When Apple introduced the Apple Watch in 2014, it made it clear that the device is a companion accessory to the iPhone and that they were meant to work together. And while you can pair multiple Apple Watches to the same iPhone, you can’t use the same watch with multiple iPhones. That might change soon according to a recent rumor, and here’s why that matters.
Apple Watch + iPhone
If you have more than one Apple Watch, you can easily pair them with the same iPhone and switch between the watches regularly. I know a lot of people who keep their old Apple Watch to switch between different case materials or simply to use an older model to track their sleep while the other one is on the charger at night.
But when it comes to the opposite, the situation is more complicated (I’d say impossible). Let’s say you have two iPhones that you use regularly, one personal and one from work. If your Apple Watch is paired with your personal iPhone, it won’t work with your other phone.
So if you don’t carry both iPhones with you, your Apple Watch won’t get any new data or notifications unless you connect it to a Wi-Fi network. Of course, there’s also the option of using a cellular Apple Watch, but both solutions will end up draining your watch battery very quickly.
watchOS 10 might enable pairing with multiple devices
According to the anonymous leaker @analyst941, who shared precise details about the Dynamic Island iPhone 14 Pro last year, Apple is working on letting users sync their Apple Watch with more than one device at the same time. The leaker claims that the smartwatch will work with other iPhones and even iPads and Macs.
Top comment by MJ
I wish they'd make it easier to transfer cell service from one paired watch to another. I've accumulated more watches than I'd care to admit, but I do like to switch them out for various reasons.
It’s unclear, however, whether this means that users will be able to set up a new Apple Watch with any Apple device, or whether the setup process will still require an iPhone.
Personally, I see this as good news since I have two iPhones and I switch between them regularly. And while I don’t see the appeal of syncing an Apple Watch with an iPad or Mac, the rumor coincides with a recent Bloomberg report that Apple will add the Health app to the iPad for the first time with iPadOS 17.
And if Apple eventually lets users set up at least cellular versions of Apple Watch with an iPad or Mac, more people will be able to buy an Apple Watch – since there’s a small group of people who own an iPad or a Mac, but not an iPhone.
What about you? Do you miss the ability to pair Apple Watch with multiple devices? Let us know in the comments section below.
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