Open the Watch app on your new iPhone while wearing your unlocked Apple Watch. Accept the transfer if offered; if Start Pairing appears, unpair from the old iPhone first, or erase the watch if that phone is unavailable.
The short version
- Still have your old iPhone? Back it up before transferring your watch.
- Already set up the new iPhone? Check the Watch app for a transfer prompt or Finish Pairing.
- If the old pairing remains, unpair with the old iPhone or erase the watch if that phone is unavailable.
- Erasing on the watch leaves Activation Lock in place, so keep your Apple Account credentials ready.
- Check cellular setup separately if your watch has a cellular plan.
| Method | What it does | Time | Use it when |
|---|---|---|---|
| Transfer during iPhone setup | Moves the existing watch pairing | About five minutes to start | You still have the old iPhone |
| Accept a transfer afterward | Confirms the offered transfer | About a minute to accept | The new iPhone is already set up |
| Finish Pairing | Completes an interrupted transfer | About a minute to start | Pairing Not Complete appears |
| Unpair with the old iPhone | Erases and releases the watch | About two minutes to start | No transfer is offered |
| Erase on the watch | Clears the watch for setup | About a minute to start | The old iPhone is unavailable |
| Pair again | Connects an erased watch | About five minutes to start | The watch is ready for setup |
| Reset a forgotten passcode | Erases without the passcode | About two minutes to start | You cannot enter the watch passcode |
| Set up cellular | Activates the watch plan | About five minutes to start | Cellular service needs setup |
Times cover starting or accepting each process with the devices and credentials ready. Allow additional time for erasing, downloads, activation and syncing to finish.
Prepare your backup before moving the watch
Check your devices and install updates
Have your Apple Account password and watch passcode ready. Connect both iPhones to Wi-Fi, and charge your Apple Watch and new iPhone to at least 50% before transferring.
Update the old iPhone and watch to their newest available software. For the phone, follow the steps to update Apple software on your iPhone; on the old iPhone, open Watch > My Watch > General > Software Update to update the watch. Leave the watch charging and the Wi-Fi-connected iPhone nearby until its update finishes.
Save Health data and make a backup
On the old iPhone, open Settings > your name > iCloud > Saved to iCloud > Health and turn on Sync this iPhone. If Health is not visible, tap See All beside Saved to iCloud to find it. On iOS 26, the iCloud app list is reached through Settings > your name > iCloud > See All; enable Health syncing there.
Back up the old iPhone using iCloud or a computer, since its backup includes your watch data. Encrypt a computer backup to preserve Health and Activity information. Have that backup available before starting the new iPhone setup.
Transfer your watch during iPhone setup
Set up the new iPhone and choose your most recent backup if you are restoring apps and data from iCloud or a computer. The steps for restoring your iPhone from a backup cover that part of the move. Keep the watch ready for the transfer when the phone offers to use it.
When that offer appears, put the watch on your wrist, enter its passcode if needed and tap Continue on the iPhone. Follow the setup prompts with the watch and new iPhone nearby. If no offer appears, finish phone setup and check the Watch app before choosing the unpairing route.
Accept a transfer after setting up your iPhone
Wear your Apple Watch, keep it unlocked and bring your new iPhone close. Open the Watch app on the new phone and follow the prompts if it asks you to confirm that you want to use this watch.
If the app shows Start Pairing, unpair the watch from the old iPhone before setting it up again, or erase it if that phone is unavailable. If the app instead reports an unfinished pairing, use Finish Pairing as described below.
Finish a transfer that stopped halfway
Use this route when your iPhone content transferred but the watch did not finish pairing. On the new iPhone, open Watch > My Watch > All Watches and look for Pairing Not Complete beside your watch.
Put the watch on your wrist and keep it unlocked. Tap Finish Pairing to sync its content with the new iPhone. This is the next step for that specific status message, before moving to an erase and setup process.
Unpair from the old iPhone when transfer is not offered
Keep your watch and old iPhone close together, then open Watch > My Watch > All Watches on the old phone. Tap the info button beside your watch, choose Unpair Apple Watch and confirm the named watch.
If a cellular-plan choice appears, keep the plan when resetting and pairing with the same iPhone again. For pairing with a different iPhone, Apple's watch manual says to remove it; if uncertain, confirm with your carrier how the existing service should move before removing it. Removing the plan does not necessarily cancel its subscription.
Enter your Apple Account password and tap Unpair. Unpairing erases the watch and removes Activation Lock. The old iPhone makes a watch backup during unpairing.
