How to Pair Multiple Watches To One Phone?

Wearing Many Hats (and Watches): How to Pair Multiple Smartwatches to One Phone

For tech enthusiasts or those with different smartwatches for different occasions, the question often arises: can you pair more than one smartwatch to a single smartphone? The answer is generally yes, but the process and capabilities vary significantly depending on whether you use an iPhone or an Android device, and the brands of your smartwatches. Learn how to pair multiple watches to one phone.

This guide will walk you through the possibilities and limitations of pairing multiple smartwatches, including the common query about using an Apple Watch and a Samsung Galaxy Watch with the same phone.

Android: More Flexibility for Multiple Watches

Android’s open ecosystem offers more flexibility when it comes to pair multiple smartwatches to one phone. You can typically pair several smartwatches running Wear OS (Google’s smartwatch operating system) or even watches from different manufacturers like Samsung, Fossil, or Garmin to a single Android phone.

How to Pair Multiple Watches to One Phone on Android:

Install the necessary apps: Ensure you have the companion app for each smartwatch you want to pair installed on your Android phone (e.g., Wear OS app, Samsung Wearable app, Garmin Connect app).
Enable Bluetooth: Make sure Bluetooth is turned on in your phone’s settings.
Initiate pairing for the first watch: Open the companion app for your first smartwatch and follow the on-screen instructions to pair it with your phone. This usually involves putting the watch in pairing mode and confirming a code on both devices.
Initiate pairing for subsequent watches: Once the first watch is paired, open the companion app for the next smartwatch you want to add. Look for an option like “Add new device” or “+” within the app. Follow the pairing process specific to that watch.
Manage connected watches: Within the companion apps, you should be able to see a list of paired watches. While multiple watches can be paired, typically only one watch can be actively connected and receiving notifications and data at any given time. Your phone will usually connect to the watch you are currently wearing.

Important Considerations for Android:

Active Connection: Only one watch can have a fully active connection for real-time notifications and data sync at a time. The phone will usually prioritize the watch being worn.
Background Sync: Some watches may still perform background syncing of data like activity tracking even when not the primary connected device.
App Dependence: Each watch’s functionality is often tied to its specific companion app. You’ll need to use the respective app to manage settings, watch faces, and features for each watch.
Battery Drain: Having multiple Bluetooth devices paired can potentially impact your phone’s battery life.

Why would you want to pair multiple watches to one phone?

There are a few reasons why you might want to connect several watches to one Android phone:

You might have a personal smartwatch and a work smartwatch, and you want to be able to receive notifications from both devices on one phone.
You might have a smartwatch for yourself and a smartwatch for your child, and you want to be able to track their location and activity from your phone.
You might be a fitness enthusiast and you want to use multiple smartwatches to track different types of activity, such as running, cycling, and swimming.

You must factory reset the watch if the watch has been paired with another phone before. How to connect Smartwatch to Android phone? If your watch cannot communicate with your phone, it will be disconnected from the phone.

You cannot pair multiple phones to one smartwatch. Smartwatches will connect and share data with only one phone. To change the phone that the watch is paired with, you must first, factory reset the smartwatch. How to Factory Reset your Smartwatch?

How to connect two Galaxy watches to one phone:

To pair multiple watches to one phone, you will need to:

Make sure that all of your smartwatches are Bluetooth-enabled and that they are compatible with your phone. You can check the compatibility of your smartwatches on the manufacturer’s website. How to use Bluetooth on smartwatch?
Turn on your smartwatches and put them in pairing mode. The specific steps for doing this will vary depending on the make and model of your smartwatch. You can usually find instructions on how to put your smartwatch in pairing mode in the user manual or on the manufacturer’s website.
Open the Wear OS by Google app on your Android phone.
Touch the three dots in the top right corner of the app and select “Add a new watch.”
Your phone will start scanning for nearby Wear OS devices. Select the smartwatch that you want to pair from the list of devices.
Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the pairing process.

Older Android Wear watches will not support sharing a connected phone with another watch. It is not possible to connect multiple Android Wear watches to the same phone simultaneously. This procedure only works with Wear OS watches.

