How to connect Apple Watch to Android

The battle between iOS and Android is an everlasting one when it comes to smartphone OS. But the Apple Watch is right there on the top without any dispute or close competitors. It has features and accuracy that are unmatchable. So, the Android users out there have always secretly wished to own an Apple Watch alongside their beloved Android phone. While there is no direct way to pair these two devices as Apple Watch has no support for Android devices, there are always some hacks or workarounds that can work. Today, in this blog, we will see a couple of such methods. Let’s Go!!

Is there any direct method to pair or connect your Apple Watch to an Android Smartphone?

The short and direct answer is No. Apple doesn’t provide connectivity support for other OS smartphones except for its iOS. And same goes for Apple Watches as well. Apple watches can only be paired with an iPhone. While this is not true for Android smartwatches, most of them can be connected or paired with iPhones, and they work to their total capacity without any limitations or errors.

Is there any workaround to connect an Apple Watch to an Android Smartphone?

Before answering this question, I assume that you’re someone who already has an Apple Watch and an iPhone. And now you want to switch to an Android phone but still want to use your Apple Watch because they are the best. If you’re someone who is already an Android smartphone user and has bought or want to purchase Apple Watch to use it with your Android phone, it’s a foolish decision. And you’ll see why further in this post. 

For now, Yes, there are a couple of workarounds that can help you to connect your Apple with an Android phone, but the limitations are simply frustrating. Let’s check out the methods first to connect or pair an Apple Watch to an android device. We will discuss the issues and limitations down the line.

Pair an Apple Watch to an Android phone- Method # 1

Things you will need

• A factory-default Apple Watch 3 GPS + LTE or later version
• An Android smartphone with a microSIM slot (Unlocked)
• An unlocked iPhone 6 or newer (Surprise, Surprise!!) 
• A nano-SIM card
• An LTE network that supports Apple Watch 3 GPS + LTE or newer versions of the devices
• A SIM ejector Tool

How to do it?

1. Using the SIM ejector tool, remove the SIM cards from both the phones, viz. iPhone and your Android phone
2. Now, Insert your Android phone’s SIM card into the iPhone.
3. Enable the data connection on the iPhone, and now is the time to set up your LTE Apple Watch with the iPhone. In case you forgot it, here is how you do it.

• Download the Watch App from the AppStore and Launch it on your iPhone.
• Tap Start Pairing
• Hover your iPhone over your Apple Watch until the Watch is lined up properly in the center of the yellow rectangle
• Once the pairing is done, you will see a message saying, “Your Apple Watch is Paired.” 
• You can choose now to set up your Apple Watch from scratch or restore it from a backup
• Once the Watch is set up, add it to your Carrier’s LTE network

1. Make a call or use some features to ensure everything works smoothly
2. Next, put the iPhone into Airplane mode or turn it off to not be reached.
3. Also, Turn off your Apple Watch after the setup.
4. Now, switch the SIM card from your iPhone to your Android phone and boot the Android phone
5. Turn on the Apple Watch
6. Wait till the “Disconnected notification disappears” from the Apple Watch
7. Now, you can toggle Airplane mode on and off on the Apple Watch to see if it connects to the cellular network
8. Voila, your Apple Watch is now paired with your Android Smartphone

Note: If you wish to personalize your settings or sync your Apple Watch, you can repeat steps 2-4 and modify the adjustments you need from the Watch App on your iPhone.

Features of the Apple Watch that you can use with this method

 This method is not precisely the pairing of the Apple Watch and an Android phone. Why? You ask. Because you can only take advantage of the features that rely on SIM card as it is the SIM card info paired to the Apple Watch rather than your Android phone. The two devices are not connected directly but instead are communicating over a cellular network. Any feature that needs the Apple Watch to sync with the iPhone won’t work. 

• You can send iMessages or text messages.
• You can make calls to other people.
• You can also get a phone call from other people and answer it directly from your Android phone or the Apple Watch.
• You can ask Siri some basic questions.
• Voice commands to make calls are functional only when you use your SIM contacts’ names and not on your Android phone.

Note: Another aspect that is problematic with this hack is the battery drainage of the Apple Watch. While Apple Watch is at the top when it comes to smartwatches, its battery life is poor. And with the LTE feature switched on all the time while using this hack, the battery will drain even faster.

Features of the Apple Watch that you cannot use with this method

• You cannot install new apps on the Apple Watch
• You cannot access any apps that need an iPhone synced with them. This is a big deal.
• You cannot ping your Android phone with the Apple Watch
• You cannot use your Apple Watch as a selfie remote with an Android smartphone

2. Use your Apple Watch with an Android phone via Tethering – #Method-2 (Expensive way)

Things you will need

• An iPhone that is compatible with your Apple Watch and could be logged into iCloud
• An Android phone
• An Apple Watch with LTE feature
• A hotspot plan with your android device (Preferable but not compulsory)

The steps 

1. First, install all the apps that you get notifications on the iPhone and Android phone (Like Gmail). This way, once you get a notification on your Android phone, you will also get a notification on the iPhone.
2. The iPhone needs to be plugged in and always connected to the WiFi.
3. Pair your iPhone with your Apple Watch
4. Now you need to turn your iPhone into a notification server that powers all your notifications on your Apple Watch.
5. So, every time you get a notification from any of the apps on the Android phone, the same will arrive at your iPhone, which gets displayed on the Apple Watch as long as the Apple Watch is connected to the internet.
6. While you can use most apps via this method, you will still fail to make or take calls from the Apple Watch.
7. To receive or make calls, you can opt for number-sharing services from your Carrier, which allows you to use the same Number on multiple devices.

• T-Mobile has a digits service.
• Verizon has NumberShare
• AT & T has Number Sync.

1. While your SIM remains in the iPhone at home, you can get a Number sharing connection for your Android phone and the Apple Watch so that you can make calls and receive text messages.

Note:

• Since the Apple Watch needs to be connected to the internet all the time for this hack to work, the LTE functionality comes in handy. But this drains the battery of the Apple Watch Rapidly.
• Another way is to use the hotspot plan on your Android device to provide an uninterruptable internet connection to the Apple Watch.
• Since the function of the iPhone here is limited but a crucial one, you can always buy an old iPhone that works and has a functioning iCloud along with compatibility with your Apple Watch.
• For efficient use of hotspot on your Android device, you can use Tasker Automation apps. This will switch on and off the hotspot at times when you need it. This way, you can save battery drainage on your Android device as well.

What Works?

• Phone Calls and Text Messages
• Emails
• Calendar events
• Notifications for the Social Media Apps like Facebook and Instagram
• Apple Watch Exercise Tracking
• ECG scan from the Apple Watch
•  Siri
• Google Assistant notifications
• Walkie Talkie
• Todoist
• Any other cloud-based app or notification

What doesn’t work?

• Sending Text Messages
• Music Control

While Apple Watch is a complete game-changer for smartwatches, not everyone can use it unless you have an iPhone that supports your Apple Watch. If you get over-the-head ambitious and deploy one of the methods above to use an Apple Watch with an Android smartphone, you have to accept the shortcomings without any fuss.

But, the word of advice is that many other premium smartwatches can do wonders for you and come with full support for your Android smartphone. If you are willing to shell out good money, spend it on a watch that can function to its full potential rather than using a hack that won’t even work all the time with utmost efficiency.