Fix “Could Not Connect to Apple Watch” Error on iPhone

Apple Watch users may potentially see an error message on their iPhone that states that “Could Not Connect to Apple Watch”, which then advises a few troubleshooting tips. Often those troubleshooting tips offered in the error message will fix the issue, but sometimes you need some additional help in fixing the error message and connecting the iPhone to Apple Watch again.

Let’s review some troubleshooting tips that will help to resolve the connection issue between Apple Watch and iPhone.

1: Make sure Apple Watch & iPhone are within range

Ensure that your Apple Watch is within Bluetooth range of your iPhone, which is about 20 feet, and without any notable obstructions.

2: Make sure Apple Watch is powered on

Press the side button on the Apple Watch to see if the device is turned on. If you the screen does not power on, or the low battery icon is visible, then connect Apple Watch to a charger, and when fully charged, try connecting to iPhone again.

3: Turn off Airplane Mode

AirPlane mode disconnects wi-fi and bluetooth on Apple Watch, which means it will also disconnect from iPhone.

Turn off AirPlane mode on Apple Watch by pressing the side button to access Control Center, then tap the airplane icon to disable airPlane Mode.

4: Make sure Bluetooth is enabled on iPhone

Apple Watch and iPhone require Bluetooth to connect to each other. On iPhone, open Settings > Bluetooth > make sure Bluetooth is toggled ON.

5: Restart Apple Watch & iPhone

Sometimes simply turning your iPhone and Apple Watch off and back on again will get the two devices to see each other and reconnect as intended. You can also initiate a force restart to perform the same task.

6: Check for available software updates on iPhone & Apple Watch

Occasionally, new software updates are released that may address bugs.

On iPhone go to Settings > General > Software Update to install available software updates.

For Apple Watch, go to Watch app on iPhone > Settings > Software Update to install software updates to Apple Watch.

7: Re-pair Apple Watch & iPhone

If the problem persists after having completed these troubleshooting steps, you might need to re-pair the Apple Watch with iPhone again. This basically resets Apple Watch and then restores it from the backup stored on your iPhone, but tends to resolve connectivity issues and other more complex Apple Watch errors and problems. It’s a bit of a hassle and takes some time, but typically works.