Once you have paired all of your smartwatches with your phone, you can manage them from the Wear OS by Google app. To do this, touch the three dots in the top right corner of the app and select “Manage watches.”

How to Pair Multiple Apple Watches on iPhone:

Pair the first Apple Watch: If you haven’t already, pair your first Apple Watch with your iPhone using the Apple Watch app.
Pair additional Apple Watches: Open the Apple Watch app on your iPhone.
Tap “My Watch” at the bottom of the screen.
Tap “All Watches” at the top of the screen.
Tap “Add Watch” and follow the on-screen instructions to pair the additional Apple Watch.

Seamless Switching: Once multiple Apple Watches are paired to your iPhone, the phone will automatically detect which watch you are wearing and connect to it. You don’t need to manually switch the connection. Just put on a different paired Apple Watch, raise your wrist, and your iPhone will connect to it.

Important Considerations for iPhone and Apple Watch:

Apple Watch Ecosystem: This multi-watch pairing and automatic switching functionality is designed specifically for Apple Watches within the Apple ecosystem.
Data Sync: Activity data and other information are synced to your iPhone regardless of which paired Apple Watch you are wearing, providing a unified view of your health and activity.

From the “Manage watches” screen, you can:

View a list of all of the smartwatches that are paired with your phone.
Change the name of a smartwatch.
Unpair a smartwatch from your phone.
Factory reset a smartwatch.

How to use two watches with one phone:

Once you have paired multiple smartwatches with your phone, you can use them in the same way that you would use a single smartwatch. You can receive notifications from both devices on your phone, and you can use the Wear OS by Google app to manage both devices.

The Apple Watch and Samsung Watch Combination on One Phone

This is a common question, and the reality is that pairing an Apple Watch and a Samsung Galaxy Watch to the same iPhone with full functionality is generally not possible.

Apple Watch Limitation: The Apple Watch is designed exclusively to work with iPhones and requires the native Apple Watch app for pairing, setup, and full feature access. This app is only available on iOS.
Samsung Watch on iPhone: While some older Samsung Galaxy Watch models had limited compatibility with iPhones via the Samsung Galaxy Watch app, the functionality was often restricted compared to pairing with a Samsung or Android phone. Newer Galaxy Watch models running Wear OS Powered by Samsung have even more limited or no official support for pairing with iPhones for a full smartwatch experience.

Therefore, you cannot simultaneously use an Apple Watch and a Samsung Galaxy Watch connected to the same iPhone with all features enabled and seamlessly switch between them as you can with multiple Apple Watches. You would typically need to unpair one watch to use the other effectively, which is inconvenient.

Similarly, while you can pair a Samsung Watch to an Android phone and potentially other Android-compatible watches, an Apple Watch cannot be paired with an Android phone at all.

Here are a few tips to pair multiple watches with one phone:

You can choose which smartwatch to receive notifications from by going to the Settings app on your phone and touching on “Notifications.”
You can also choose which smartwatch to use for certain tasks, such as making payments or tracking your fitness activity. To do this, open the Wear OS by Google app and touch on the smartwatch that you want to use.
If you have multiple smartwatches paired with your phone, you can switch between them quickly by swiping down from the top of the screen and touching on the “Switch watches” icon.
Make sure that all of your smartwatches are running the latest software.
Use the same Google account on all of your smartwatches.
Keep your smartwatches within Bluetooth range of your phone.
If you’re having problems with a particular smartwatch, try unpairing it from your phone and then pairing it again.

Frequently asked questions (FAQ) and answers for using two smartwatches with one phone:

Q: Can I pair multiple watches to one phone?

A: Yes, you can use multiple smartwatches with one phone, but not all phones and smartwatches support this feature. Some phones may only allow you to pair one smartwatch at a time, while others may allow you to pair multiple watches but only one can be connected at a time.

Q: How do I pair multiple watches to one phone?

A: To pair multiple smartwatches with your phone, you can follow these steps:

Make sure that all of your smartwatches are charged and turned on.
On your phone, go to the Settings app and then to the Bluetooth menu.
Touch on the name of one of your smartwatches to pair it with your phone.
Repeat steps 2 and 3 to pair any additional smartwatches that you want to use with your phone.

