Apple has just launched Apple Watch Series 6, the latest instalment of one of the finest smartwatches around – but can you use it with an Android phone?
While there are many excellent smartwatches available for Android, you might be wondering to yourself whether you could pair an Apple Watch SE with a Galaxy Note 20 Ultra. Well, wonder no more.
Does the Apple Watch work with Android?
The Apple Watch doesn’t work with Android. That covers all versions, including the Series 6 and Apple Watch SE.
Related: Apple Watch SE vs Apple Watch 3
To set up a new Apple Watch you’ll need an iPhone 6S or later, so it wouldn’t work even if you have an Android phone and an iPad. Hopefully one day Apple will let us set up an Apple Watch with our Android phone and iPad – though the former certainly seems unlikely.
Apple doesn’t really support many services on Android. There’s no TV+ app for instance nor is there a News+ app. The forthcoming Fitness+ service also looks set to miss out so we really wouldn’t hold our breath for an Android Watch app anytime soon.
The only real way around this is to set the watch up with an iPhone you’ve got spare and then use it as an independent device, without having it connected to your phone. Of course, this renders stuff like notifications and an internet connection useless but you’ll still have the fitness features which are very much a reason to buy an Apple Watch. Still, you’re far better off getting a real Android smartwatch.
Apple Watch 6 offers a new health sensor, updated colours and a brighter display. The SE model is far more affordable, skimming off features like the ECG and always on display. Both watches will run WatchOS 7 which brings sleep tracking and more watch faces to the party.
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.