On Oct. 14, developer Md Ismail Šojal said his Apple Watch Companion project can pair and activate an Apple Watch Ultra 2 with Android without an iPhone. The Android setup requires root access and Magisk, a root-management tool, and Šojal said the project is not feature-complete. His announcement describes a developer-reported method, not native Android support from Apple.
One reported setup, with key functions still incomplete
Android Authority reported that Apple Watch Companion had been verified with a OnePlus 13, an Apple Watch Ultra 2 and watchOS 26.2. Its account says the project can check battery information, manage watch faces and change some settings, while calling and health-data integration remain missing or incomplete. The project’s README identifies watchOS 26.2 (23S303) as its tested software version.
Those details give Android users a concrete, but narrow, reference point: the reported phone is a OnePlus 13, and the watch is an Apple Watch Ultra 2 running watchOS 26.2. The developer’s root and Magisk requirement also makes this a technical project rather than a plug-and-play pairing option. Android Authority’s account of the configuration and feature limits is here.
Merge takes a different path—and needs an iPhone first
Merge is a separate third-party approach. In a Feb. 23, 2026 tutorial, John MT demonstrates one-time activation with an iPhone, followed by installing Merge on the watch and Android phone, granting permissions and pairing with a numeric code. The tutorial shows notifications, text replies, music controls and health-data syncing to Google Fit. Those are features demonstrated for Merge, not Apple Watch Companion.
That difference matters if you do not have an iPhone: the method in John MT’s tutorial still relies on one for initial activation, while Šojal says Apple Watch Companion does not.
Apple’s away-from-iPhone guidance covers a different situation
Apple’s support guidance concerns a watch that has already been paired with an iPhone. Under eligible conditions, that watch can use Wi-Fi or cellular to make and receive calls and send and receive messages when the iPhone is away. Apple also lists offline functions such as workouts, heart-rate checks, sleep tracking and Apple Pay. These are ways to use a previously paired watch away from its iPhone, distinct from pairing an Apple Watch with Android. Apple’s support page explains those conditions.
