How to connect a Samsung watch to an iPhone

Many people believe that if you buy an iPhone, then you only need to buy an Apple Watch and other Apple branded accessories to go along with it in order to adhere to the ecosystem. It turns out that you can connect any smartwatch, even Samsung. This has been known for a long time, and the Korean company spent a lot of time trying to achieve complete mutual understanding between the devices. If you are not satisfied with the Apple Watch, and you are looking for a worthy analogue, doubting its compatibility, we will tell you how to connect a Samsung watch to an iPhone.

Let's figure out whether it is possible to connect a Samsung smart watch to an iPhone

Conditions for proper operation

When choosing, you need to pay attention to the system requirements of the devices, their compatibility, and versions of Bluetooth channels. Successful pairing of devices also depends on timely software updates.

Smart watches must be compatible with your phone. Most models of wrist gadgets are synchronized with any Android 4.2, iOS 8 and later phones.

Before connecting the watch to the phone, you need to perform operations common to all devices:

turn on both devices;
check that the batteries are fully charged;
if the level is low, recharge;
if the devices have recently been connected to other gadgets, cancel all previous connections;
activate the Bluetooth option on both devices.

How to properly charge your Gear S3

The most important thing you need to remember is to always use the original charger and battery to maintain optimal battery performance throughout the life of your Samsung watch.

You can charge the watch through the original accessory that comes with the gadget. To do this, simply plug the USB cable into a power outlet and connect it to a power outlet or USB port on your computer. The device charges faster from a regular wall outlet. The charging process will be a little slower from a laptop.

Place the watch on the charging dock, making sure it is properly connected to the gadget. The device will now start charging. While charging, the watch screen will display a battery charging icon with the amount of time remaining until the battery is fully charged.

Installation procedure

To connect your Samsung Gear S2 or S3 to your iPhone and forget about other smartwatches, you'll need a computer with iTunes. If you haven't launched it for a long time, it's time to update the program to the latest version.

What should be done:

1. Download the Gear S3 application file from here 2. Connect the iPhone to the computer and launch iTunes 3. Drag the downloaded file into the iTunes application window with the mouse 4. Open the “Applications” section in iTunes and drag the Gear S3 application to the iPhone with the mouse

After synchronization is complete, the treasured Gear S3 icon will appear on the iPhone desktop. You can disconnect your smartphone from your computer.

Next, you need to allow iOS to launch this “suspicious” application, from the OS point of view. For this:

Go to Settings on iPhone
Then open the Device Management section and confirm the use of a corporate certificate from Samsung

After these simple manipulations, you can launch the Gear S3 application and connect to your smart watch using it with one click of the “Connect” button.

Unusual combination

Samsung Gear S3 stands out from its competitors with its steel body and round AMOLED screen. It is large and clear, notifications are perfectly visible in the light, not to mention in the dark.

Back in the review of the previous version of the watch, Samsung Gear S2, I wrote about an unusual control element - a special bezel (ring), which is located around the screen and serves as a joystick for navigating the watch menu.

In the third version of the smart gadget, twisting this ring is even more pleasant; the smooth motion with noticeable clicks causes instant addiction. Unlike the crown on the Apple Watch, the Gear S3 offers a truly convenient way to interact with the device.

There are also two physical buttons on the watch, for quickly accessing the menu and exiting running applications. The buttons protrude noticeably and press pleasantly, with a clear click.

Another undeniable plus is the ability to replace the complete strap without effort and special costs. Using a special button, you can easily remove the bars and replace the strap with any other - all standard (20 mm) watch straps are suitable.

What Gear + iPhone can do

After successfully pairing the watch with a smartphone, the user becomes able to customize Samsung Gear - you can download and install new watch faces from the built-in store directly in the application. The watch monitors your physical condition, counting calories, steps and heart rate. All notifications from the iPhone are duplicated on the watch, including notifications from games and iMessage.

You can configure the incoming notification flow in the Gear S3 application, where there are exactly two options available: accept notifications or not accept.

