How To Set Up Iwatch On New Phone

How to set up and pair your Apple tree Watch

Our guide to gear up your new Apple Sentinel

If you've but bought a new Apple Scout or received one as a nowadays, then the kickoff thing you probably want to do is rip it out of the packaging and endeavor it out right away. Only there are a few steps to run through before you tin get it upward and running, which is why we've put together this helpful guide for when you're setting up your new Apple Watch for the get-go fourth dimension.

Below we'll talk you through the whole process of setting up the smartwatch and how to offset using it. It's fairly straightforward, but there are some things that are worth knowing and watching out for - all of which we'll talk yous through and flag below.

No matter which Apple tree Lookout man yous accept, whether it's the latest Apple Lookout 7, the affordable Apple Watch SE, the older Apple Watch 3 or any other model, this guide will talk you through how to set it upwards, as it's almost exactly the same procedure for all of these devices.

Just call back, yous'll need an iPhone to prepare your new Apple Watch, and it should be running the latest version of iOS (which at the time of writing is iOS 15). If you haven't updated, at present is the time.

Our ultimate Apple Watch buying guide: what you demand to know

Earlier you gear up Apple tree Watch

Resist the temptation to put it on straight away. Before y'all strap your Apple Spotter around your wrist, flip information technology over and spot the two pocket-size indents next to the straps.

These are the band release buttons, printing and agree i and slide the band out sideways to remove it. Bank check in the Lookout man's packaging and you'll observe some other band (yous go 1 large and one minor). Attempt both and encounter which fits best.

Now lay your Picket on a flat surface; this makes the automatic sync with your iPhone easier (endeavor to avoid manual pairing if possible). Make certain your iPhone has Bluetooth turned on and that it's connected to a local Wi-Fi or cellular network.

Locate the side button (shaped like a pill) on your Apple Watch and printing it to plow it on. The Apple Watch pairing screen should appear on your phone, in which instance tap Proceed when it does. Or, failing that, launch the Apple Watch app on your iPhone and tap All Watches followed past Pair New Watch.

Adjacent, tap Set Up For Myself (assuming you're setting it up for you lot and not a family unit member), and when prompted, line the Apple Picket up so that information technology appears in the viewfinder of the Apple tree Spotter app on your iPhone. This will pair the Apple Watch with your phone.

Then, if this is your first Apple Watch, tap Set Up as New Apple Sentinel. If this isn't your first ane so instead choose Restore from Backup.

You might then be asked to update to the latest version of watchOS if a new version has come out since your Apple Watch model was released.

Next you'll need to read and hold to the terms and weather. You may and so exist asked to sign in with your Apple tree ID password, which can be done after but sure features relying on your cell number volition be locked until you lot exercise.

You'll as well be asked to turn on Activation Lock if Find My isn't enabled on your iPhone.

Now you'll pick settings, including which are shared with your iPhone. If you activated certain features on your iPhone, like Notice My or Location Services, these will be automatically turned on for your Apple Watch upon setup.

For older models, during setup y'all'll exist asked to specify which wrist you'll wear the Watch on. This doesn't affect the orientation of the Watch's display incidentally, which is set separately. Combined, these choices tell the Sentinel the direction of motility that should crusade its brandish to turn on when you raise your wrist.

Don't worry if you lot're unsure considering all these settings tin can be adjusted afterward from the iPhone app.

For security in example your Picket is stolen, you'll also exist able gear up upwardly a passcode during the initial setup procedure. The Lookout man uses the sensors on its dorsum to make up one's mind when you've taken it off, after which the passcode must be entered to apply information technology.

Note that yous don't have to gear up a passcode, only nosotros'd recommend you do, and it's necessary for Apple tree Pay.

The default passcode is 4 digits long, but tapping Add together a Long Passcode enables yous to enter a 10-digit number. This is much harder to bypass, merely just employ information technology if you are truly security witting.

Additional protection and finalizing features

On the security front, you lot might likewise want to plough on the Erase Data setting, which is done in the settings menu on your Apple Picket after initial setup. Only tap Passcode, then toggle Erase Information. When this is on, the Watch erases its contents afterwards 10 incorrect passcode entries.

Getting back to setting up, you'll next be able to ready up Apple Pay and other features such as automatic updates, Activity, and - on cellular models - mobile data. Just follow the instructions on your device for all of this, and skip annihilation that's non relevant or that you don't want.

And so you'll be asked whether y'all want to install all available apps from your iPhone, only we think it's smarter to install them later to speed up the setup procedure. Besides, installing every available app tin can brand the Watch's home screen overly busy.

Finally, the Apple tree Watch syncs with your iPhone and you tin use it every bit soon as that finishes (it takes a few minutes). Strap on the Lookout, tap the screen and enter your passcode. At present when y'all heighten your wrist, the screen will spring to life.

