Whether you’re an iPhone or Android user, your phone can say a lot about you. The two operating systems are vastly different and each have their own special advantage over the other, and the loyalists on each side usually swear fealty to one or the other. Not to mention, the tales of people switching from iPhone to Android and vice versa are as old as time. But, there are a select few in the tech crowd that are happy to find middle ground and use both — they’re happy in their sweet spot toggling between the ecosystems.
Their defense of this seemingly rebellious action is that neither OS is capable of doing everything that they want. If you want to be among this ecosystem-swinging crowd, but you’re a loyal Apple Watch user, it could leave you in a tough spot.
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Luckily, it is possible to run your Apple Watch with an Android phone. While some of the functionality won’t be the same, as some of the apps the Apple Watch uses are iOS-specific, you can successfully use your Apple Watch without an iPhone. If this situation pertains to you, here’s how to use your Apple Watch with an Android phone.
Apple Watch Series 9
The latest Apple Watch offers many fantastic features and comfort for you to enhance your wearing experience.
What do you need to pair your Apple Watch with an Android?
There are some specific pieces of equipment
You’ll obviously need an Apple Watch and an Android phone, but you also need an iPhone to start the process. You may have to borrow someone else’s or keep your old one during this setup process in order for this to work — it’s not possible to set up your Apple Watch with an Android without an iPhone. The iPhone must be newer than an iPhone 6, as those are the only ones that will provide this setup process for an Apple Watch that allows it to be paired with an Android.
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Apple Watch LTE
You’ll also need an Apple Watch LTE — one that can make phone calls and send text messages without Wi-Fi. It’s arguably the most important detail, because using one that is Wi-Fi only won’t give you as many features. Granted, not every feature on the Apple Watch is going to work if you have it paired with an Android. This particular guide is for people who prefer the Apple Watch to any Wear OS watch like a Google Pixel Watch or a Samsung Galaxy Watch.
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A similar SIM Card
The right SIM card is also a must. Because Android and iPhones are similar but not exactly the same when it comes to storing data, you want to make sure that your SIM cards are fairly similar between the two phones that you are using during the setup process. If you’re using an iPhone 13 or later, you will need a SIM card tool to open up the compartment on your iPhone to retrieve the SIM card that it uses. For iPhone 15s, an eSIM should be used.
It should also be noted that one of the features that won’t work on your Apple Watch without an iPhone includes the Activity Tracker, because it syncs up with Apple Health and that won’t be available to you. If you’re using an Apple Watch just to be able to keep track of your health stats in Apple Health, this may not be a route that you want to go down.
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How to set up your Apple Watch with an Android
The old switcheroo
Let’s say you got a new Galaxy Z Fold 6. It’s an awesome new handheld, and you won’t want to give up your Apple Watch for it. Keep your old iPhone just for the setup process and then ditch it.
- First, you’ll need to set up your iPhone with the Apple Watch. It’s going simple because the Apple Watch app is already installed in iOS. When you’re pairing them, you need to make sure that you’re logged into an iCloud account which will allow you to sync up with your phone number and download the apps that you want on your Apple Watch. However, this might be the only chance you get to add apps to your Apple Watch, so make sure to put ones on there that you’re going to be using.
- Next, you’re going to start over again. You have to make sure that your SIM card is in the iPhone before turning on the Apple Watch. Turn on your iPhone and your Apple Watch and keep them near one another. The iPhone will immediately show a screen that asks you if you want to pair them. If that doesn’t happen, you can open up the Apple Watch app in iOS and select Pair New Watch.
Make sure that your SIM card is in the iPhone before turning on the Apple Watch
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- The next step is to press Set Up for Myself. This lets both the phone and the watch know that you’re not relying on it to automatically set up. The Apple Watch will have a swirling circle appear and the camera on your iPhone will open. It is aiming to take a picture of your Apple Watch to scan it. The devices will begin syncing and once they are paired, you must turn them both off.
- Then, swap out the SIM card from your iPhone and put it into your Android phone.
- Turn on the Android phone and make sure that it connects to your cellular network. Once that is confirmed, your phone number works with the Android phone.
- Then you can turn on your Apple Watch. Because it has been registered to the number designated with the SIM card, it will let you send texts and receive phone calls, even though you’re now using an Android phone.
You’ll get better functionality if you turn to a Google Pixel Watch or a Samsung Galaxy Watch, but it’s possible to enjoy the sleek design of the Apple Watch while using an Android phone.
It should be noted that your phone and watch aren’t synced, and it will be hard to update your Apple Watch because of this. But you are able to count steps, track exercise, send iMessages, and use the Apple Watch as a (somewhat) smartwatch. You’ll get better functionality if you turn to a Google Pixel Watch or a Samsung Galaxy Watch, but it’s possible to enjoy the sleek design of the Apple Watch while using an Android phone.
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