Choose a watch backup without replacing phone data
Pair the watch with the new iPhone and restore a watch backup already available there when setup offers one. That restores the watch rather than restoring the whole iPhone. The fresh backup made during unpairing stays on the old iPhone until you move it through an iPhone backup and restore.
If you need that newer watch backup, back up the old iPhone again, then restore that iPhone backup to the new phone. This replaces the new phone's current data with the backup's contents; an iCloud backup restore requires erasing an already configured iPhone first. Save any newly added photos, files and other data on the new iPhone before proceeding, then pair the watch again.
Erase the watch if your old iPhone is gone
On the watch, open Settings > General > Reset > Erase All Content and Settings. Enter the watch passcode if asked, choose the cellular-plan option using the same-phone and different-phone cases above, then tap Erase All to confirm.
This clears the watch but leaves Activation Lock in place. You will need the Apple Account and password associated with it to complete setup. If you cannot remember the watch passcode, use the button reset below instead.
Set up your new iPhone and sign in to iCloud, then pair the erased watch using the next section. Choose the most recent watch backup when offered, or set it up as new if no backup exists. Watch activity, workouts and settings changed since the last backup can be lost.
Pair an erased or unpaired watch
Start pairing and scan the animation
Make sure Bluetooth is on and your iPhone is connected to Wi-Fi or a cellular network. Hold the watch's side button until the Apple logo appears, then put it on. Bring it beside your unlocked iPhone and tap Continue when the setup message appears.
If no message appears, open Watch > All Watches > Add Watch on the iPhone. Choose Set Up for Myself, then position the watch's animation inside the iPhone camera viewfinder. If scanning fails or no animation appears, tap Pair Apple Watch Manually and follow the prompts.
Restore your backup and finish setup
Choose an available backup when setup offers one. If you see Make This Your New Apple Watch and want to choose a backup yourself, tap Customize Settings. Follow the Apple Account, passcode and settings prompts, including any required software update.
When the watch face appears, the pairing procedure is complete. Keep the devices close so information can continue syncing in the background. You can configure cellular service afterward if you skipped it during setup.
Reset a watch when you have forgotten its passcode
Put the watch on its charger and leave it there throughout the reset. Hold the side button until the power button appears in the upper right, then release it. On an earlier version of watchOS, the Power Off slider appears instead.
Hold the Digital Crown until the erase screen appears. Tap Reset, then tap Reset again to confirm. After erasure, pair the watch with your new iPhone and restore an available backup when asked.
This reset leaves Activation Lock enabled. Have the watch's associated Apple Account credentials ready for setup, even though you did not need its passcode to start the reset.
Reconnect cellular service after pairing
A personal cellular Apple Watch needs an eligible plan with a supported carrier, and the watch and iPhone must use the same carrier. You must also be within your carrier's network when setting up cellular. Check for carrier settings updates before activation using the steps to update carrier settings on iPhone.
Before starting activation, check that Safari can use cellular data for the activation pages. On the iPhone, open Settings > Cellular, scroll to Cellular Data, tap Show All and enable Safari.
On the newly paired iPhone, open Watch > My Watch > Cellular > Set Up Cellular. Complete your carrier's activation prompts and contact the carrier if activation cannot finish. If you changed carriers, remove the previous watch plan and choose Add a New Plan when offered.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can my Apple Watch switch automatically between two iPhones?
No, iPhone Handoff does not switch your watch to the other iPhone. During setup, you can move the watch to the main iPhone or keep its existing pairing. Choose the iPhone you use most.
What if the Watch app is missing from my new iPhone?
Open the App Store and search for Apple's Watch app using its exact name. Tap the Redownload button and wait for it to return. Open the restored app to begin pairing.
Can I pair a used Apple Watch that is locked to its previous owner?
The previous owner must remove Activation Lock first. They can sign in at iCloud.com/find, select the watch under All Devices, erase it and then choose Remove followed by Continue. Have them follow Apple's steps to turn off Activation Lock for the authentication prompts and Deactivate & Remove option if AppleCare+ Theft and Loss applies.
What should I do if pairing gets stuck on a black screen with a white Apple logo?
Hold the Digital Crown and side button together until the watch restarts, then release both. After it restarts, hold the Digital Crown and tap Reset. Bring the reset watch near your iPhone and follow the pairing prompts again.
Why is my watch backup missing during setup?
Make sure the iPhone and watch are up to date, since older software can prevent a backup from appearing. If no backup is available, set up the watch as new.
Why has some iCloud data not appeared yet?
Some iCloud data can take a few days to appear. Keep Health syncing enabled with the same Apple Account. Set up Apple Pay cards and the watch passcode again, since watch backups exclude them.