Multipe watches paired to one iPhone

[TallGuyGT]

Has anyone running iOS 9.3 and watchOS 2.2 paired multiple watches with one iPhone?

How does the iPhone know which watch is active? (I assume heartrate sensor?)

Also, is there a limit to how many watches can be paired with one phone?

Thanks for you guys beta testing!

 

[AZhappyjack]

Haven't done it... only own one watch. My understanding is you can connect two watches. I'm sure someone will correct me if that is wrong.

 

[BarracksSi]

I'll subscribe just to hear what happens when two watches, paired with the same phone, are regularly worn by two people at the same time.

 

[mac666er]

I paired 3 watches to one iPhone. I don't have more to test how many you can pair.

It is the single BEST feature I was waiting for after watch OS 2 came out. Before, I had to unpair them and pair them every morning. Now, it is just awesome. I just choose what I am going to wear, then pick my Apple Watch and a band, just like a regular watch.

At first, I thought it would detect them by putting them on and then unlocking them, but no. If you are not wearing them, it automatically switches to the one you are moving. So I guess the motion coprocessor is always on. In the photo, the last watch selected is the last one I put on the table.

A downside of this is that they run out of battery sooner before this feature was released. Before, just not wearing them, the battery would last at least a MONTH. Now, since it is always on, battery doesn't last even a week. I guess I'll put them all on chargers.

It is awesome.

 

[BarracksSi]

mac666er, if you switched the watches off, would they link up when powered on as easily as if they were your "only" watch?

 

[JayLenochiniMac]

I must be wearing the wrong AW if its battery doesn't last a week, much less a MONTH.

 

[mac666er]

Yes, because there is no lag. i.e. if you have one watch or three, there is no lag, the phone picks it up BEFORE you unlock it in your wrist.

How do I know? I had to update each watch OS and unpair them one by one, then after all three were updated, I pair all three. It is the only way to use this feature.

Also, as you can see, the Hermes has run out of battery. When I charge it, it restarts. Then the phone picks it up as soon as it comes online.
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I must be wearing the wrong AW if its battery doesn't last a week, much less a MONTH.

Well, after some period of not being worn, they would auto switch off. But now, they don't. They are ON all the time, but yeah, they do last more than 1 day on battery without being worn.

 

[JayLenochiniMac]

Well, after some period of not being worn, they would auto switch off. But now, they don't. They are ON all the time, but yeah, they do last more than 1 day on battery without being worn.

So you meant the battery life while off the wrist. You must be rotating through all three AWs in order to achieve that.

 

[mac666er]

So you meant the battery life while off the wrist. You must be rotating through all three AWs in order to achieve that.

Yes, battery while being in the drawer.

I rotated to some extent through them, but it varied. Sometimes I traveled and didn't bring all three with me, or I got tied up in work and just don't didn't bother with the unpairing/pairing that week. But I would then come back to use them and they would at least have 60% to 50% on average, sometimes even 80%. Good for one day light usage for sure without worrying to charge them before hand.

Now, they must be charged every three days or so or they will run out of battery.

I am guessing Apple will implement auto switch off on release. Say, 24 hrs of not being used, then it switches off.

 

[Lost Hills]

At first, I thought it would detect them by putting them on and then unlocking them, but no. If you are not wearing them, it automatically switches to the one you are moving. So I guess the motion coprocessor is always on. In the photo, the last watch selected is the last one I put on the table.

You can turn off "Auto Switch" though

 

[TallGuyGT]

Thanks for filling us in, this sounds awesome! Looking forward to the final release.

I have a SS watch with link band, which I take really good care of. I want to get a sport for the gym, weekend play, and anywhere else it would likely get scratched.

 

[nicho]

I paired 3 watches to one iPhone. I don't have more to test how many you can pair.

It is the single BEST feature I was waiting for after watch OS 2 came out. Before, I had to unpair them and pair them every morning. Now, it is just awesome. I just choose what I am going to wear, then pick my Apple Watch and a band, just like a regular watch.

At first, I thought it would detect them by putting them on and then unlocking them, but no. If you are not wearing them, it automatically switches to the one you are moving. So I guess the motion coprocessor is always on. In the photo, the last watch selected is the last one I put on the table.

A downside of this is that they run out of battery sooner before this feature was released. Before, just not wearing them, the battery would last at least a MONTH. Now, since it is always on, battery doesn't last even a week. I guess I'll put them all on chargers.

It is awesome.

Do you unlock your watch with the passcode or Touch ID?

 

[cbronfman]

I paired 3 watches to one iPhone. I don't have more to test how many you can pair.

It is the single BEST feature I was waiting for after watch OS 2 came out. Before, I had to unpair them and pair them every morning. Now, it is just awesome. I just choose what I am going to wear, then pick my Apple Watch and a band, just like a regular watch.

At first, I thought it would detect them by putting them on and then unlocking them, but no. If you are not wearing them, it automatically switches to the one you are moving. So I guess the motion coprocessor is always on. In the photo, the last watch selected is the last one I put on the table.

A downside of this is that they run out of battery sooner before this feature was released. Before, just not wearing them, the battery would last at least a MONTH. Now, since it is always on, battery doesn't last even a week. I guess I'll put them all on chargers.

It is awesome.

What happens with the workout data - do they all show the same data - so that (say) if you worked out (swimming) for 70 minutes under "workout other" and stood for 6 hours, would the 2nd watch you put on show the data so that you'd only have 6 more hours to do for the "stand goal."

What happens with the workout data - do they all show the same data - so that (say) if you worked out (swimming) for 70 minutes under "workout other" and stood for 6 hours, would the 2nd watch you put on show the data so that you'd only have 6 more hours to do for the "stand goal."

 

[BarracksSi]

Or, if two people simultaneously wear watches paired with the same iPhone, what happens with the Activity data?

 

[nicho]

Or, if two people simultaneously wear watches paired with the same iPhone, what happens with the Activity data?

Given that it has a tick box to choose one, or chooses one automatically, I think the answer would be "you can't".

 

[mac666er]

What happens with the workout data - do they all show the same data - so that (say) if you worked out (swimming) for 70 minutes under "workout other" and stood for 6 hours, would the 2nd watch you put on show the data so that you'd only have 6 more hours to do for the "stand goal."

Yes, the data gets updated so that the next watch you put on is up to date. I think the phone synchronises often with the watch and therefore contains all the work out data.

It happened to me two times or so that I work out with only one particular watch, so that I don't abuse all the others the same way. When I finish my work outs I just change watches sometimes and if the phone hasn't updated to the latest workout info, it only takes like a minute or so. The three circles were empty, but after a minute or two, they were updated with the latest data from my 'workout' watch.

Apple nailed it.
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Or, if two people simultaneously wear watches paired with the same iPhone, what happens with the Activity data?

You can't.

The whole watch app interface (on the phone) is entirely designed so that only watch is active. For example, the apps installed, the language chosen and the credit cards you have, only point to the current watch. As soon as you change watches, all this data reflects the chosen watch.

If you use one watch on each arm and set the app to auto choose a watch, I guess you would be able to confuse the app and have it change watches often throughout the day. But if two people wear the watches, as soon as the other watch is NOT in the range of the phone, the other one that is, becomes the default.

 

[iluvgadgets]

Hmm, now I might consider getting that gold watch or rose gold now