Apple iPhone 8 Plus iOS Pairing Guide: How to set up your Apple Watch with your new iPhone 8 Plus [Tutorials]

Now that the new iPhone 8 Plus is officially made available, you’re probably thinking of getting an upgrade. And if ever you already get a hold of the newest iOS smartphone right now, your next move is likely to get everything migrated from your previous iOS device so you still can access and use them on your new phone. Aside from moving important files, you also have to get your other gadgets unpaired with your previous device and switch them to your new iPhone.

This post will walk you through the entire process of switching your other Apple device, particularly the Apple Watch to your new iPhone 8 Plus smartphone. Should you need help in doing so, feel free to refer to this content. The following procedures are also applicable for the Apple Watch series 3 although there may be some slight variations on the actual menu options. Read on and help yourself get started in migrating your Apple Watch and its contents to your Apple 8 Plus and then use your new iPhone with your Apple Watch.

Things to do before pairing your Apple Watch with your new iPhone 8 Plus

Before you switch your Apple Watch from your previous iPhone to your new iPhone 8 Plus, you will need to update your previous iPhone to the latest version of iOS. This is necessary to prevent any issues to arise due to iOS incompatibility. To check for available iOS update for your previous iPhone, head over to Settings-> General-> Software Update. You will see a notification if an update is available. Otherwise, your previous iPhone is already running on the latest iOS version. Just follow the onscreen prompts to proceed with iOS update download and installation. You can also use iTunes to update your iPhone. When you’re done updating iOS on your previous iPhone, proceed with the subsequent steps.

Step 1. Unpair your Apple Watch from your previous iPhone

When you unpair your Apple Watch, it will automatically create a backup to your old iPhone, then erases your Apple Watch. By then you can pair it with your new iPhone 8 Plus and then restore the Apple Watch backup. Please note that you cannot use your Apple Watch until you pair it again. With that said, you should only unpair it when you’re all set to start using your new iPhone. Here’s how to unpair your Apple Watch:

  1. Open the Apple Watch app on your previous iPhone.
  2. Tap the My Watch tab.
  3. Tap your watch at the top of the screen.
  4. Tap the information icon “i” to view more options.
  5. Tap the option to Unpair Apple Watch.
  6. Tap the same option to confirm action.
  7. If prompted, enter your Apple ID password.

Be sure to keep your Apple Watch and previous iPhone close together until the unpairing process is complete. Continue to the next step when the unpairing is done.

Step 2. Back up your previous iPhone

After you have successfully unpaired your Apple Watch and your previous iPhone, create a backup of your previous iPhone and then transfer that backup to your new iPhone. Doing so will automatically transfer your previous contents to your new iOS device. You may opt to backup your previous iPhone through iCloud or iTunes. To create an iCloud backup of your previous iPhone, follow these steps:

  1. Connect your previous iPhone to the Internet through Wi-Fi.
  2. Navigate to Settings-> [your device name]-> iCloud-> iCloud Backup.
  3. Make sure that iCloud Backup is turned on. If not, toggle the iCloud Backup switch to turn it on.
  4. Tap Back Up Now to instigate the backup process.

Keep your device connected to Wi-Fi until the backup process is finished.

Alternatively, you can backup your previous iPhone with iTunes. Should you opt to go for this method, get a computer (Windows or Mac) ready and then follow these steps:

  1. Open iTunes on the computer.
  2. Connect your iPhone to the computer using the supplied USB cable.
  3. Wait until iTunes recognizes your device. Otherwise, tap the option to Trust this Computer.
  4. Select your previous iPhone from the list of available devices in iTunes.
  5. Click the option to Back Up Now. Mark the checkbox to encrypt your backup and likewise, to save all your Health and Activity contents. Be sure to write down your password because you will need it to recover your iTunes backups.
  6. Wait until iTunes is done creating a backup of your previous iPhone.

Once the backup is created, you can transfer all your contents to your new iPhone 8 Plus.

Step 3. Pair your Apple Watch with your new iPhone 8 Plus

Now that you already created a backup of your iPhone and unpaired your Apple Watch, you are all set to pair it with your new iPhone. Here’s how:

  1. On your iPhone 8 Plus, go to Settings.
  2. Tap Bluetooth.
  3. Toggle the Bluetooth switch to turn it on or enable Bluetooth connectivity feature on your new iPhone.
  4. Connect your iPhone to Wi-Fi or cellular network.
  5. Turn on your Apple Watch. To do so, press and hold the side button until you see the Apple logo. It may take a few minutes to load so just wait patiently.
  6. Hold your Apple Watch and iPhone 8 Plus close together.
  7. Wait for the “Use your iPhone to set up this Apple Watch” message to appear on your iPhone screen.
  8. Then, tap Continue.
  9. In case you don’t see this message, open the Apple Watch app on your iPhone then tap the option to Start Pairing.

Keep both your devices in close proximity until the process finishes.

Step 4: Hold your iPhone 8 Plus over the animation

Center the face of your Apple Watch in the viewfinder on your iPhone and then wait for a message saying that your Apple Watch is paired. If you cannot use the Camera, tap the option to Pair Apple Watch Manually instead, then follow the onscreen instructions to complete the process.

Step 5: Set up your iPhone 8 Plus as new or restore from a backup

Select the latter option to restore contents from your previous iOS backup.

Step 6: Enter your Apple ID credentials

If prompted, sign in with your Apple ID or you can sign in later from the Apple Watch app. You will also be asked to turn on Activation Lock if Find My iPhone is not yet set up on your iPhone 8 Plus. Your Apple Watch is already linked to an Apple ID if you see an Activation Lock screen. To continue with your device setup, you need to enter the email address and password for that Apple ID.

Step 7: Configure your settings

You may choose to set up the settings you preferred like Location Services, Route Tracking, and Siri. If any of these settings is not set up on your new iPhone yet, it will turn on after selecting the option. Your Apple Watch will then show which settings it shared with your iPhone. These settings will automatically turn on for your Apple Watch once you enabled Find My iPhone, Location Services, Wi-Fi Calling, and Diagnostics for your iPhone 8 Plus.

Step 8: Create your Apple Watch passcode

Although you may choose to skip creating a passcode, you need at least one to use with other features like Apple Pay. Here’s how:

  1. On your iPhone 8 Plus, tap the option to Create a Passcode or Add a Long Passcode.
  2. Then, go to your Apple Watch to enter your new passcode.
  3. If you wish to skip, tap Don’t Add Passcode instead.
  4. Select and configure your settings as you would prefer.
  5. After that, you may proceed in setting up other iOS features.  

On Apple Watch Series 3 GPS+Cellular models, you can set up cellular then install your apps that are compatible Apple Watch. After choosing your settings, wait for your devices to synchronize. It may take longer depending on the amount of data that needs to be synced. Just keep your devices close together until you hear a chime and feel a gentle tap from your Apple Watch. That will serve as an alert when it’s done syncing. Then, you can start using your Apple Watch and your iPhone 8 Plus as you normally do.

If you cannot set up your Apple Watch or get an error message, try to reboot your iPhone and your Apple Watch and try pairing them again. Also take note of the error message because often times the error message gives you a hint on what went wrong and what should be done to rectify the error.

Connect with us

If you need more help with the use of certain functions and features of the new Apple iPhone 8 smartphone, feel free to visit our Tutorial Page. There you can find a list of how-to contents, step-by-step tutorials, as well as answers to FAQs regarding iPhone 8. If you have other concerns or encountered some troubles while using the phone, you can reach us through this form. Just be sure to tell us more details of the problem or device issue(s) you may have and we will be more than happy to assist you further.

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