Is your Apple Watch continuously refusing to find your iPhone, even though they seem perfectly connected for everything else? You’re not alone. It’s a frustrating glitch when your watch flashes that ‘No Apple devices found to locate’ message, or when your iPhone simply can’t see your watch in the Find My app. We found some fixes.
You can change watch faces, get notifications, and even ring your phone from your watch, but when you need to actually find your phone, it doesn’t work. Don’t worry, though! This isn’t some unfixable mystery. We’re going to walk you through a series of straightforward steps that can get your Apple Watch and iPhone talking to each other again. Let’s dive in and get those devices back in sync!
Table of Contents
1. Start with the Basics: Quick Checks First
Before we dive into the more technical stuff, let’s make sure we’ve covered the simple things. Sometimes, the easiest solutions are the ones we overlook.
- Bluetooth and Wi-Fi: Double-check that Bluetooth and Wi-Fi are both turned on for your iPhone and your Apple Watch. Yes, even Wi-Fi. It helps with location.
- Same Apple Account: Are both devices logged into the same Apple and iCloud account? They should be.
- Find My Network: In Settings, check that the Find My Network is enabled on both devices.
- Battery Levels: Low battery can cause weird issues. Make sure both devices have enough juice.
- Restart Your iPhone: Power it off, then power it back on.
- Restart Your Apple Watch: Power it off, then power it back on.
- Update Your Software:
- a) Update iOS: Go to Settings > General > Software Update on your iPhone.
- b) Update watchOS: Use the Watch app on your iPhone to check for and install updates.
- Install Apple Maps: Make sure you have Apple Maps installed on both devices as Apple forces the Watch to open the Maps app for “Precision Finding” feature. Note your Watch must have UWB to support precision finding.
If everything looks good on these basic checks, and you’re still having trouble, let’s move on to the next steps.
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2. Check Your Find My Settings
Let’s make sure ‘Find My’ is set up correctly on both devices.
- On Your iPhone: Go to Settings > [Your Name] > Find My. Make sure Find My iPhone is toggled on.
- On Your iPhone: Within Find My, make sure Share My Location is also on.
- On Your Apple Watch: In the watch app on your phone, go to Settings > Privacy and Security > Location Services and ensure the Apple Watch is set to share its location.
- On Your Apple Watch: Go to Settings > [Your Name] > Find My. Make sure Find My Watch is toggled on.
These settings are crucial for ‘Find My’ to work properly
3. Unpair and Re-pair Your Apple Watch
If restarting didn’t do the trick, unpairing and re-pairing your Apple Watch can often fix deeper connection issues.
Back-Up First: Before you unpair, back up your Apple Watch. You don’t want to lose your data.
Use the Watch app on your iPhone to unpair your watch. Here’s how:
- Go to Watch App > All Watches > “i” option > Unpair Apple Watch.
Now we repair the Watch with your iPhone.
- Re-Pair: Follow the on-screen instructions to pair your watch again.
This process can reset the connection between your devices and resolve any conflicts. If you still face the same issue, try the “Set Up as New Apple Watch” option once during the repair process.
4. Reset Network Settings (iPhone)
If the issue persists, a network settings reset on your iPhone can sometimes help.
Go to Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPhone > Reset > Reset Network Settings.
Warning: This will erase your saved Wi-Fi passwords, so you’ll need to re-enter them.
5. Factory Reset Your Apple Watch (Last Resort)
If all else fails, a factory reset is your final option.
Try to back up your watch before resetting it.
- Go to Settings.
- Tap on General.
- Tap the Reset option.
- Erase All Content and Settings on your Apple Watch.
Set up your watch again from scratch. This will erase all data and settings, returning your watch to its factory state.
Preventing the “No Apple Devices Found to Locate” Error
While the solutions above can help you fix the error when it occurs, here are some tips to prevent it from happening in the future:
- Keep your devices updated: Regularly update your Apple Watch and iPhone to the latest software versions.
- Maintain a stable internet connection: Ensure your devices are connected to a reliable Wi-Fi network or have a strong cellular data signal.
- Check Find My settings periodically: Occasionally verify that Find My is enabled on all your devices and that Location Services is turned on.
- Avoid extreme temperatures: Extreme heat or cold can affect the performance of your Apple Watch and its battery, potentially causing connectivity issues.
- Unpair any previous Apple Watches: Before activating a new Apple Watch, make sure to unpair any previous Apple Watches you owned to avoid activation issues.
We’ve covered a range of fixes, from the simple to the more complex ones. Hopefully, one of these steps will help you get your Apple Watch and iPhone back in sync.