Setting upwards the home screen

If you didn't install all your iPhone apps on your Apple Lookout during the initial setup, then yous can at present manually determine which ones to add.

Simply find the Available Apps department in My Lookout on the Apple Watch iPhone app, and select the ones that you want to install.

Apps tin can be rearranged (and third-party ones removed) directly from the Scout's abode screen. Tap and hold an app icon and then tap Edit Apps, and then you can elevate apps to new positions. To delete a third-party app, tap the 10 that appears on its logo.

It's a lot easier to conform apps in the iPhone app. To practise this, tap My Watch > App View > Arrangement and so drag app icons around to rearrange them; the layout on your Sentinel refreshes a moment later.

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What settings will you want to change right away?

The Apple tree Watch is a vastly more complex animate being than you might imagine, with myriad options spread out across several areas.

The outset matter to know is that there are two places to configure settings. On the Watch's home screen you'll detect a Settings app that contains fundamental settings.

The Apple Scout app on your iPhone presents many more when you tap My Scout, making information technology the best identify to start.

Limit interruptions

Receiving many notifications on the Apple Watch soon becomes overwhelming. At-home things down by tapping Notifications in the My Watch tab on the iPhone app to view the settings for each app. They might offer different settings, but near include two options: Mirror my iPhone (the default) and Custom.

If you select the former, the phone's options are summarized beneath; to suit them, get to Settings > Notifications on your iPhone.

Customize notifications

Tap Custom to cull an app's notification behaviour on your Watch. Iii options are bachelor: Permit Notifications means that notifications volition appear in Notification Center and your Apple tree Sentinel will alert you, Sent to Notification Eye will send them in that location without the Watch alerting y'all, and with Notifications Off you won't get any notifications for the app in question.

Some apps have more than complex Notifications. For example, Activity presents separate controls for stand reminders (so you tin stop your Sentinel telling you to stand up upwardly and move around) also as progress updates during the day, daily goal completions, long-term achievements and a weekly summary.

Get rid of the reddish dot

If you miss a notification a cerise dot appears at the top of the sentinel face. Plough off Notifications Indicator from the Notifications screen on the Apple Watch iPhone app if you lot find it annoying.

Increment your privacy

While the Sentry's modest screen makes it fairly private, you might want to hide the content of alerts. From the My Lookout tab in the Apple Sentry app on your iPhone you can turn on Tap to Prove Full Notification, from the Notifications screen.

Do this and you lot'll only see the type of warning and the person information technology's from, and you'll simply come across the full details if you tap the alert.

Cheque for updates

One of import characteristic constitute in the Apple Watch app that isn't on the device itself is software update. Get to General > Software Update and the app will check if a new version of watchOS is bachelor and enable you to install it.

Your Watch will demand to be charging and have at least 50% battery power though. The latest software is currently a version of watchOS 8, which you lot should be able to download to all versions of the Apple Watch apart from the start two.

If y'all're ownership an Apple tree Sentry now though, it'southward likely you're going to exist ownership the Apple tree Watch 3 or higher up.

How to download watchOS viii

Auto update apps

To salve having to remember to install new apps, from the iPhone app tap My Watch > General, and switch on Automated App Install if information technology's not already enabled.

Now when you install an iPhone app with an Apple Watch component, it'll automatically appear on your Watch's home screen.

Bank check the usage

Older Apple Sentinel models only sport 8GB of storage, which might quickly fill upward because simply 5.9GB of it is available to you. The Serial four has 16GB and Series 5 onwards accept upward to 32GB, leaving more infinite for local media. You can see what is eating up infinite in General > Usage.

Fast-forward the fourth dimension

If you like to ready a lookout slightly alee of time, tap Settings on your Apple Watch'due south abode screen and cull Clock. Tap where information technology says '+0 min' and rotate the Digital Crown to determine how far ahead you want to set the time, so tap Ready.

This merely affects the watch face; the actual time is displayed elsewhere.

Observe your iPhone

Not a setting as such, but this is worth knowing. If yous've ever misplaced your iPhone so your Apple Watch tin can help. But open the Find Devices app on your Apple Lookout, then tap the missing device and tap Play Sound to arrive emit a noise then y'all can locate it.

You tin can likewise view the device on a map from here if the app can locate it.

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James is Senior Phones Editor for TechRadar, and he has covered smartphones and the mobile space for the best part of a decade bringing y'all news on all the large announcements from top manufacturers making mobile phones and other portable gadgets. James is often testing out and reviewing the latest and greatest mobile phones, smartwatches, tablets, virtual reality headsets, fettle trackers and more than. He'southward currently most excited about the Samsung Milky way S22, God of War: Ragnarok and the rumored foldable iPhone.