The basic process: unpair, then pair again

Transferring an Apple Watch to a new phone means unpairing it from your old phone and pairing it with your new one. The watch itself stays the same — you're just reconnecting it to different hardware. The process takes about 15 to 20 minutes and requires both devices, your Apple ID password, and a Wi-Fi connection.

Apple Watch pairs to only one iPhone at a time, so you cannot simply switch it over without first breaking the old connection. If you skip the unpair step, your watch will stay linked to your old phone and won't work properly with the new one.

Key Takeaways

  • Unpair your Apple Watch from your old phone first by opening the Watch app, tapping your watch name, and selecting "Unpair Apple Watch."
  • Your watch will erase during unpair, so back up your data beforehand if you want to restore activity history and settings.
  • After unpair, set up your new phone normally, then pair the watch by holding it near your new iPhone and following the on-screen prompts.
  • You will need your Apple ID password during pairing, and both devices must be on Wi-Fi and have Bluetooth enabled.
  • If you restore from a backup during phone setup, your watch data will restore automatically when you pair.

Unpair the watch from your old phone

Open the Watch app on your old iPhone. Tap the "My Watch" tab at the bottom, then tap your watch name at the top of the screen. Scroll down and tap "Unpair Apple Watch." You will be asked to enter your Apple ID password — this is the password for the account that owns the watch, not necessarily the phone's account.

During unpair, the watch will erase completely. All apps, settings, and data stored on the watch itself will be deleted. Your activity history and health data are stored in iCloud, so they will not be lost — but temporary data like downloaded music or offline maps will go away.

If you want to preserve your watch settings and app layout, take screenshots of your app arrangement before you unpair. After pairing with the new phone, you can manually restore the same setup.

Set up your new iPhone

Turn on your new phone and go through the standard setup process. When you reach the "Apps & Data" screen, you have two choices: restore from a backup of your old phone, or set up as new. If you restore from backup, your watch data will restore automatically when you pair — this is the easiest route if you want everything exactly as it was.

If you set up as new, your watch will pair with fresh settings, and you will rebuild your apps and preferences from scratch. This takes longer but can be useful if you want a clean start.

Make sure Wi-Fi and Bluetooth are both turned on before you move to the next step.

Pair the watch with your new phone

Hold your Apple Watch close to your new iPhone. The watch should wake up and show a setup screen. On your iPhone, the Watch app will open automatically and show a pairing animation. If it does not, open the Watch app manually, tap "My Watch," and tap "Pair New Watch."

Follow the on-screen prompts. You will need to enter your Apple ID password again. The watch will download the latest software and install any apps you had before — this step can take 5 to 10 minutes depending on your internet speed and how many apps you had.

Keep both devices close together and plugged in during pairing. Do not use the watch or phone until the process finishes.

Restore your data if you did not back up your phone

If you set up your new phone as new instead of restoring from backup, your watch will pair with default settings. To get your activity history, workouts, and health data back, you can restore them manually through iCloud.

Open the Watch app on your new phone, tap "My Watch," then tap your watch name. Scroll down and look for a "Restore from Backup" option if the watch is still in setup mode. If setup is already complete, you cannot restore — the data will sync automatically over the next few days as long as you are signed into the same Apple ID.

Troubleshooting if pairing fails

If the watch does not appear in the Watch app or pairing stalls, restart both devices. Turn off the iPhone completely, then turn it back on. Press and hold the side button on the watch until you see the power-off slider, then slide to power off. Turn the watch back on by pressing the side button again.

Make sure both devices are on the same Wi-Fi network and that Bluetooth is on. If you are still stuck, unpair the watch again from your old phone (if you still have access to it), then try pairing with the new phone from scratch.

If your old phone is no longer available, you can erase the watch remotely through iCloud.com. Sign in, go to Find My, select your watch, and choose "Erase." This will break the old pairing and let you pair with your new phone.

What happens to your apps and subscriptions

Apps you had on your old watch will download again during pairing if you restored from backup. If you set up as new, you will need to reinstall apps manually through the App Store on your iPhone — the watch does not have its own App Store.

Subscriptions tied to your Apple ID (like Apple Fitness+) will stay active and will work on your new watch automatically. Apps that require separate subscriptions (like Strava or Calm) will need you to sign in again on the new watch.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I pair my watch to two phones at the same time?

No. An Apple Watch pairs to only one iPhone at a time. If you try to pair it to a second phone before unpairing from the first, the pairing will fail. You must unpair completely before switching to a new phone.

Will I lose my activity history and workouts?

No. Activity data is stored in iCloud, not on the watch itself. As long as you are signed into the same Apple ID on your new phone, your history will sync automatically within a few hours. The watch itself erases during unpair, but the data comes back when you pair with the new phone.

What if I do not have my Apple ID password?

You will need it to unpair and to pair with the new phone. If you do not remember it, go to iforgot.apple.com on any device and follow the recovery steps. You can reset your password using your recovery key, a trusted phone number, or your recovery email address.

How long does the whole transfer take?

Unpair takes 2 to 3 minutes. Pairing and software installation take 5 to 10 minutes depending on your internet speed and the number of apps you have. The entire process usually finishes in 15 to 20 minutes.

Do I need to back up my watch before unpairing?

You do not need to manually back up. iCloud backs up your activity data, health information, and settings automatically. The only data you lose during unpair is temporary files like downloaded music or offline maps, which you can re-download after pairing with the new phone.