How do I set up my Apple Watch?

In this article

Want to find out how to pair your Apple Watch with your iPhone or unpair it or add a data plan? You’ve come to the right place.  

Good to know

If you have difficulty seeing your Apple Watch or iPhone, VoiceOver or Zoom can help. See set up your Apple Watch using VoiceOver or Zoom.

 

   

How do I pair my Apple Watch with my iPhone?

How do I pair my Apple Watch with my iPhone?

To pair your Apple Watch you’ll need:

  1.  

    an iPhone 6 or a newer model on an EE pay monthly or SIM only plan, and be running the latest iOS Software.

You’II also need to make sure your iPhone is:  

  1.  

    turned on to Bluetooth - go to Settings > Bluetooth > select ON

  2.  

    connected to 4G on the EE network

To set up paring, follow these steps:

  1. 1

    turn on your Apple Watch and put it on and press and hold the side button until the Apple logo appears - it may take a couple of minutes

  2. 2

    hold your Apple Watch close to your iPhone – wait for the ‘Use your iPhone to set up this Apple Watch’ message to appear on your phone, then tap Continue.

    If you don't see the message go into the Apple Watch app on your iPhone and tap Start Pairing.

  3. 3

    hold your iPhone over your Apple Watch screen and centre the watch face in the viewfinder using the back camera on your iPhone - then wait for the screen to say ‘Your Apple Watch is Paired'.

    If you’re unable to use the camera, tap Pair Apple Watch Manually and follow the on screen steps

  4. 4

    next set up your Apple Watch as a new watch or restore a previous backup – you’II be asked to enter your Apple ID if it’s required

  5. 5

    you can now choose your settings for your Apple Watch e.g preferred options for passcode or shared settings

  6. 6

    next set up your mobile data - in the iPhone Watch app select Set Up Mobile Data and follow the on screen steps

  7. 7

    wait for your Apple Watch to sync - keep your Apple Watch and iPhone close together, your Apple Watch will chime and you’ll feel a tap when it’s ready to use. The time it takes to sync can vary

  8. 8

    start using your Apple Watch - press the Digital Crown on the right  

How do I unpair my Apple Watch from my iPhone?

How do I unpair my Apple Watch from my iPhone?

Good to know

When you unpair your Apple Watch it will go back to its factory settings. Your iPhone will create a backup of your Apple Watch.

To unpair your Apple Watch:

  1. 1

    hold your iPhone and Apple Watch close together

  2. 2

    open the Apple Watch app on your iPhone

  3. 3

    go to the My Watch tab and touch the banner at the top of the screen that has the name of your watch in it

  4. 4

    tap i next to the Apple Watch that you want to unpair  

  5. 5

    tap Unpair Apple Watch

  6. 6

    choose to keep or remove your data plan - if you're unpairing because of an issue you’ve been having, or you’ve upgraded to a new iPhone you don't need to remove the data plan, select Keep Data Plan


    if you're pairing to another iPhone or are selling your Apple Watch, select Remove Data Plan

  7. 7

    tap to confirm and then enter your Apple ID and password to complete the unpairing

That’s it - your Apple Watch will be ready to pair again.

How do I set up the data plan on my Apple Watch?

How do I set up the data plan on my Apple Watch?

To set up your data plan, follow these simple steps:

  1. 1

    open the Apple Watch app on your iPhone

  2. 2

    select Set up Mobile Data -  you'II then be directed to log in to EE and use the set up wizard

  3. 3

    then follow the set up steps

  4. 4

    or call 150 if you don't have an EE account

I bought an Apple Watch on my contract as a gift; what do I need to do?

I bought an Apple Watch on my contract as a gift; what do I need to do?

The Apple Watch and iPhone must both be on the same EE account for you to pair them together. If this is not the case, you’ll need to call 150 to get the data plan set up (we may need to do a credit check on the person who will be using the Apple Watch).

How do I set up an Apple Watch not brought from EE?

How do I set up an Apple Watch not brought from EE?

To use the full data and calling capabilities, you’II need to have an iPhone 6 or a newer model (including SE) on an EE pay monthly or SIM only plan, and be running the latest iOS Software.

My Apple Watch was bought from a third party; what do I need to do?

If your Apple Watch was bought somewhere other than EE, e.g at Apple, John Lewis, Argos or somewhere else you’II need your EE log in to pair the Apple Watch with your iPhone on EE and to set up the data plan.

To pair your Apple Watch:

  1.  

    follow our step by step guide for pairing your Apple Watch with your iPhone

To set up the data plan:

  1. 1

    open the Apple Watch app on your iPhone

  2. 2

    select Set up Mobile Data - you'II then be directed to log in to EE and use the set up wizard

  3. 3

    then follow the set up steps  

     
  4. 4

    or call 150 if you don't have an EE account

If you bought your Apple Watch from a third party as a gift

You’ll need to tell the recipient that they’II need an EE account, and their EE log in to activate the Apple Watch with their iPhone. Or to call 150 if they don’t have an EE account.

I have purchased a second-hand Apple Watch; what do I need to do?

You’ll need to check that the Apple Watch has been unpaired by the previous owner from their iPhone.

If it has been unpaired you can follow our steps to pair your Apple Watch with your iPhone

If it hasn’t been unpaired the Apple Watch will be activation locked which means you cannot pair it to another iPhone.

Get more activation lock information from Apple support.
 

Need more help setting up your Apple Watch?

Need more help setting up your Apple Watch?

If you're having problems setting up your Apple Watch you can

Get further help from Apple Support.

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