Enjoy the thrill of owning a brand-new smartwatch without the frustration of not knowing where to start. Apple Watch, Samsung Galaxy Watch, and Fitbit consumers, the smartwatch setup is identical to a 15-minute box-to-wrist agony. The secret is to charge it first, then load the matching companion app, and let it sync before diving into customization.
Frustration with setup is greatest when it’s necessary or fighting your way through health clearances that allow your watch to function at its full potential. This guide walks you through everything you need to do to fully pair your phone and smartwatch.
Step 1: Charge and Download the Relevant Companion App
Pre-load the features by charging your new smartwatch for at least 30 minutes using the provided power cable. The overwhelming majority of watches are use-and-go watches with enough power to survive initial setup without interruption. Plug in to charge and maintain your phone online, downloading the proprietary watch brand-specific software.
Apple Watch is a pre-installed Watch app on iPhone. Samsung Galaxy Watch is installed from the Google Play Store or App Store with Galaxy Wearable. Fitbit watches come with the Fitbit app pre-installed from both stores. Garmin watches come with Garmin Connect, while other brands offer their own apps.
Remember:
- Charge 30+ minutes before to not get cut off
- Pair your buddy app with your own version of the watch
- Turn on Bluetooth on the phone prior to opening the companion app
Pairing tips: Place the phone and smartwatch near each other for optimal pairing. Bluetooth is a near-field protocol, especially when it comes to transferring security data between the two devices during the initial pairing.
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Step 2: Final Pairing and Initial Setup
Open the companion app and select a pair or add a new device. Wake up your smartwatch by holding down the side button for 2 to 3 seconds. Every watch has a pair code or QR code on the watch face. Use the phone camera within the companion app to automatically establish a connection.
On Apple Watch, position your iPhone above the watch face pairing animation. Your iPhone camera will scan the pattern and automatically pair. If auto-setup is not possible, in the Watch app, tap “Pair Apple Watch Manually” and enter the six-digit code displayed on your watch screen.
Once you have paired it, the watch will prompt you to select the wrist on which you will wear the watch, your date of birth, weight, and height. Enter these correctly, as the watch uses them as components in its calculation of calorie burn, heart rate zones, and other metrics. You will also enter emergency contact numbers and indicate whether cellular use is permitted, if your version supports this feature.
Location, notification, and health data reading permissions were turned on. Taking these permissions away cuts functionality in half; you can’t log runs without location or show message notifications without the ability to send notifications.
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Step 3: Enable Health Tracking and Personalize Your Watch
After connecting your smartwatch to your phone, enable the health monitoring features that make smartwatches a worthwhile purchase. In the health section of your friend app, enable background heart rate monitoring, sleep tracking, and automatic workout detection. These are background features that gather information without requiring any effort on your part.
Customize your watch face by finding and duplicating the one you already have, and experiment with the available options. Pick faces that keep track of things you catch yourself checking over and over again, like weather, activity rings, or upcoming calendar events. Most watches will allow you to download additional faces from their app stores, providing even more variety.
Exercise self-control with notification settings. Having all your phone notifications on your wrist will quickly become a mess. Activate only the most critical apps, such as messaging, calls, and calendar reminders, initially, and add more with increasing restraint based on usage.
Customization tip: Load some watch faces for work, the gym, and weekend use. Transition between them instantly by swiping left or right on the watch face screen.
It requires the right settings on a smartwatch to charge, connect with the right companion app, and configure health tracking with the correct personal information. Take a minute to set your settings and activate notifications to function according to your lifestyle, rather than the defaults.
Your watch functions much better once it is set according to your needs and wishes. Start these installation processes today, one by one, by introducing more features after testing the free basic ones. Your wrist assistant will keep you healthy and connected.
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