When there is an incoming call, the watch displays the caller's number and name, if the number is in the iPhone phone book. Using the ring that frames the screen, which serves as a joystick, you can accept or reject calls. You will have to answer the call from your iPhone - you cannot talk by the clock.

The "OK Google" function does not work, nor does the Siri function. Well, the application has not yet been officially released, perhaps it will be completed for the official release.

How to choose a different watch face

There are many different replacement watch faces available for the Gear S3. Most of them are available in the Gear app on your Android device, you can view it directly from the app, select the one that suits you, and set it as your main watch face.

Switching between third-party watch faces can be done on the phone as well as on the watch itself. To do this without the involvement of your smartphone or app, long-tap on the current option on the screen, then swipe left or right to view preset watch faces. Once installed, you can click on the Styling tab and select the display colors and customize it as you wish.

Connecting to an Android phone

All smartwatches, except Apple Watch, successfully connect to smartphones running Android OS. The principle of synchronization is generally the same; the location of the required menus may differ slightly.

How to connect a smart watch to an Android phone:

Install the smart watch application on your smartphone. The required applications for the correct operation of the watch model are indicated in the attached instructions. You can download such an application via a QR code or find it on GooglePlay by name.
Turn on the watch and launch the application on your mobile phone.
Place the wrist device as close to the phone as possible.
Select the “Settings” item in the pairing program and wait for the watch to be detected.
Enter your PIN code, if required, select the “Connect” option. In most models, the PIN is entered automatically by devices. If this does not happen, you need to find it in the paper instructions included with the watch.
If the connection is successful, the application will display the message “Connected”.

How to take a screenshot on Samsung Gear S3

Continuing the topic of setting up the display, we’ll tell you how to take a screenshot on this watch. First of all, all the screenshots taken on your device are saved in the “Gallery”. You can transfer screenshots from your Gear S3 to your smartphone. Screenshots transferred to your phone will be saved in the Gear folder in Gallery.

To take a screenshot, simply press the Home key at the same time and swipe across the screen from the left edge to the right - as you can see, it’s very convenient! Go to the Gallery app to see all the screenshots.

Connecting to iPhone

To pair Apple devices, you do not need to install additional applications. Pairing occurs automatically when the Bluetooth option is active.

How to connect a smart watch to iPhone:

Enable Bluetooth or Wi-Fi protocols on your iPhone.
Turn on the Apple Watch with the button on the edge of the case and hold until the brand icon appears.
Bring the watch closer to the iPhone and wait for the connection message to appear.
Select “Next”.
Point your phone camera at the watch display.
Wait for the pairing message.
Register your wrist device using the identifier.
Set up your Apple Watch by following the prompts.

If the gadgets do not “see” each other, you should reset the settings of both devices to factory settings and repeat the steps.

Learn more about settings and connecting Apple Wacth in the step-by-step instructions: Setting up Apple Watch - functions, applications, updates, reset.

How to download music to watch

On the home screen of your smartphone, go to Applications. Select Samsung Gear. The Samsung Gear app may be located in the Samsung folder on some phones. Then do the following:

Go to the “Settings” tab
Click "Submit Content for Transfer"
Tap Select Audio Tracks (may have a different name)
Check the box next to the audio files you want to move to the Gear S3
Then click "Done"

To have new songs automatically sync to your Gear S3 while your watch is charging, tap the slider next to Automatic Sync to turn sync on.

What applications are needed to connect a smart watch to a phone?

Smart Watch synchronizes with Android using free applications downloaded from the Play Market.

WearOS is the official application from Google;
Mediatek Smart Service - a program for synchronizing devices running on the MediaTek processor;
BT Notification is a Chinese alternative to Android Wear, can be installed on both gadgets and is suitable for any watch.

List of applications for popular smart watch models for Android:

Watch brand	Application Name
Xiaomi	MiFit
Huawei	Huawei Health
Samsung	Galaxy Wearable (Samsung Gear)
Garmin	Garmin Connect
Smarterra	Lefun Health
JET	JETSportWatch
IWOWN	iWOWNfit Pro

How to install apps on your watch

Since Samsung Gear S3 runs on Tizen 3.0 OS, you can install popular applications on them, such as Yandex Navigator, Google Maps and others. To download apps to your Gear S3, you must sign in to your Samsung account on your phone. If you don't have a Samsung account, select "Sign Up" and follow the instructions.

