Skip to main content

Galaxy Watch 5 Not Pairing: Troubleshooting Guide

If your Galaxy Watch 5 won't pair with your phone, most issues are resolved by restarting devices, clearing Bluetooth cache, or ensuring proper setup.

Quick Fixes​

Try these first before detailed troubleshooting.

  1. Restart both watch and phone
  2. Ensure Bluetooth is enabled on your phone
  3. Keep devices within 1-2 feet during pairing
  4. Charge watch to at least 30% battery
  5. Update Galaxy Wearable app to the latest version

These basic steps resolve approximately 40% of pairing issues.

Common Solutions​

Work through these fixes if quick steps don't work.

Device Not Found:

  1. Turn Bluetooth off and on again on your phone
  2. On watch: Settings Connections Bluetooth — ensure it's enabled
  3. Force close Galaxy Wearable app and reopen it
  4. If previously paired elsewhere, unpair from that device first

Pairing Fails Midway:

  1. Phone Settings Apps Bluetooth Storage Clear cache
  2. Forget any existing "Galaxy Watch5" entries in phone's Bluetooth settings
  3. Restart both devices and try fresh pairing

Passkey Doesn't Appear:

  1. Cancel current pairing attempt
  2. Force close and reopen Galaxy Wearable app
  3. Wait 30-60 seconds after starting pairing for passkey to appear
  4. Charge watch to 50%+ if battery is low

Battery Optimization Fix​

Connection drops after pairing are often caused by battery optimization killing the app.

  1. Phone Settings Apps Galaxy Wearable
  2. Tap Battery Select Unrestricted
  3. Also grant all permissions (Location, Phone, Contacts, Messages, Notifications)

This keeps the app running in the background to maintain the connection.

Advanced Troubleshooting​

If standard solutions fail:

Network Reset (Last Resort): Phone Settings General Management Reset Reset network settings

This forgets all Wi-Fi networks and Bluetooth devices. Re-pair everything afterward.

Factory Reset Watch: Settings General Reset Factory data reset

This erases watch data but often resolves persistent pairing issues.

iPhone Users​

The Galaxy Watch 5 has very limited iPhone compatibility.

  • Download "Galaxy Watch" app from App Store (not Galaxy Wearable)
  • Limited features: basic fitness tracking, view-only notifications
  • Cannot: reply to messages, install apps, use Samsung Pay
  • Recommendation: If you use iPhone, consider an Apple Watch instead

When to Contact Support​

Seek Samsung support if:

  • All troubleshooting steps failed
  • Multiple phones can't pair with the watch
  • Watch may have hardware damage
  • Watch is under warranty

See Also: How to Pair Galaxy Watch 5|How to Connect Galaxy Watch 5

Last updated on