Apple Watch App Keeps Saying Get Connected? – Fix in Minutes!

If your Apple Watch app keeps saying get connected, make sure your WiFi and Bluetooth are on.

If they are, but you are still getting the message, don’t panic. There are a few things you can do to solve this issue.

When your Apple Watch app can’t recognize a network connection, it may be too far away from your phone or router.

You may have also configured the wrong network settings. In some cases, the culprit is a temporary glitch that you can easily solve with a simple restart.

To clear your Apple Watch app keeps saying Get Connected issue, toggle the Airplane Mode on your device. On your watch face, swipe up to open the Control Center and find the airplane icon. Tap it once to turn on the mode, then wait for 30 seconds. Tap it again to disable the mode. 

Sure, there are many ways to fix your Apple Watch connection issue. But, before we move on to the solutions, let us discuss the causes.

Why does Apple Watch Get Connected Error Notification

When you see an Apple Watch get connected error, a bug may mislead your smartphone from detecting that it’s actually connected to your Apple Watch.

Make sure your iPhone has Bluetooth or WiFi activated to clear the issue.

Other possible reasons include:

1. Too Far Away From The Phone

Your devices may be over 10 meters away from each other, or there is wireless interference.

2. WiFi or Bluetooth Connectivity

If your phone can’t connect via Bluetooth, it will connect to a trusted WiFi network. You will get a connection error notification if none of the two works.

3. Bad Network Settings

Settings are not set properly to facilitate connection. Either your phone’s Bluetooth or WiFi is turned off, or your device is on Airplane Mode.

4. Temporary Glitch

Your device acquired a bug after updating to iOS 14.2, or the watch suddenly became very glitchy.

These are the common reasons your Apple Watch shows a get connected error. Now, we can proceed to the solutions that target each issue.

How to Fix Apple Watch App Keeps Saying Get Connected

Before attempting advanced solutions to solve your Apple Watch app, keeps saying get connected issue, try the basics.

First, move your iPhone close to your Apple Watch. They should be within 33 feet or 10 meters of one another.

Also, ensure there isn’t wireless interference caused by other appliances, such as your microwave.

Restarting both your Apple Watch and iPhone can also refresh their connections.

If restarting your devices doesn’t work, you can then move on to more detailed troubleshooting steps.

Solution #1: Force Restart Your Apple Watch

The next step is force restart. It won’t impact your Apple Watch’s data, making it an excellent solution. Basically, it fully powers off your device and restarts it.

So, all your contacts and apps remain intact. It’s a deeper restart that flushes the memory of your device, so it boots all of its systems from scratch.

Here’s how to do it:

1. Press the Digital Crown and Side Button of your watch.
2. Hold the buttons simultaneously until the Apple logo appears.
3. Wait for your wrist-worn device to restart.
4. Open the Watch app.
5. Check if the Get Connected error is still present.

Note: The only difference between a restart and a force restart is how the power gets cut. Force restart your Apple watch if the screen is frozen.

Solution #2: Toggle Airplane Mode on Your Apple Watch

If you don’t want to restart your Apple Watch, force your devices to reconnect with each other by toggling the Airplane Mode.

Similar to your phone, Airplane Mode disconnects all the possible connections of your watch.

This will force your watch to reconnect without using any cached data.

Hopefully, this will make your iPhone detect the active connection.

1. Raise your wrist to wake the screen.
2. Swipe up from the bottom to display the Control Center.
3. Tap the airplane symbol to enable it.
4. Switch to your iPhone and repeat steps 1-3.  
5. Wait 10 seconds, then disable Airplane Mode on both devices.

Note: Open the Apple Watch app on your phone and check if you still get the Get Connected pop-up.

Solution #3: Pair and Restore Your Apple Watch

If the above solutions don’t work, we recommend pairing your devices again and restoring your Apple Watch.

It’s the next best thing to do if you don’t see any software updates to fix your problem.

1. Open the Watch app on the paired iPhone.
2. Tap on All Watches in the My Watch tab.
3. Tap the ‘i’ icon to display your Apple Watch’s info screen.
4. Use the Unpair Apple Watch option and confirm your choice.

Note: Choose the most recent backup for restoring and wait until the process is completed. Then, configure your Watch when ready!

Solution #4: Switch Off Your VPN

Another quick fix-it to your get connected bug problem involves your VPN.

Switching it off and on again can resolve this issue especially if you can’t live without connecting to your VPN.

Here’s how to switch off your VPN.

1. Go to the Settings app.
2. Tap General.
3. Select VPN.
4. Tap the Status slider at the top of the page.
5. Set it to Off position.

Note: After switching your VPN off, check if you’re still experiencing the error. If it’s resolved, you can try reconnecting to your VPN.

Solution #5: Reset Your iPhone’s Network Settings

Another way to refresh your iPhone and Apple Watch connection is to reset the network settings.

It will restore all network-related features and configurations to their default values.

1. Open the Settings app.
2. Scroll to General.
3. Find Reset and tap Reset Network Settings.
4. Enter your password to confirm your move.
5. Now, try to re-pair your Apple Watch.

Note: Resetting your iPhone’s network settings will restore your VPN, Bluetooth, WiFi, Ethernet, and network adapters.

Solution #6: Reset Your Apple Watch to Default Settings

As a last resort, reset your Apple Watch to its default settings. It should fix the get connected issue, but it will wipe out your saved data.

You won’t necessarily need to do the same for your iPhone to allow you to restore your data easily.

Here’s how to reset your Apple Watch:

1. Go to the Settings menu on your Apple Watch.
2. Select General.
3. Choose the Reset option.
4. Hit Erase All Content and Settings.

Tip: Your Apple Watch might ask for your password during the reset process.

Note: Be sure to backup your data before resetting your Apple Watch.

If none of the above solutions fixes the issue, it is time to contact Apple customer support.

This may not be a simple bug or connectivity issue.  The problem may be hardware related. You need to get help from other Apple Watch users and tech support. 

Read Next: Apple Watch Keeps Pausing During Workout?

Bottom Line

Now you know the possible reasons your Apple Watch app keeps saying get connected and the solutions to tackle the issue.

Our surefire troubleshooting steps are easy to follow. You don’t need technical knowledge to apply them.

However, if the issue persists after exhausting all possible solutions, we recommend you contact Apple Watch customer support for additional assistance.