You can download apps to your watch from your phone using the Samsung Gear app and the Samsung Galaxy Apps tab.
Swipe left on the watch screen or rotate the frame until you reach the Get more apps icon
Select the application you need
Select "Install"
Once the app has been installed, you can access it from your watch's full app list

Why do you need a SIM card?

In addition to pairing with a mobile phone, many smartwatch models have the ability to use a SIM card for independent mobile communication.

A watch with a SIM card can:

make and receive calls without using a phone.
send SMS messages.
receive notifications from social networks and instant messengers.
surf the Internet.
take photos and videos if the watch has a built-in camera.

Synchronizing devices using a mobile application

A more common way to pair a Smart Watch with a phone is to use the functionality of a mobile application that allows you to synchronize your phone with the Smart Watch.

The procedure itself is as follows:

Go to the Play Store (Ep Store) and download the application to work with your watch. The name and link to the application can be found in the instructions for your watch. For example, it could be Wear OS from Google;

Wear OS is one of the best applications for working with smartwatches
Activate Bluetooth on your phone. If necessary, enable discovery mode there, which allows other devices to find your phone via Bluetooth;
Turn on your smartwatch. Typically, this requires holding down their main multi-function button for a few seconds;
Launch the downloaded application on the bracelet and give it all the necessary permissions;
The application will start the watch search mode. In some applications, to find a watch you will need to click on the “Search” button or something similar; The application will search for smartwatches
When the application detects your watch and its name appears on the screen, tap on this name, and click on “Pair” to synchronize;
The connection with the phone will be completed.

Installing the application on your phone

To work with smart watches on Android, for example on the Samsung Galaxy, you will need to first install a special application. WEAR OS enables operation with smart watches. To install, perform the following steps:

To get this application, you need to go to Google Play and use search to find the page to install this application.
The program needs to be downloaded and installed.
When you first start, pair and configure the smartwatch.

When setting up, you need to pay special attention to the messages. It is important that alerts have a loud enough tone so that they cannot be missed. Such functions are also performed by the Galaxy Wearable program. By activating the Google Now service, you can use voice programs to control your watch.

When performing setup, it is recommended to activate geolocation. This will allow the watch owner to track movement along various routes.

If you set up work with contacts, then using the watch you can make calls, receive SMS and dictate a response using a voice assistant.

Installing the application on a smart watch

It is possible to install the necessary programs on the watch. A prerequisite for this is their synchronization with the phone. To install the application this way, follow these steps:

You need to turn on your smart watch.
If you press the Power key, you can see a list of applications already installed here. You need to scroll down the page and open the Play Market.
Now you need to select your Google account.
You can use the search to go to the application page. In this case, you can use a voice assistant or keyboard to enter a request.
When you go to the desired page, download the application and install it.

After the first launch, the program is configured for further use.

Why does the watch with a SIM card not work?

To prevent problems when using a watch with a SIM card, you should consider:

capabilities of the telecom operator: the quality of the signal, mobile coverage area, and ease of setting up the device depend on the choice of a reliable supplier.
tariff with Internet traffic of at least 1 GB per month.
replenishment of the account: if the balance is zero, the capabilities of the watch using a separate SIM card will be limited.

General instructions for popular smartwatch models in Russian will help a novice user master the process of connecting and controlling the device.

How to improve autonomy

Below are some tips to help you get the best battery life from your Samsung Gear S3. Follow these instructions and your watch will run much longer.

Set the minimum brightness
Turn off smart display activation
Disable Always On Display
Turn off continuous heart rate reading
Disable GPS in settings
Activate Power Saving Mode

Following on from last year's Gear S2, the Samsung Gear S3 is the next generation of smartwatches. Only the Apple Watch 2 series can be listed as competitors, while all other gadgets are much inferior in function and design. In the new smartwatch model, Samsung decided to present two design options, including the more premium Classic and Frontier. The watch runs on Samsung's own Tizen operating system. In terms of features, a GPS module has been added for more accurate tracking of sports activity and sending SOS messages, a speaker for making calls, Samsung Pay To service and a more powerful battery. Samsung has achieved great success in terms of design and features of the new Gear S3 smartwatch.

