One of the biggest gripes of Android users is that Apple gadgets don't play nice with Google's software. The Apple Watch is a classic example — which is kind of strange given the potential revenue missed by the company by not making the smartwatch Android-compatible.
Now, there's a way around this limitation, as one developer has found a way to pair the Apple Watch Ultra 2 with an Android phone.
Apple Watch Companion for Android
The Apple Watch Ultra 2 works on Android... sort of. | Image by X
Developer Ismail Sojal posted on X his progress with an open-source project called Apple Watch Companion.
Connect Apple Watch to Android, Linux, and Windows through native Bluetooth/IDS protocols and a shared Flutter Companion. macOS uses the same interface with a limited Bluetooth backend.
- Apple Watch Companion for Android on GitHub
The repository has been published on GitHub and works on Android, Linux, and Windows devices. This companion app not only connects the Apple Watch to devices outside of the Apple ecosystem but also allows for some basic Apple Watch management. You can check battery information, manage watch faces, and play with certain settings.
There are some caveats, however.
You need a rooted Android phone
Before you run to the Apple store to buy an Apple Watch, there are some caveats. For starters, you need root access to your Android phone, and this means voiding some warranties and going into uncharted software territory.
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Mr. Sojal only verified the Apple Watch Companion for Android working on a OnePlus 13 device, pairing an Apple Watch Ultra 2 running watchOS 26.2. Most of the features still don't work, and some of them are important, such as taking calls on the watch and health data integration.
Would you buy an Apple Watch if it were Android-compatible?
1 Votes
Development is ongoing
Apple Watch Companion is an open-source project and development is ongoing. | Image by GitHub
At the moment, Apple Watch Companion is just a proof-of-concept and a cute side-project of a single developer. Given the open-source nature of the project, it will rely on input from the dev community to move forward and also on the free time and motivation of Ismail Sojal.
Development is ongoing. The hardware journal confirms camera pairing, activation, and a visible Watch face. Full Watch.app parity, every iPhone feature, and compatibility with every Apple Watch model remain incomplete. macOS discovery is implemented; the complete physical pairing → activation → IDS path is unfinished.
- Apple Watch Companion for Android on GitHub
This is not the first attempt to make an Apple wearable work on an Android device (and it won't be the last one, either).
Not the first attempt to make the Apple Watch play nice with Android
Xiaomi phones pair with Apple Watch devices... sort of. | Image by Gadgets and Wearables
Most major Chinese phone manufacturers, including Xiaomi, Oppo, Vivo, and Huawei, have managed to circumvent Apple's restrictions, but only to some extent.
Android users owning a device from one of the brands above still need an iPhone to activate the Apple Watch, and most of the features still don't work flawlessly on Android.
But it seems that there's a relentless push to make this work and get Apple Watch devices to work on Android, which speaks volumes.
Do we actually need the Apple Watch to work on Android phones?
I don't see a reason why we can't get Apple to make an Android API for the Apple Watch. Granted, giving the Apple Watch to Android users will probably negate any motivation to switch to iOS and get an iPhone in order to finally see what the fuss about the Apple Watch is all about.
But on the other hand, Apple could make a trimmed-down version with basic functionality to allow people to "get a taste" of the device and later switch or migrate to Apple's ecosystem if they feel like it.
I don't recommend rooting your Android phone
Don't root your Android phone. | Image by XDA Forums
As for the Apple Watch Companion, I don't recommend rooting your phone. I've done this back in the day to one of my personal Huawei devices, and it involved unlocking the bootloader via a shady obscure regional Android installation.
Needless to say, the Huawei phone stopped receiving ANY updates, and most of the regional features, such as contactless payment and some health-related tools, stopped working as well.
So, if you want to try the Apple Watch experience, just borrow one from a friend. Until Apple decides to do something official with the Apple Watch compatibility on Android, these side projects are just too risky.
Read more about interesting software side-projects here:
Mariyan, a tech enthusiast with a background in Nuclear Physics and Journalism, brings a unique perspective to PhoneArena. His childhood curiosity for gadgets evolved into a professional passion for technology, leading him to the role of Editor-in-Chief at PCWorld Bulgaria before joining PhoneArena. Mariyan's interests range from mainstream Android and iPhone debates to fringe technologies like graphene batteries and nanotechnology. Off-duty, he enjoys playing his electric guitar, practicing Japanese, and revisiting his love for video games and Haruki Murakami's works.
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