Pair old watch with new iPhone?

[applefan19]

Can you pair an old watch with a new iPhone without erasing the watch content? I thought you could...
https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT205189

 

[Stooby Mcdoobie]

When you set up the watch with a new phone, it will prompt you to set it up as a new watch or restore from a previous watch backup (brought over from your old phone assuming you restored it from an iTunes/iCloud backup).

 

[applefan19]

When you set up the watch with a new phone, it will prompt you to set it up as a new watch or restore from a previous watch backup (brought over from your old phone assuming you restored it from an iTunes/iCloud backup).

What if you still have both the old and new phones? It looks like you can retain the watch data with that method.

 

[Stooby Mcdoobie]

What if you still have both the old and new phones? It looks like you can retain the watch data with that method.

I would think you could use it with both phones, but you would have to un-pair and then re-pair it each time you switch phones since a watch can only be connected to one phone at a time. You also might lose some activity data if you go this route unless you make a backup of phone A and restore it to phone B (or vice versa) each time you switch as well.

 

[applefan19]

I would think you could use it with both phones, but you would have to un-pair and then re-pair it each time you switch phones since a watch can only be connected to one phone at a time. You also might lose some activity data if you go this route unless you make a backup of phone A and restore it to phone B (or vice versa) each time you switch as well.

Thanks for your help, but I am not looking to pair with 2 phones and am just referring to the instructions in the Apple link... I am wondering if anyone had success with the website instructions for pairing the watch with a new phone and maintaining data on the watch in the process. Meant to be clearer in my post.

 

[Stooby Mcdoobie]

Thanks for your help, but I am not looking to pair with 2 phones and am just referring to the instructions in the Apple link... I am wondering if anyone had success with the website instructions for pairing the watch with a new phone and maintaining data on the watch in the process. Meant to be clearer in my post.

In that case, yes, it is possible to move your watch over to the new phone. I have done this on a few occasions for myself and family members.

After you have the new phone set up and restored from a backup of the old phone, you can add your watch. Per step 5 of the article you linked, (and as has been my experience) you may have to unpair and then pair the watch again before you can use it with the new phone. When you re-pair it, you will be asked whether you want to restore from a backup of the watch or not. If choose to restore from backup, you will have all your activity data, watch faces, etc on the new phone.

If your iPhone asks you to Start Pairing, unpair your Apple Watch so that you can set it up.

If you are asking whether it's possible to continue to use the watch with a new phone without restoring your backup from old phone to new, I don't believe it is.

EDIT: I think I misread your first post. It might be possible to do this without erasing all content and settings on the watch/unpairing - at least the way the article is written - but I have always had to unpair and then restore/re-pair to get the watch to work properly again after switching phones.