Samsung Gear S3 design

If you have a thin wrist, then you should consider the large size of the Samsung Gear S3. The new smartwatch is larger than the previous Gear S2 model. The massive 46mm bezel makes the new gadget an undeniably more masculine watch. The watch is also noticeably heavier and thicker due to the placement of additional sensors and a larger battery. Users' opinions about the elegance of smart watches on the wrist are divided - many consider the previous model more stylish. The Gear S3 is IP68 certified and waterproof to a depth of 1.5 meters for 30 minutes. You can take a shower with the watch without any problems, but it is not recommended for diving. The watch performed well during tests at extremely high and low temperatures. But the Apple Watch's main competitor has been made completely waterproof, which makes this model more functional.

If you want to add a little personality to your watch, you can do so with a new strap. The simple release mechanism allows you to fit any 22mm Samsung watch band. One of the main differences between the Gear S3 Frontier and Classic versions is the exclusive finish and buttons. The side-mounted speaker allows you to make calls and listen to music, and the back of the watch has an optical heart rate sensor, just like the Gear S2. It allows you to continuously monitor your heart rate during exercise.

Samsung Gear S3 Review

The rotating ring around the display is a unique Samsung solution for more convenient interaction with smartwatches without the constant need to move your finger across the touchscreen. Compared to the previous model, the ring has become more functional and allows you to perform more tasks. Now you can use it to accept and reject calls, control music volume and even play games. However, many people continue to use the touch screen for calls. Noteworthy is the ability to synchronize the ring to work with third-party applications. By turning the ring, you can adjust the temperature on the thermostat, the lighting of the smart lamp, and much more.

Gear S3 watch display

Among the main advantages of the Samsung Gear S3 smartwatch, it is worth noting its magnificent display. The large 1.3-inch screen with AMOLED 360 x 360 pixel touchscreen allows you to fully realize all the benefits of Tizen OS. In terms of brightness and richness of colors, this is one of the best smartwatches on the market. Despite these dimensions, the display allows you to view photos without any loss of quality. You won't have any problems viewing it at night or in bright sunlight. The sensor is quite responsive and adequate. Samsung used a new protective glass Gorilla Glass SR+ with protection against scratches and damage. The new glass also reduces surface reflection.

Tizen Operating System

Operating systems are the main battleground for smartwatch manufacturers. Apple continues to improve its watchOS, Google is currently developing its Android Wear 2.0, but other companies are trying to keep up. Samsung also came up with its own operating system when developing its Tizen. Right from the watch's home screen, you can access quick settings, including screen brightness, audio player controls, or viewing battery status. Swipe right to see the latest events, updates, and app notifications. By swiping left, you can work with the calendar and fitness tracker metrics. To style the display, just press on the dial. It doesn't offer the same level of styling as the Apple Watch Series 2, but it does have a nice collection of templates. Pressing the bottom button activates the circular menu, which can be conveniently controlled via the rotating ring. Overall, the Tizen operating system is fast and easy to use. With a tap on the screen, you can rearrange icons, or uninstall third-party apps you no longer want to use. You can also add widgets for numerous applications, including S Health. Notification support is also well implemented, be it third-party app alerts, SMS or emails. Any messages can be easily and conveniently viewed on the smartwatch display. Using the Tizen operating system is really easy and convenient.

Samsung is trying to provide smartwatches with the capabilities of a smartphone as much as possible, for which a speaker was installed. After successfully pairing your Samsung Gear S3 Bluetooth watch with your smartphone, the watch imports your contact list and allows you to make calls directly from your wrist. The call quality is excellent. Using the microphone, you can record voice memos or leave voice messages. To do this, you can use the S Voice application. Replying to text messages and emails from the watch is not entirely convenient, but this is a feature of all such gadgets. For a faster response, you can customize standard templates, or use smiles and emojis.

