What Do I Need?
To connect your Apple Watch with an Android smartphone, you need:
An unlocked Apple Watch with LTE An unlocked Android smartphone An unlocked iPhone 6 or later A SIM card removal tool To be on a cellular network that supports the Apple Watch
How to Connect an Apple Watch and Android Phone
First, set up your Apple Watch and configure it with your selected iPhone device. You’ll need to start with an iPhone to set up the Apple Watch and connect it to your carrier’s LTE network. Once your Apple Watch is ready, proceed with the steps below.
What Functionality Can I Expect?
Your Apple Watch and its installed apps will be able to keep themselves updated over a cellular connection; select apps that require your iPhone may function unexpectedly. You should now see your Android device is connected to your carrier as usual and that your Apple Watch is also connected. You can make phone calls, but messaging can be cumbersome. iMessage, for example, tends to work with this setup, but standard text messages (SMS) fail; a significant problem since your Android device will typically want to send all messages as standard SMS texts. Since you won’t have access to an iPhone, you won’t be able to keep your device and software suitably up to date. If you want to install a new app on your watch, you’ll also be out of luck because you need an iPhone to complete this function.
How Does This Work?
Your two devices aren’t actually communicating with one another; from a technical perspective, they’re still wholly incompatible. However, setting up your Watch with LTE means it no longer needs to use an iPhone to complete some of its primary functions. Be prepared to see a loss in functionality, and the constant use of LTE will drain your Apple Watch battery faster than usual. While it’s a fun experiment overall, if you love Android, you’re better off picking up a dedicated smartwatch that’s compatible with your phone.
