from iCloud backup automatically, so you do not need to set everything up twice.
  • If you have a cellular watch, contact your carrier after pairing to move the cellular plan from your old phone to your new one.

How to unpair your watch from your old iPhone

Open the Watch app on your old iPhone and go to the My Watch tab at the bottom. Tap your watch name at the top, then tap the info icon (a small circle with an "i"). Scroll down and tap Unpair Apple Watch. You will be asked to enter your Apple ID password — this is a security step to prevent someone else from unpairing your watch without permission.

The unpair process takes a few minutes. Your watch will restart and erase completely. Once it finishes, your old iPhone will no longer see the watch. Do not skip this step — if you try to pair the watch with a new iPhone without unpairing first, the pairing will fail.

Pairing your watch with your new iPhone

On your new iPhone, open the Watch app and tap Start Pairing. Hold your new iPhone's camera near your watch face — the watch will display an animation, and the iPhone will scan it. This usually takes 10 to 15 seconds. If the camera scan does not work, you can tap Pair Apple Watch Manually and enter your watch's name and passcode instead, but the camera method is faster.

Once the scan completes, your iPhone will ask you to sign in with your Apple ID. Use the same Apple ID you used on your old phone — this is how your watch knows to restore your apps, health data, and settings from backup. If you use a different Apple ID, your watch will set up as new and you will lose your previous data.

What gets restored and what does not

When you pair your watch with your new iPhone using the same Apple ID, iCloud restores most of your data automatically: your apps, watch faces, health and fitness data, passwords, and notification settings all come back. This happens in the background over the next few hours, so your watch may not show everything immediately.

Some things do not restore: your watch's passcode (you will need to set a new one), any photos you stored on the watch, and voicemail greetings. These are minor and rarely matter for most people. If you had a custom watch face with specific complications, those will restore, but you may need to re-add them if they relied on data from your old phone.

Cellular watches and carrier setup

If you have a cellular Apple Watch, the pairing process works the same way, but your cellular service will not automatically move to your new phone. After pairing completes, contact your carrier (Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile, or another provider) and tell them you have a new iPhone. They will move your watch's cellular plan from your old phone number to your new one.

Until you contact your carrier, your watch will still have cellular service if it is still paired with your old phone. Once you unpair it, cellular stops working until the carrier switches it over. This usually takes a few hours to a day. Your watch will still connect to Wi-Fi and Bluetooth during this time, so notifications and messages will still come through.

Troubleshooting if pairing fails

If the camera scan does not work, make sure both devices are close together and the watch face is clean and visible. Try the manual pairing option instead: tap Pair Apple Watch Manually in the Watch app, then enter your watch's name and passcode when prompted. The watch name appears on the watch face under Settings > General > About.

If pairing still fails, restart both your iPhone and your watch. On the iPhone, hold the side button until the power slider appears, then slide to power off. On the watch, hold the side button until you see the power slider, then slide to power off. Wait 30 seconds, then turn both back on and try pairing again. If you still have trouble, unpair the watch again and repeat the pairing process from the start.

Moving your data if you switch Apple IDs

If you are switching to a different Apple ID on your new iPhone, your watch will not restore your previous data automatically. You have two options: use your old Apple ID on the new iPhone (you can have multiple Apple IDs on one phone), or set up the watch as new and manually re-add your apps and settings.

If you want to keep your old data but use a new Apple ID, sign in with your old Apple ID during the pairing process, let the watch restore, then go to Settings > [Your Name] on your iPhone and switch to your new Apple ID afterward. Your watch will stay paired and keep all its data. This is the easiest path if you are changing Apple IDs.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I lose my health and fitness data when I pair with a new phone?

No. As long as you use the same Apple ID during pairing, your health data, activity rings, and workout history restore automatically from iCloud. This data is tied to your Apple ID, not your phone, so it moves with you.

Can I pair my watch with two iPhones at the same time?

No. An Apple Watch can only pair with one iPhone at a time. If you try to pair it with a second iPhone without unpairing from the first, the pairing will fail. You must unpair completely before switching to a new phone.

What if I forgot my Apple ID password during pairing?

You will need to reset it before you can finish pairing. On your iPhone, go to Settings > [Your Name] > Password & Security > Change Password, or visit iforgot.apple.com. Once you reset it, return to the Watch app and try pairing again.

How long does it take for all my apps to come back on the watch?

Pairing itself takes 10 to 15 minutes, but restoring all your apps and data can take a few hours depending on your internet speed and how many apps you have. Your watch will work immediately after pairing, but you may not see all your apps until the next morning.

Do I need to unpair if I am just upgrading to a newer iPhone model?

Yes. Even if you are upgrading from an iPhone 14 to an iPhone 15, you still need to unpair your watch from the old phone and pair it with the new one. The process is the same regardless of which iPhone models you are using.