In a nutshell, Apple Watch only pairs with iPhone devices, so you can’t connect it to your iPad. But you can still integrate your Apple Watch with Apple’s Fitness+ app on your iPad to track your exercise data in real-time. You can download it from the Apple Store if you don’t have it already. Keep on reading as we dive deep into connecting Apple Watch to an iPad.
Can You Connect an Apple Watch to an iPad?
Apple Watches are only compatible with iPhone devices and don’t support iPads. You can pair your Apple Watch to your iPad through the Fitness+ app by Apple. Using this app, you can easily monitor your fitness information on your iPad as your watch tracks it. You can download the Fitness+ app on any iPad running 11.0 or newer iOS or iPadOS.
1 Can You Connect an Apple Watch to an iPad?2 Why Are iPads Not Supported By Apple Watches?3 How to Pair an iPhone With an Apple Watch4 How to Connect Your Apple Watch to the Fitness App on iPad5 Apple Watch and Fitness App Not Communicating Properly – What to Do?5.1 Update Both the Devices to the Latest OS Version5.2 Force Quit the Fitness App and Run it Again6 Which iPhone Do I Need to Connect to Apple Watch?7 Wrapping It Up
Why Are iPads Not Supported By Apple Watches?
Apple Watches are incompatible with iPads because their dedicated app is unavailable on iPads. To back up, the Apple Watch requires the Watch app on your smartphone to connect both devices. Unfortunately, Apple only made the Watch app available for iPhone devices, so it’s currently unavailable on iPads. Also, only the iPhones running the 10.0 iOS version or newer can run it. As Apple is focused on providing an effective digital ecosystem, the iPhones nowadays ship with the Watch app pre-installed. So, you can connect an Apple Watch to your iPhone right away. But as it’s unavailable for iPad, you cannot pair your iPad to your Apple Watch.
How to Pair an iPhone With an Apple Watch
Follow these steps to connect your Apple Watch to your iPhone (it must be running iOS 11 or later): Note: You won’t find the “Set Up for Myself” on the Watch app on your iPhone if your phone and smartwatch are already connected. You can navigate to All Watches > Add Watch and select this option to join another Apple Watch on your phone. It is also possible to change your iPad settings remotely from your iPhone Please read How to Control iPad with iPhone to find out how!
How to Connect Your Apple Watch to the Fitness App on iPad
It’s not uncommon for Apple users to get an Apple Watch primarily for tracking their health metrics. If you’re among them, you can still connect your smartwatch to the fitness app on your iPad and enjoy educated exercises. That said, the Fitness app (Fitness+) supports all iPhone, iPad, and iPod devices running the 11.0 and newer versions of iOS. But if your iPad is still running an older iOS version, the Fitness+ app might be unavailable. That said, the types of iPads, such as iPad Mini, iPad Air, and iPad Pro, are all compatible with this app. Once you’re sure the Fitness+ app is available on your iPad, follow the steps below to connect your Apple Watch to this app: Make sure to install the Find My app on your iPad in case your watch goes missing. Not sure how to? Please read How To Find Lost Apple Watch.
Apple Watch and Fitness App Not Communicating Properly – What to Do?
Apple offers incredible synchronization of its devices to help develop a meaningful, productive ecosystem. But users still face glitches when connecting two of its technologies from time to time, such as the Apple Watch and the Fitness app. If you notice that your Apple Watch stops sharing information with the Fitness app after a while, try the following fixes:
Update Both the Devices to the Latest OS Version
Resolving incompatibility issues and glitches is the main reason you get OS updates on your Apple devices. So, updating your Apple Watch and iPad to the latest OS versions can improve their compatibility and synchronization. Further, make sure you’re running the up-to-date version of the Fitness+ app on your iPad too. If unsure if your iPad is up-to-date, go to its Settings and select Check for Updates.
Force Quit the Fitness App and Run it Again
If your Fitness app is not showing up-to-date data as your Apple Watch tracks it, consider force-quitting the app on your iPad. On your iPad’s home screen, swipe up from the bottom and hold. Here, you’ll see all the open apps. Close the Fitness+ app by swiping it up. As you quit it, open it again to see if it works fine with the watch. If not, consider restarting both of your devices. Hopefully you are now up and running (pun intended!) If you find your watch battery goes down faster than before, please read Why Does My Apple Watch Battery Die So Fast?
Which iPhone Do I Need to Connect to Apple Watch?
If you are not an iPhone user but carry an iPad and an Apple Watch, consider switching to the iPhone to enjoy full synchronization. The following scenarios will help you determine what’s the cheapest iPhone you can get to use with Apple Watch:
If you’re using the 1st generation Apple Watch that came out in 2015 note that it supports iPhone 5 and newer iPhones – basically any iPhone running iOS 8.2 or newer. The Apple Watch Series 1 and 2 support all iPhones running iOS 11 and newer, starting with the iPhone 5. You can use the Apple Watch Series 3, 4, and 5 with an iPhone 6 or newer, running iOS 14 or newer. Lastly, the Apple Watch Series 6 supports iPhone 6s or newer, running iOS 14 or newer.
Wrapping It Up
Unfortunately, Apple doesn’t allow connecting an Apple Watch to an iPad. It’s because iPads are incompatible with the Watch app needed to connect Apple Watch to another smart device. But if you’ll connect your Apple Watch to your iPad to track your fitness, you can still do it using the Fitness app on your iPad. As you pair the Fitness+ app with your Apple Watch, you can view your fitness data on your iPad in real time!
