Setup

To use your Apple Watch, you need to pair it with your iPhone. Setup assistants on your iPhone and Apple Watch work together to help you pair and set up your watch.

Your watch needs watchOS 27, on Apple Watch SE 3, Series 9, Ultra 2, or later, and your iPhone needs iOS 27, on iPhone 11 or later. It’s a good idea to update your iPhone first. Then, if your watch has cellular, you can activate cellular service.

WARNING: To avoid injury, read Important safety information for Apple Watch before using your Apple Watch.

What you need

To set up Apple Watch, you need the following:

• Apple Watch SE 3, Apple Watch Series 9, Apple Watch Ultra 2, or later with watchOS 27 or later
• iPhone 11 or later with iOS 27 or later

Before you begin

• Update your iPhone to the latest version of iOS: Go to the Settings app on your iPhone, tap General, then tap Software Update.
• Make sure that your iPhone has Bluetooth turned on, and it’s connected to a Wi-Fi or cellular network: To check, swipe down from the top-right corner of the iPhone screen to open Control Center. Make sure that Bluetooth and Wi-Fi (or Cellular) are highlighted.

Step 1: Turn on and pair your Apple Watch

Quick tip: VoiceOver or Zoom can help if you have difficulty seeing your Apple Watch or iPhone, even during setup. See our guide, Set up using VoiceOver, or our article, Use Zoom.

1. Put your Apple Watch on your wrist. Adjust the band or choose a band size so your Apple Watch fits closely but comfortably.
2. To turn on your Apple Watch, press and hold the side button until you see the Apple logo.

   If your Apple Watch doesn’t turn on, you might need to charge the battery.

3. Hold your iPhone near your Apple Watch, wait for the Apple Watch pairing screen to appear on your iPhone. Then tap Continue.

   You can also go to the Apple Watch app on your iPhone, then tap Start Pairing.

4. Tap Set Up for Myself.
5. When prompted, position your iPhone so that your Apple Watch appears in the viewfinder in the Apple Watch app. This pairs the two devices.

Step 2: Set up your Apple Watch

1. If this is your first Apple Watch, tap Set Up Apple Watch and then follow the instructions on your iPhone and Apple Watch to finish setup.

   If you’ve set up another Apple Watch with your current iPhone, a screen appears that says Make This Your New Apple Watch. Tap Apps & Data and Settings to see how Express Setup will configure your new watch, then tap Continue. To choose how your new watch is set up, tap Customize Settings. Next, choose a backup from a previous Apple Watch to restore. Or tap Set Up as New Apple Watch if you want to fully customize your new device’s settings.

2. Follow the onscreen instructions to set up the following:
   • Sign in to your Apple Account.
   • Create a passcode—either a standard four-digit passcode, or a long passcode, which requires six digits.
   • Customize settings for text size, optionally enter personal information such as date of birth and height that are used for fitness and health, and choose the health notifications you want to receive.

   You can change these settings after you’ve set up your Apple Watch.

Step 3: Activate cellular service

If you have an Apple Watch with cellular, you can activate cellular service during setup. If you’ve set up Apple Watch, you can activate cellular later in the Apple Watch app on your iPhone. See Set up and use cellular service.

Your iPhone and Apple Watch need to use the same cellular carrier. The exception is an Apple Watch you set up for someone in your Family Sharing group, since that watch can use a different cellular carrier from the one on the iPhone you manage it with.

Note: Cellular service isn’t available in all countries or regions.

Step 4: Keep your devices close as they sync

Your Apple Watch shows the watch face when syncing finishes and your watch is ready to use.

To learn more about your Apple Watch while it’s syncing, tap Get to Know Your Watch. You can learn what’s new, view Apple Watch tips, and read this user guide, right on your iPhone. To find this information after your Apple Watch is set up, open the Apple Watch app on your iPhone, then tap Discover.

Trouble pairing?

• If you see a watch face when you’re trying to pair: Your Apple Watch is already paired with an iPhone. You need to first erase all Apple Watch content and reset settings.
• If the camera doesn’t start the pairing process: Tap Pair Apple Watch Manually at the bottom of the iPhone screen, then follow the onscreen instructions.

See also

• Set up and use cellular service on Apple Watch
• Unpair and erase Apple Watch
• Change the settings on Apple Watch

Apple Watch turns on and off with the side button, and the watch face appears when it’s on. If it won’t turn on, it may need to be charged, and sometimes you need to force it to restart. You can also learn how to wake and unlock Apple Watch.

Turn on Apple Watch

1. Press and hold the side button until the Apple logo appears.
2. The watch face appears when Apple Watch is on.

An Apple Watch that won’t turn on may need to be charged, or you may need to force it to restart.

Turn off Apple Watch

1. If Apple Watch is charging, disconnect it from the charger.
2. Press and hold the side button until the sliders appear.

   

3. Tap the Power button at the top right. Drag the Power Off slider to the right.

   

See also

• Wake and unlock Apple Watch
• Adjust the text size in Control Center
• Force Apple Watch to restart

You can use the double tap gesture to do common actions such as answer a call, reply to a message, scroll through supported apps, and open and scroll through the Smart Stack. In the Smart Stack, the single tap gesture selects a widget.

Both gestures use your index finger and thumb. And when the double tap icon shakes, double tap isn’t available for that screen. The double tap gesture isn’t supported in some situations, too.

Perform the single tap gesture

Tap your index finger and thumb together.

Perform the double tap gesture

Tap your index finger and thumb together twice.

When double tap isn’t available

If the double tap icon shakes from side to side, double tap isn’t available for that screen or third-party app.

Note: The double tap gesture isn’t supported in the following situations:

• Low Power Mode is turned on.
• Sleep Focus is active.
• The display is inactive because your wrist is down.
• Apple Watch is locked.
• Accessibility features that use hand gestures are turned on.
• Apple Watch is set up for a family member.

Customize the tap gestures

Choose what a double tap does when playing media:

1. Start the Settings app on your Apple Watch.
2. Tap Tap Gestures and then set any of the following:
   • Playback: Choose Play/Pause or Skip.
   • Ignore Tap Gestures: Temporarily ignore tap gestures while using Apple Vision Pro.
   • Off: Turn Tap Gestures off if you don’t want to use them.

You can also go to the Apple Watch app on your iPhone, tap My Watch, tap Gestures, then tap Double Tap.

See also

• Use gestures for notifications and alerts on Apple Watch
• Play music on Apple Watch
• Use AssistiveTouch on Apple Watch