The Gear S3 smartwatch synchronizes with your smartphone via Bluetooth using the Gear Manager application. You can also connect Bluetooth headphones to your watch. The big advantage is 4 GB of internal memory and the function of transferring music from a smartphone to a smartwatch, but this will have to be done through a special application. Samsung is doing everything it can to make the Gear S3 a standalone device, including a Wi-Fi module and an LTE version of the Frontier with an e-Sim card. The watch supports NFC and Samsung Pay, which allows you to pay for purchases using the watch.

Gear S3: Fitness and Health

Like Apple's main competitor, Samsung has a strong focus on fitness and health. There's built-in GPS for activity tracking, plus a range of sensors including heart rate, barometer and speedometer. Automatic exercise recognition works with many sports and includes set control, recently introduced in Gear Fit2. The fitness tracker will report calories burned, steps taken, and also give a signal when you have been sitting too long at work. The constantly improving S Health application is responsible for all these points.

When compared with the competing tracker Fitbit Flex 2, the Samsung Gear S3 performed well in counting steps, distance and sleep quality. In terms of motivation, smart watches also keep up with competitors, promptly reminding you to get up from your chair and do some sports. And although all data is stored on the smartphone in S Health, a sufficient amount of information is available directly from the watch display. This gadget copes well with its sports tasks. Automatic recognition of the type of exercise works quite clearly, but the number of approaches is not always accurately calculated. The heart rate monitor cannot be called ultra-accurate.

Samsung Gear S3 apps

Compared to the Gear S2, the apps on Samsung's new smartwatch have been significantly improved. According to the company, there are more than 10,000 applications available in the Samsung App Store that interact with the Gear in one way or another. Some apps come pre-installed, including a diary, calendar, music player, and weather forecast. Many popular companies have their own apps, including Nike, Uber, BMW and Nest. There is a series of games specifically for watches, which can be controlled using a rotating ring. However, in terms of app variety, the Samsung Gear S3 lags behind rivals Apple and Google. The competition of companies in terms of developing their own platforms forces them to equip their gadgets with more and more new functions and capabilities, which should push application developers to pay more attention to the Tizen operating system and the Gear S3 smartwatch.

Gear S3 battery

Thanks to the larger body, Samsung was able to accommodate a larger 380mAh battery. This made it possible to extend the life of the device to 3-4 days with a fairly high display brightness and periodic use of GPS tracking. If you turn off the always-on display mode, you can extend the battery life a little more. Energy saving mode allows you to survive for a long time when the battery charge is low. The battery is a significant improvement over the Gear S2 and outperforms its main competitor, Apple's smartwatches. In terms of operating time, this is an absolute record for a gadget with this screen size and functions. A small LED diode will let you know when the device is fully charged. It will take at least several hours to charge the battery from 0 to 100%.

So, the new smart watches from Samsung are capable of surprising. Despite the increased size, the Gear S3 focused on functionality. The watch features a larger battery, GPS and a superior display to take full advantage of the Tizen operating system. This gadget can be a good helper for those who lead a healthy lifestyle, but you shouldn't compare it with leading fitness trackers. In terms of competition, the Gear S3 is in no way inferior to the Apple Watch, and in some ways even surpasses it. Of course, there is still a lot of room for improvement, especially in the software area. You will probably be interested in reading about the best fitness trackers of 2017 in a special selection on TrendCat.

How to connect a Samsung smart watch to an iPhone

Another question is how to connect a Samsung Gear S3 watch to an iPhone. It was noted above that these devices are compatible with each other. The principle of operation for switching is similar to that discussed above for Android phones. The difference is that the iOS application must be downloaded from the App Store. But there are some nuances that are worth paying attention to.

Is it possible to connect a Samsung watch to an iPhone?

