How to Connect a Galaxy Watch to an iPhone

This article explains how to connect a Galaxy Watch to an iPhone. The instructions apply broadly to all Samsung smart watches.

Can I Pair a Samsung Watch With an iPhone?

Newer Samsung watches, like the Galaxy Watch 5, only work with Android phones Samsung watches work best with Samsung Galaxy phones, but the basic functionality is available with iPhones.

You can pair older Samsung watches with an iPhone by downloading the Samsung Galaxy Watch (Gear S) app from the iOS App Store.

Here’s how to pair a Samsung watch with an iPhone:

1. Search for "Samsung Galaxy Watch (Gear S)" in the App Store, and tap GET.

2. Open the Samsung Galaxy Watch (Gear S) app on your iPhone.

3. Tap OK when prompted to allow Bluetooth use.

4. Tap START THE JOURNEY.

5. Tap the Galaxy Watch that matches yours, i.e. Galaxy Watch 3.

6. Wait for the watch to pair.

   If your Galaxy Watch has LTE service, follow the on-screen prompts to set that up at this time.

7. Your Samsung watch is now ready to use with your iPhone.

Why Won’t My Galaxy Watch Connect to My iPhone?

The iOS Galaxy Wearables app doesn't support some Galaxy Watches, so you can't connect them to your iPhone. The app will recognize your watch and attempt to connect, but it will fail, and you will see an error message.

If you're having trouble connecting any other Galaxy Watch to your iPhone, make sure you've turned on Bluetooth on the iPhone. If it is, then try restarting both the phone and your watch. If you have a lot of other Bluetooth devices nearby, try switching those devices off or moving them away to reduce the likelihood of connectivity problems.

What Can You Do With a Galaxy Watch on an iPhone?

While you can use your Samsung watch with an iPhone, some features aren’t available. If your watch has a built-in camera, you won’t be able to take advantage of it through the iPhone. You also can’t send text messages through your iPhone using a Samsung watch, although you can receive text message notifications on the watch. Email notifications are also available, but you can’t send new emails or reply to emails through the watch.

The Samsung Bixby assistant works when your watch is connected to an iPhone, but you can’t use Siri through the watch. If you try, you’ll receive a prompt to continue the action on your iPhone.

Some of the Samsung Watch features that do work as expected when used with an iPhone include:

• Phone calls: You can receive and place calls using the watch.
• Notifications: You’ll receive alerts from iPhone apps and third-party apps.
• Heart rate monitor: If your watch has a heart rate monitor, it will work with your iPhone as it works on Samsung and other Android phones. The stress calculator, based on the heart rate monitor, also functions.
• Fitness and sleep tracking: Using the Samsung Health app on your iPhone, you can track fitness and sleep data from your watch. You can also track workouts using several presets.
• Music and media playback: The music manager on your watch allows you to control music and other media playback on your iPhone.