Activating and pairing an Apple Watch

Before setting up the Apple Watch, make sure that:

• You and your family member have an Apple ID
• You set up Family Sharing, and this person is part of the family group
• You have the role of organizer or parent/guardian for the group

1. Turn on the Apple Watch by pressing and holding down the side button until the Apple logo appears, then put the watch on your wrist.
2. Make sure the Apple Watch and your iPhone are near each other. When the “Use your iPhone to set up this Apple Watch” message appears on your phone, tap Continue.
   • If the message doesn’t appear, launch the Apple Watch app and tap Start Pairing.
3. Tap Set Up for a Family Member.
4. Hold your iPhone over the animation that appears on the watch and centre the watch face in the viewfinder on your iPhone.
5. When the message Your Apple Watch is Paired appears, tap New Apple Watch.
6. Follow the on-screen instructions to customize your watch (e.g., features, text properties, security code).
7. Choose the family member who will be using the Apple Watch. If they don’t appear, tap Add Family Member.
8. Enter the family member's Apple ID password, then tap Next.
9. Turn on Ask to Buy if you want to give approval for any downloads or purchases made on the Apple Watch, or tap Set Up Later.
10. When you see Cellular Setup on the screen, tap Not Now.
11. Follow the instructions to choose the features you want to set up, such as shared contacts and restricted screen time.
12. When finished, press OK to start using the Apple Watch.

For more information, see Apple help on setting up an Apple Watch for a family member.

You can buy an Apple Watch in the way that works best for you:

• Shop online. Once you have placed your order, a representative will call you back to confirm.
• Contact Customer Service.
• Visit a Videotron store near you.

You can subscribe to a watch plan if:

• The Mobile plan linked to the iPhone you will be using is managed in My Account
• The Mobile plan includes data
• Data are not blocked in your account

If your Apple Watch has already been paired with another iPhone, you cannot pair it immediately with your new device. You must first contact Videotron’s Customer Service so that an update can be made to your account.

Once this step is complete, you will be able to unpair your Apple Watch from the old iPhone and then pair it with the new device.

Important: If you need to replace your iPhone SIM card or activate an eSIM, make sure to unpair your Apple Watch before making this change, then pair it again once the activation is complete. This step helps prevent issues with incoming call routing on both your iPhone and Apple Watch.

Yes. Make sure the watch meets the prerequisites for operating on the Videotron network. When you pair your Apple Watch with your iPhone, you will be asked to subscribe to a connected watch plan.

You can pair up to 3 Apple Watch devices per phone number linked to an iPhone. If you try to pair a fourth Apple Watch to the same number, you’ll be prompted to replace one of the previously paired watches.

For example, if your account includes 4 phone numbers, each assigned to an iPhone, you could activate up to 12 Apple Watch devices.

Note: A subscription to the Same Plan, Same Number plan is required for each additional watch.

The “Waiting” status indicates that activation has not yet been finalized on our network. While waiting for it to finish, you can use your watch in Bluetooth or Wi-Fi mode, except to make or receive calls.

If you have to enter a passcode, it’s because your watch is still paired with another iPhone. To activate the watch and pair it with your device, you need to reset it.

Make sure your iPhone and Apple Watch have a sufficiently recent carrier version.

• iPhone: Videotron 64.1 or higher
• Apple Watch: Videotron 34.1 or higher

Ensure both devices are connected to Wi-Fi. On each device, go to Settings > General > About, then scroll to the SIM or eSIM section to check your carrier version. If an update is available, you’ll see a prompt to install it.

Finally, check if your Apple Watch model is designed for North America. If your model is not compatible with local networks, the Cellular Network option will not appear in the watch menu. You can also check your model's compatibility on the Apple website.

Still can’t activate a plan for your smartwatch, even though your devices meet the minimum requirements? Contact our Technical Support.