Smart watches and smartphones are a great match when well integrated. The best example is the iPhone and Apple Watch, which have tight integration for notifications, fitness tracking and more. Many Android manufacturers have tried to replicate this integration since the release of Wear OS. There are plenty of great Wear OS smartwatches out there, such as the Google Pixel Watch line and the Samsung Galaxy Watch.
While you can use the Apple Watch on Android, a Wear OS smartwatch integrates better with your Android smartphone. Using Wear OS with an Android phone also means you can use a watch and phone from different manufacturers. This article shows how to use a Samsung Galaxy Watch, such as the Galaxy Watch 6, with a Google Pixel smartphone.
What features are you missing?
Using a Wear OS device with any Android smartphone works fine. However, you’ll miss out on some features if you’re not using a Samsung phone. You’ll receive notifications and reply to texts, but services such as Samsung Wallet don’t work with Pixel smartphones. This is not a big deal, as you can use Google Wallet.
A Galaxy Watch paired with a Pixel phone can’t see EKG or blood pressure data, even though the sensors are there. Pixel smartphone users also can’t control their camera from their Galaxy Watch, sync Do Not Disturb or Sleep Mode with their phone, or make and receive calls from their watch if it’s an LTE version unless it’s connected via Bluetooth.
How to pair a Pixel phone with a Galaxy Watch
Use the Galaxy Wearable app to pair your Galaxy Watch with your Pixel phone. If you’ve already set up the watch, make a backup before changing the phone it’s connected to.
- Make sure your Galaxy Watch is charged and turned on.
- Navigate to settings on your watch.
- Choose Connect to the new phone option.
- If prompted, create a backup clock data.
- Review the message that will appear and select Continue or Tick.
- Download Galaxy Wearable app from the Google Play store.
- Launch the app and tap Beginning.
- Touch Galaxy Watch. If the option doesn’t appear, tap Rescanning.
- Give the app the necessary permissions.
- On Devices spotted nearby screen, tap Galaxy Watch option.
- The code appears on your phone and your Galaxy Watch. If they match, tap Confirm on your phone and tap Tick on your watch.
- Touch Alright and select Install to allow the app to download and install the Gear and Samsung Accessory Service. These services are necessary for the integration of two devices.
- Review and accept the terms and conditions and privacy notice.
There are a few items you may be asked to do before proceeding:
- To access the location and Gear, tap Allow.
- To connect the accessory to your watch, tap Alright.
- Sign in to your Samsung account. You can create one or continue without an account.
- You may be prompted to restore your watch from a backup. Touch Skip For now and tap Alright to set your watch as new. Otherwise, tap Check the backup > Following. Then select the backup you want to restore and tap Return.
- If you have an LTE watch, choose whether you want to use the previous plan or the new plan.
Once you’ve answered all the prompts, tap Following start. Your Galaxy Watch is now paired with your Pixel phone.
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Keep an eye on this pairing
Although the Samsung Galaxy Watch works best with a Samsung smartphone, many features are available with other Android smartphones. Pairing your Google Pixel phone with your Galaxy Watch lets you view notifications, reply to messages, and more. The pairing process is a bit complicated, but once you’ve completed it, you’re done. If you have a Galaxy Watch 6, get the most out of it with these tips and tricks.