Q: How do I connect multiple smartwatches to my phone at the same time?

A: If your phone supports connecting to multiple smartwatches at the same time, you can do so by following these steps:

On your phone, go to the Settings app and then to the Bluetooth menu.
Touch on the name of one of your smartwatches to connect to it.
Repeat step 2 to connect to any additional smartwatches that you want to use at the same time.
If your phone does not support connecting to multiple smartwatches at the same time, you can use a third-party app to do so. Some popular apps include Wear Multiple and Pair Wear. However, these apps may not work with all smartwatches.

Q: How do I manage notifications on multiple smartwatches?

A: To manage notifications on multiple smartwatches, you can go to your phone’s settings and then to the notifications menu. Here, you can choose which apps are allowed to send notifications to your watches. You can also choose whether to receive notifications on all of your watches or only on one watch.

Q: What are some of the challenges of using multiple smartwatches with one Android phone?

A: Some of the challenges of using multiple smartwatches with one Android phone include:

Pairing: It can be difficult to pair multiple smartwatches with the same phone. Some phones may only allow you to pair one smartwatch at a time, while others may allow you to pair multiple watches but only one can be connected at a time.
Notifications: If you have multiple smartwatches paired to your phone, you may receive notifications on all of them, even if you only want to receive them on one watch.
Battery drain: Using multiple smartwatches can drain your phone’s battery more quickly.
Performance: Using multiple smartwatches can also slow down your phone’s performance, especially if you are running a lot of apps on your watches.

Q: How can I overcome these challenges?

A: To overcome the challenges of using multiple smartwatches with one Android phone, you can try the following:

Pairing: If your phone only allows you to pair one smartwatch at a time, you can try using a third-party app to pair multiple watches. However, these apps may not work with all smartwatches.
Notifications: To manage notifications on multiple smartwatches, you can go to your phone’s settings and then to the notifications menu. Here, you can choose which apps are allowed to send notifications to your watches. You can also choose whether to receive notifications on all of your watches or only on one watch.
Battery drain: To improve battery life, you can try reducing the brightness of your watches’ screens and disabling any features that you don’t use. You can also try turning off Bluetooth when you’re not using your watches.
Performance: To improve performance, you can try closing any apps that you’re not using on your watches. You can also try restarting your phone and your watches regularly.

Common problems and solutions to pair multiple watches to one phone:

Problem: Only one smartwatch can be connected to the phone at a time.

Solution: Some phones allow you to pair multiple smartwatches, but only one can be connected at a time. To switch between smartwatches, you need to disconnect one and connect the other. This can be inconvenient if you want to use multiple smartwatches for different purposes, such as one for fitness tracking and one for notifications.

Solution: You can use a third-party app to pair multiple smartwatches to your phone and connect to them simultaneously. Some popular apps include Wear Multiple and Pair Wear. However, these apps may not work with all smartwatches.

Problem: Receiving notifications on all smartwatches, even if you only want to receive them on one watch.

Solution: To manage notifications on multiple smartwatches, you can go to your phone’s settings and then to the notifications menu. Here, you can choose which apps are allowed to send notifications to your watches. You can also choose whether to receive notifications on all of your watches or only on one watch.

Problem: Battery drain.

Solution: Using multiple smartwatches can drain your phone’s battery more quickly. To improve battery life, you can try the following:

Reduce the brightness of your watches’ screens.
Disable any features that you don’t use on your watches.
Turn off Bluetooth when you’re not using your watches.
Use a power bank to charge your phone and smartwatches on the go.

Problem: Performance issues.

Solution: Using multiple smartwatches can also slow down your phone’s performance, especially if you are running a lot of apps on your watches. To improve performance, you can try the following:

Close any apps that you’re not using on your watches.
Restart your phone and your watches regularly.
Update the software on your phone and smartwatches to the latest version.

Conclusion

Connecting multiple smartwatches to one Android phone is a great way to stay organized and connected. By following the steps in this guide, you can easily pair and manage multiple smartwatches from your phone.