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How To Ping Your Apple Watch From Your Phone And Vice Versa

By Author Turner Tomlinson

Posted on Last updated:

You can usually find your iPhone or iPad pretty quickly when you misplace it. But the Apple Watch is so small that finding it can prove to be a real hassle. Luckily, Apple Watch has a cool feature where you can use your iPhone to ping and locate your watch (and vice versa).

To ping your Apple Watch using your iPhone, go to Find My App > Devices and tap ‘Apple Watch.’ Your missing watch will produce a pinging sound to help you locate it. On the other hand, to ping your iPhone using your Apple Watch, go to the Control Center and tap on the phone icon.

With this simple but very useful feature, life just got a lot easier. Let’s take a closer look at how the ping feature works and how to use it to find your devices whenever you need them.

Can You Use Your iPhone to Locate Your Apple Watch?

Iphone and Apple Watch

Yes, just as you can use your Apple Watch (on Amazon) to locate your iPhone, you can also use your iPhone to locate your Apple Watch. The two complement each other. However, keep in mind that you need to have Find My already enabled on your devices for this feature to work.

You’ll also need to have both devices connected to a WiFi network.

Here’s how to enable Find My iPhone:

  1. On your iPhone and go to Settings.
  2. Tap on your Profile ID.
  3. Tap ‘iCloud.’
  4. Scroll down and select ‘Find My iPhone.’
  5. Toggle it on.

How to Ping Your Apple Watch

There are two ways to ping your Apple Watch using iPhone. You can use the Find My app or the Watch app.

Using the Find My App

Here’s how to ping your Apple Watch using the Find My app:

  1. On your iPhone, open the Find My app and sign in to your iCloud account if you were logged out.
  2. Open the ‘Devices‘ tab.
  3. You’ll be presented with a list of your Apple devices. Look for your Apple Watch and tap it.
  4. A map will appear with your watch’s location alongside other of your Apple devices. Tap on the watch icon.
  5. From the pop-up menu, select ‘Play Sound.’

Using the Watch App

If you decide to use the Watch app:

  1. On your iPhone, open the Watch app.
  2. Select your Apple Watch and tap the ‘i‘ icon next to it.
  3. Next, tap ‘Find My Apple Watch.’
  4. A map will appear with your watch’s location. Tap on the watch icon.
  5. From the pop-up menu, select ‘Play Sound.’

A pinging sound will start playing on your Apple Watch. This should help you find it. Once you locate your watch, tap ‘Dismiss‘ to stop the pinging sound.

It’s that easy!

How to Ping Your iPhone From Your Apple Watch

The ping feature also allows you to use your Apple Watch to locate your lost iPhone. Here’s how to do it:

  1. On your Apple Watch, open the Control Center screen.
  2. Tap on the buzzing phone icon to locate your iPhone.
  3. Your phone will begin ringing. Keep on tapping the phone icon until you locate your phone.

A shortcoming with this feature is that your phone needs to be within your watch’s Bluetooth range for it to work.

Troubleshooting Tips

If the ping feature doesn’t work on either your iPhone or Apple Watch, you can use these troubleshooting tips to help fix the problem:

Reboot Your Devices

Reboot your iPhone and Apple Watch to fix any bug or glitch that might be causing the problem. Here’s how to reboot an iPhone:

For iPhones X, 11, 12, and later models:

  1. Press and hold the Side button and either Volume Button until the ‘Power Off’ slider appears.
  2. Drag the slider to turn off your device. Wait for a few seconds and turn it back on.
  3. To do so, press and hold the Side button until the Apple logo appears.

For 2nd and 3rd generation iPhones (iPhone 6, 7, 8, and SE):

  1. Press and hold the Side button until the ‘Power Off’ slider appears.
  2. Swipe the slider right to turn off your device. Wait for a few seconds and turn it back on.
  3. To do so, press and hold the Side button until the Apple logo appears.

For 1st Generation iPhones (iPhone SE, 5 or earlier):

  1. Press and hold the Top button until the ‘Power Off‘ slider appears.
  2. Swipe the slider right to turn off your device. Wait for a few seconds and turn it back on.
  3. To do so, press and hold the Top button until the Apple logo appears.

To reboot an Apple Watch:

  1. Press and hold the Side button and Digital Crown simultaneously for about 10 seconds.
  2. Release them when the Apple logo appears.

Confirm Your Internet Connection

You need a stable and working internet connection for the ping feature to work. Stabilize your internet and then try again.

Update iOS and watchOS

Man wearing Apple Watch

Similar to rebooting, you can also update your device’s operating system to fix any bug or glitch that might be causing the problem.

To update your watchOS, go to Watch App > General > Software Update.

To update your iOS, go to Settings > General > Software Update.

Download and install any available update.

Check That the Find My Service Is Working

The Find My service should be working for the pinging feature to function. You must have enabled it on your iPhone and Apple Watch. Also, you must pair the two devices and sign them into the same iCloud account.