How to control nearby devices with your Apple Watch

You can control nearby devices like your iPhone or iPad with Apple Watch, using buttons for the Home button, App Switcher, and Control Center.

By Chris Smith - Senior Editor
1 Min Read

Just as you can control your Apple Watch with your iPhone, you can also control nearby devices, like your iPhone or iPad, with your Apple Watch. It’s handy. Your watch shows buttons that replicate the controls on your device, like the Home button, App Switcher, and Control Center, as long as both are signed in with the same Apple Account.

  1. Start the Settings app on your Apple Watch.
  2. Go to Accessibility and tap Control Nearby Devices.

    Your iPhone or iPad must be signed in to iCloud with the same Apple Account and be on the same network.

  3. Choose a device if more than one is nearby and tap a button.

    Buttons replicate the controls on your device and include the following:

    • Home button
    • App Switcher
    • Notifications Center
    • Control Center
    • Siri
    • Options (includes media play controls and customizable hand gestures)

With VoiceOver enabled on your Apple Watch, controlling a nearby device turns VoiceOver on there too, and the VoiceOver gestures you use on your Apple Watch are performed on that device.

Similarly, when you enable Switch Control on your nearby device, Switch Control buttons, such as Move, Next, and Select, appear on your watch.

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Chris Smith is a senior editor at GeeksChalk based in Canada. He likes to think of himself as a jack of all trades (and a master of at least a few), though he mainly focuses on iPhones and Macs. Often covering both at the same time. When not surrounded by various Apple devices while putting them through their paces, Chris can be found streaming the latest movies or series, gaming on his PS5, or getting fresh air on a hike in the beautiful wilderness of British Columbia.
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