Many users put the Apple Watch as one of the best smartwatches on the market. But it has a problem: it is only compatible with iPhone. This obviously directly affects those users who have an Android device that cannot use it a priori. But … is this so? In this article we answer this.
Connect an Apple Watch to an Android … possible?
The short answer is no. Apple from the first day has wanted its Apple Watch not to leave its ecosystem, vetoing the link to other mobiles that do not have the iOS operating system. Linking works through the ‘Clock’ application found on natively supported devices. This is the only way to do the pairing, since it cannot be connected via Bluetooth as a peripheral anymore, or as it happens with watches from other companies.
The truth is that this may not be understood by many people, but it is a reality. It is true that if the Apple Watch were open to various operating systems, its sales would grow a lot, but Apple has designed this product to be in tune with the iPhone. Without the Apple mobile device, the watch begins to make no sense, but who knows if in the future they open the borders a little and allow different users to link their Apple Watch.
But if this day arrives at some point we will see a clock that is quite limited. The clearest example we can have in AirPods that can be linked through Bluetooth on any Android device , but there are some limitations. The most obvious is that we will not be able to use the voice assistant, nor will we be able to use some functions such as the ambient mode of the AirPods Pro. The same is extrapolated to the Apple Watch, since if in the end there was a way to connect them (that the there) we could only receive notifications for example. This does not happen with competing equipment that does allow connecting to the iPhone as a Xiaomi bracelet.
Force minimal compatibility
Although the theory tells us that it is not possible to use an Apple Watch on an Android device, there is some way to get around this rule. But as we have previously said, if we bet on this ‘trick’ we will have to sacrifice many of the characteristics of the watch and it may not be worth it. To do the trick, the most important thing is that we have an LTE clock, that is, it supports a mobile data connection. Once we have this completely clear premise, simply follow the following steps:
- The first thing is that we must have our Apple Watch linked to the iPhone in the normal way.
- Make a call from the Apple Watch by try.
- Turn off the iPhone.
- Turn off the Apple Watch.
- Remove the SIM card from the iPhone and place it on the Android device which must also be turned off.
- Turn on the Android device.
- Turn on the Apple Watch.
But as we have previously said, the operation with the watch will be totally limited . We can make and receive calls without problem and also use some applications that work individually without the need for an iPhone. And thanks to the latest features that watchOS has given it, the watch is much more independent with an integrated App Store.
What happens technically in this connection?
Surely many users think that by following these steps they already have their Android phone and Apple Watch, but the truth is that they are working independently. What really happens is that the watch with LTE we force it to become independent from the iPhone so that it does not depend on it to perform some of the vital functions. Obviously having the LTE connection activated always makes the battery suffer , and quite a lot.
In the future, who knows if we will see a dedicated application on Android devices, although at the moment we must settle for these methods.
