How to Add Friends on Your Apple Watch

This article explains how to add friends and contacts on your Apple watch and modify how they display in watchOS 7 and earlier. It also contains information on adding friends to the Activity app for sharing your fitness activity.

Add Friends and Contacts to Your Apple Watch

The Apple Watch automatically syncs with your current iPhone contacts when you set up and pair the devices, and all your contacts are then available on your wrist. Whether you want to share Activity rings, start a competition, let your trainer access your workouts, send texts, or communicate via the Walkie-Talkie feature, adding friends to your Apple Watch contacts creates a community on your wrist.

Here's how to customize how your contacts appear on your Apple Watch.

1. Open the Watch app on your iPhone and select My Watch.

2. Scroll down and select Contacts.

3. By default, Mirror my iPhone is selected. Tap Custom to customize how your contacts appear on your Apple Watch.

4. Tap Sort Order to change how your contacts are sorted. Tap First, Last or Last, First.

5. Tap Display Order to change how your contacts are displayed. Tap First, Last or Last, First.

6. Tap Short Name to list your contacts more efficiently. Choose from the available options, or toggle on Prefer Nicknames to always use nicknames when available.

Share Your Activity and Compete With Friends

Beyond contacts, add friends to your Apple Watch by sharing your fitness activity with them.

1. Open the Fitness app on your iPhone and tap the Sharing tab. (If you're using an older iOS version, this app is called Activity.)

2. Tap the add contact icon on the top right. (If this is the first time you're using the app, you'll tap Get Started first.)

3. Tap the plus sign to invite a friend with whom you want to share activity.

4. Type a name or phone number into the To: box or select from a list of suggested friends.

5. Tap to choose a friend and then select Send. (Tap the plus sign to add more contacts. Add up to 40 friends to Activity sharing.)

6. After the contact accepts the invitation, you'll see their name under Sharing With in the Fitness app. You'll both get notifications about each other's progress.

   If you receive an Activity-sharing invitation from a friend, it will appear on your Apple Watch. Choose Accept or Ignore.

Add Your Friends to the Walkie-Talkie App

The Walkie-Talkie app on Apple Watch lets you instantly talk back and forth with a friend, directly from your watch.

1. On your Apple Watch, launch the Walkie-Talkie app.

2. Scroll down and tap Add Friends.

3. Select a contact with whom you want to use the Walkie-Talkie app. An invitation will be sent.

4. An invited contact will remain grey until they accept. Once they accept, it will turn yellow, and you'll be able to use this feature.