Hello, I'm new here and I have a question about Apple Watch SE 2. I just received this watch and when I try to charge it it says "Bring iPhone near Apple Watch". I don't have an iPhone, my phone is a Samsung S21 Ultra. Can I start and use this watch if I don't have an iPhone. From what I see, I can't start the wathc without an iPhone, and I could find an iPhone to start it, because my husband has an iPhone, but after that I don't want to use it with my husband's iPhone. For example I don't want to receive his phone calls on my watch. Another question is, do I need only an iPhone to configure this Apple Watch, I will receive an MacBook Pro tomorrow and I want to know if I could use this MacBook instead of an iPhone to start and configure my Apple Watch. What do you recommend me to do? Thank you in advance!
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Can I use an Apple Watch without an iPhone?
- Thread starter gaby94
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It's unfortunate that you already own the watch, because yes, an iPhone is required not only to set up the watch, but to make it work at all. The Mac can't do anything to help you with that. You can always tie it to your husband's iPhone and disable notifications from his iPhone, but you will not be able to receive notifications from your S21 Ultra, and the health and physical activity will be tied to your husband's Apple ID.
My recommendation is either to sell/return the watch and buy a Google Pixel Watch or a Samsung Watch, or to buy a cheap used iPhone to make it work with the Apple Watch. But keep in mind that you'd have limited functionalities if you don't carry the iPhone with you, especially if it's not a cellular watch
My recommendation is either to sell/return the watch and buy a Google Pixel Watch or a Samsung Watch, or to buy a cheap used iPhone to make it work with the Apple Watch. But keep in mind that you'd have limited functionalities if you don't carry the iPhone with you, especially if it's not a cellular watch
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The Apple Watch is designed to be an extension of an iPhone. It will take on the identity of that iPhone and integrate with the Apps on that iPhone. It's not a standalone device. Apple's support site clearly says "To set up and use a new Apple Watch, you need an iPhone 8 or later with iOS 16 or later. Learn how to identify your iPhone model and how to update your iPhone to the latest version of iOS."
One option would be to use Family Setup for your Apple Watch on your husbands iPhone: With Family Setup, your family member who doesn't have their own iPhone can use their Apple Watch to do things like make phone calls, send messages, and share their location with you. More info here: https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT211768
Note that this only works if it's a cellular watch. It doesn't work for gps-only watches.