Every time new Apple Watch software or a new watch is released, the same question arises: can you use the Apple Watch on an Android phone?
The short answer is “no.” The long answer is “it depends.”
According to Apple’s website, you can only pair an Apple Watch with an iPhone, which is mostly true because the pairing app is only available on iOS. To activate your watch, set up iCloud and Apple Pay, and enable cellular connectivity if you have an LTE-enabled watch, you must use the built-in Watch software on your iPhone.
There’s also no way to pair an Apple Watch with an Android phone after it’s been set up. Even though it’s a Bluetooth gadget, the Apple Watch is designed to work specifically with the iPhone.
However, there are ways you can sync an Apple Watch with an Android phone, despite the fact that it isn’t advertised. You need to be prepared to encounter a lot of restrictions, though, and you’ll still need an iPhone for the initial setup.
If you have a cellular Apple Watch, you can make it work with Android by cutting a few corners on your phone and watch. So if you’ve switched to Android and are having trouble getting your Apple Watch to operate, you might want to give it a try.
If you want to skip the Apple Watch and go for an Android enabled smartwatch checkout the best Android watches.
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How to Connect an Apple Watch and Android Phone
- Connect your Apple Watch to your iPhone.
- Make a few test calls to make sure everything is working properly.
- Put your iPhone in airplane mode so it can’t communicate with other devices. Alternatively, you may turn it off.
- Turn the Apple Watch off.
- Switch the iPhone’s SIM card to your Android phone and turn it on.
- Activate the Apple Watch.
- The Disconnected notification on the Apple Watch should go away shortly.
See also: Best Android Mirror Cast Apps
What functionality can you expect from connecting your Apple Watch to your Android phone?
You should be able to make and receive calls, as well as use Siri to perform some basic tasks once you’ve connected your watch to an Android phone.
The two devices are not communicating directly. Instead, they communicate across a network, which means that only the most basic functions are available.
This means that you won’t be able to use any of the Apple Watch’s more complex features. You won’t be able to use the Watch app on your Android phone, and you’ll be limited to making and receiving calls and asking Siri for some basic information.
You can use voice commands to make phone calls as long as the contacts are saved on your SIM card rather than your Android phone. The battery life will definitely be an issue with this method. The Apple Watch doesn’t have a great battery to begin with, but by constantly using LTE, that battery won’t last very long.
Since there are so many limitations, the only time you’d want to use this hack is if something happened to your iPhone and you really needed to use your Apple Watch. Otherwise, it’s mostly useless. Most smart functionalities are not available on the wrist, and Android has a large number of smartwatches that work within its ecosystem, so you’d definitely be better off with one of those.