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Yes. Samsung lists the Galaxy Watch Active2 as compatible with iPhone 5 or later running iOS 9 or later. Install Samsung’s Galaxy Watch companion app, select the watch, and confirm that the Bluetooth passkeys match. Pairing is supported, but some features are limited on iPhone.

Check iPhone compatibility first

Samsung’s US compatibility page lists the Galaxy Watch Active2 for iPhone 5 or later with iOS 9 or later. It recommends installing the Galaxy Wearable app for the watch from the App Store. These are minimum listed requirements, not a guarantee of a stable connection on every device: Samsung notes that compatibility can vary by region, operator, and device brand. Samsung’s compatibility guidance also warns that connections may be unstable on iPhone 6S and 6S Plus running iOS 10 or later.

Samsung does not support iPad or iPod touch for this connection. Its 2019 Galaxy Watch Active2 announcement gave the same launch-era baseline: iPhone 5 and later with iOS 9.0 or above.

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Connect the Galaxy Watch Active2 to iPhone

  1. Install the companion app. On the iPhone, find and install Samsung Galaxy Watch (Gear S) from the App Store. Apple’s listing includes Galaxy Watch Active2 among the models the app can set up and pair over Bluetooth.
  2. Turn on the watch. Start setup with the watch powered on and Bluetooth enabled on the iPhone.
  3. Start setup in the app. Open Galaxy Wearable. In the Active2 manual’s flow, tap “Start the Journey,” then select the watch when it appears.
  4. Confirm the pairing request. Compare the Bluetooth passkeys shown on the iPhone and watch. If they match, confirm on both devices and follow the on-screen prompts to finish setup.

These steps follow the Galaxy Watch Active2 R82X|R83X user manual. If the watch does not appear, check that it is on and the iPhone’s Bluetooth is enabled, then retry setup from the companion app. If pairing remains unreliable, check Samsung’s device-specific compatibility cautions before treating it as a hardware fault.

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Know what iPhone pairing does—and does not—support

A successful Bluetooth connection does not mean every Galaxy Watch feature works as it would with an Android phone. Samsung’s iPhone limitations for Galaxy Watch apps says companion applications that use certain phone-to-watch communication APIs are not supported on iPhone. It also explains that the connection uses Bluetooth Low Energy, which has less bandwidth than Android connections; audio or video streaming apps and map apps that need more bandwidth may not work properly.

Those limitations are Samsung’s general technical guidance for iPhone connections. They do not establish that every individual app or feature on the Active2 will fail, so treat them as constraints rather than a complete feature-by-feature compatibility list.

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Before switching the watch to another phone

The Active2 connects to only one smartphone at a time. According to its user manual, connecting it to a new smartphone resets the watch and removes stored data. Back up anything important before starting that transfer; do not assume pairing a replacement phone will preserve what is on the watch.

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  • START YOUR DAY WITH YOUR ENERGY SCORE: Know how ready you are to take on the day using your personalized Energy Score with Galaxy AI¹; It calculates today’s physical readiness based on what you did yesterday
  • KEEP A CLOSER EYE ON YOUR HEART HEALTH: Get the most out of your fitness workouts using improved Heart Rate Tracking³ with Galaxy AI¹ that filters out your body’s movements for a more accurate reading
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