Syncing iPhone apps with Apple Watch is generally a hassle-free process. So long as you have ticked off the key requirements, your iOS apps will sync with your watchOS device automatically. However, that doesn’t always go as well as expected. It’s pretty inconvenient when you can’t find important data on your wearable, especially if you don’t have your paired iPhone on you.
For this very reason, I’ve put together a quick guide on what to do when your Apple ecosystem isn’t syncing. Just follow these steps.
1. Refresh Bluetooth/Wi-Fi
Time needed: 1 minute
Most of the time, all you need to do is to refresh the Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. Here’s what to do:
- On your Apple Watch, head over to the Settings app > Bluetooth and turn it off. Then, go to Cellular/Wi-Fi and turn off its toggle as well.
- On your iPhone, navigate to the Settings app > Wi-Fi/Cellular and Bluetooth and disable their toggles.
- After that, reboot both your Apple Watch and iPhone.
- Once they have restarted, turn the Wi-Fi and Bluetooth back on.
Now, give your apps some time and check if they have started to sync. Hopefully, they should be back to normal.
2. Update Problematic Apps
If specific apps are unable to sync with your Apple Watch, check if they are updated. There is a high chance that the outdated apps are unable to get along with the latest watchOS update. That aside, make sure you have allowed your iPhone apps to show up on your Apple Watch.
- On iPhone, launch the App Store, tap your profile at the top-right corner of the screen, and scroll down to view the pending updates. Go ahead to update all apps.
- On Apple Watch and open the App Store. Scroll down to the bottom, hit Account > Updates, and then Update all your Apple Watch apps.
- Once that’s done, launch the Watch app on your connected iPhone. Scroll down to view the list of installed apps on Apple Watch.
- Tap the app in question and turn the switch next to Show App on Apple Watch.
3. Update Your iPhone & Apple Watch
Should your iOS apps still refuse to sync with the watchOS device, it wouldn’t be wrong to put the blame on a persistent bug. In this case, updating the software becomes your best bet.
- To update your iPhone, go to the Settings app > General > Software Update.
- To update your Apple Watch, open the Watch app on your iPhone > General > Software Update.
4. Reset Network Settings
Still no luck? Resetting the network settings often resolves network errors bogging down the syncing process. For those unaware, it resets configurations like Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and VPN, reverting them to the default state.
- To do so, dive into the Settings app on your paired iPhone and tap General.
- Scroll down and tap Transfer or Reset iPhone > Reset.
- Choose Reset Network Settings in the menu.
- Input your device passcode and confirm the reset.
Now, open the problematic apps on your Apple Watch to find out if they have begun to sync. In all likelihood, they will be back to their best. However, if nothing comes to your rescue, do not hesitate to reinstall those malfunctioning apps and unpair/re-pair your Apple Watch with your iPhone.