How to connect a Samsung Galaxy Watch to your phone

When you get a new phone, you'll want to start using it—stat—with all of your devices. But if you have a Samsung Galaxy® Watch, pairing it with your new Android™ or iPhone® can be tricky. Don't worry, we're here to help.

At Asurion, we teach you about your tech so you can enjoy the devices that run your world, whether you want to learn how to fix a Galaxy Watch that won't turn on or how to free up space on your smartphone. Here's how to connect your Samsung Watch to your phone.

How to connect your Galaxy Watch to a new Android phone

Your Galaxy Watch can only connect to one phone at a time, and the setup process involves resetting your watch, then pairing it with your new phone.

Reset your Samsung Galaxy Watch

Resetting your watch will remove your personal data and restore the device to its default settings. So before doing anything, back up your device. Your watch may automatically back up to your phone, but if it doesn't, open the Galaxy Wearable app on your phone and tap Watch Settings > Account and Backup > Backup settings (or Back up data). Then choose what you want to back up and tap Back up.

Now you're ready to reset your watch.

Reset your Galaxy Watch by turning it off

1. Turn off your watch.
2. Press and hold the Home (which also functions as the Power button) and Back buttons simultaneously for about 10 seconds—until “Rebooting" appears at the bottom of the screen. Then release both buttons.
3. Press Home twice until the Select Reboot Mode screen appears.
4. Press the Home button to cycle through the options until you select Recovery. You'll know it's selected when the word turns blue.
5. Press and hold the Home button until the device reboots. This process can take several minutes.

Reset your Galaxy Watch by keeping your phone on

1. Flick down from the top of the watch face and tap the gear icon to go to Settings.
2. Scroll down and tap General > Reset.
3. You may be prompted to back up your data to Samsung Cloud. When you're ready, tap Reset and wait for the watch to reset. If you don't see a Reset option, look for an accept icon and tap it to confirm.

Connect your Galaxy Watch to your new phone

Now that you've reset your watch, here's how to pair your Galaxy Watch with your Android phone:

1. Swipe up on the main watch face, then tap Settings > General > Connect to new phone.
2. Tap Continue.
3. Your watch will reset.
4. On the phone you want to connect your watch to, open the Galaxy Wearable app. If it isn't already installed, download it from Galaxy Store® or the Play Store, depending on which device you have.
5. Tap Start.
6. When the app locates your watch, tap Galaxy Watch > Pair > Sign in.
7. Tap Continue > Allow > Agree.
8. Wait for your watch to connect.
9. Tap Continue, or sign in to Google if prompted.
10. Since you already backed up your watch data, tap Next > Restore.
11. Wait for the app to restore your backup.
12. Now your Samsung watch is connected and ready for use.

How to connect your Samsung Galaxy Watch to an iPhone

While Samsung Galaxy Watches work best with Samsung phones, you can connect your watch to an iPhone—but it's not a perfect system. You won't be able to use all of the watch's features, and the Galaxy Watch 4, for example, won't connect to the Galaxy Watch iPhone app.

Here's how to connect your watch to an iPhone:

1. Go to the App Store®, and download Samsung Galaxy Watch (Gear S).
2. Open the Samsung Galaxy Watch (Gear S) app on your iPhone, then tap OK when asked to allow Bluetooth®.
3. Tap Start The Journey.
4. Tap the Galaxy Watch that matches your device.
5. Wait for the watch to pair. Your watch is now ready to use with your iPhone.

What to do if your Samsung Watch won't connect to your Android or iPhone

Now that you've learned how to connect your Samsung Galaxy Watch to your phone, here are a few troubleshooting tips:

• Make sure Bluetooth is enabled on both your watch and phone.
• Restart your watch and phone to see if they'll connect.
• Try moving both devices away from any wireless interference.
• Keep in mind, if you have a Galaxy Watch 4, you can't connect it to your iPhone because the iOS Galaxy Wearables app doesn't work with your watch.