The procedure for connecting a Samsung Watch to an iPhone is as follows:

Place the Samsung Gear near your smartphone.
Turn on Bluetooth on your phone.
Launch the application.
On the welcome screen, click on the “Connect to Gear” button.
The program itself will find the Galaxy Watch and offer to connect to it.
After the devices are connected, the access password will be displayed on the screens of both. You don’t need to enter it anywhere, just confirm that the required code is displayed on the gadget display.
To confirm, press the “check mark” on the watch screen, and on the iPhone, press the “Create Pair” button.
Now your Galaxy Watch is synced with your iPhone and you can use it.

Important! Before connecting your Samsung watch to your iPhone, you need to update your gadget to the latest version.

How to connect Amazfit to iPhone

To connect a wearable gadget from Xiaomi, which is produced under the Amazfit brand, you will need to create an account in this program. It’s great if the user already has a profile on the social network Facebook: you can use it to log in to the application.

After logging in, you can start synchronizing:

Place Amazfit next to your smartphone.
Turn on Bluetooth on your iPhone.
In the application, in the “Profile” section, select “Device”.
Click on “Watch” and select your model from the list provided.
The smartphone will begin searching for the device and once it detects the wearable device, it will ask for confirmation.
Press confirmation on the Amazfit screen.
The device is now connected to the iPhone.

Connecting other smart watches to iPhone

To synchronize portable devices from other manufacturers with your iPhone, you will need a little more effort. So, all preparatory activities have been completed, but for verification, below is a kind of checklist:

We have a smartphone running Android with an application installed on it to control the smart watch;
The BLE Utility application is installed on the iPhone;
there is a clock itself and it is turned on;
Bluetooth is enabled on both smartphones.

Now you can start synchronizing your gadget and Android smartphone:

Open the application and click “Configure”.
Select the desired language on the watch.
After completing all the application's requests, it will begin searching for the device.
When the search process is completed, a code will be displayed on the screen of the wearable gadget, which must be entered into the appropriate field on the smartphone display and press the “Connect” button.
A few more manipulations (the application itself will prompt you what exactly to do) and the clock is synchronized.

It’s more convenient to check the weather on your hand instead of taking out your smartphone.

The next step is to link the smart watch to the iPhone:

Launch the BLE Utility application.
Go to the “Peripheral” tab.
The watch will issue a special password that must be entered into the field on the iPhone screen.
The devices will begin to align and create a pair.

Setting up a connection between a smart watch and an iPhone

After the pair is created, it becomes possible to configure the smart watch through the application installed on the iPhone. It allows:

determine which application notifications will be displayed;
set the screen unlock mode (is it possible to unlock the iPhone screen through the watch);
choose the appropriate dial;
configure music playback modes;
customize the display of weather, calendar and alarm clock.

Please note that the range of available settings for smart watches varies depending on the model and application capabilities.

If devices are not compatible

Sometimes it is not possible to connect an iPhone to a Samsung watch on Android. In such a situation, an “intermediary” is needed, which will be an Android phone. The algorithm of actions is as follows:

Connect the smart watch to your Android device (instructions are discussed above).
Download and install Aerlink: Wear Connect for iOS on your phone. It automatically switches to clock mode.
Find the BLE Utility program in the Apple store and install it on your iPhone.
Launch Aerlink through your smartwatch to start searching for your smartphone.
The device displays a pairing code, which must be entered in a special line on the smartphone display.

Welcome Samsung

All lucky owners of stylish Gear S2 or S3 watches are lucky - they can not spend money on an expensive accessory from Apple, but can almost fully use their smart gadget with iPhone. Samsung is going to keep its promise to support Apple products - the application runs smoothly, no crashes or freezes were noticed.

Minuses:

Few apps and downloadable watch faces
Lack of pairing with medical card on iPhone
The application can only be installed via iTunes
Voice assistants do not work - both Google and Siri

Pros:

Receive notifications, manage calls
Large bright screen
The clock looks like a clock
Built-in NFC sensor
Easy strap replacement
Stainless steel housing (316L)
Dust and moisture protection according to IP68 standard
Built-in GPS module

The third version of the popular Samsung smartwatch looks very good on the hand, and given its support for working with iOS, it is an excellent alternative to the controversial Apple Watch.

(6 votes, total 4.33 out of 5)