Apple Watch Series 6 brought blood oxygen to the wrist - four clusters of green, red, and infrared LEDs measuring SpO2 in 15 seconds - alongside a 2.5x brighter always-on display and an always-on altimeter. Real additions to an already capable watch, all shipped with exactly one phone OS in mind. Merge bridges the gap Apple left open: one iPhone activation, and Series 6 pairs to your Android phone with Android notifications, health sync to Google Fit, and watch-phone integration through Merge.
What Merge delivers on Series 6
Series 6 brought a rich health sensor suite - blood oxygen, ECG, optical heart rate, GPS - and Merge carries that data to Android. Workouts, heart rate, blood oxygen readings, sleep, steps, and calories sync to Google Fit and Health Connect. ECG readings sync to the Merge app on your Android phone, so that history isn't stranded on the watch. Smart Hotspot keeps the watch connected when the phone is in your pocket or bag on cellular - Merge manages the hotspot automatically, no manual switching needed.
Every Android notification reaches the watch in real time. You decide which apps send alerts and can tune notification types per app - a fine-grained filter that makes the always-on display useful rather than overwhelming. Replies to messages and quick actions are available from the watch, and music playing on your Android phone is controllable from your wrist. Find My works both ways: ring the phone from the watch or ring the watch from the phone.
The Merge connection is end-to-end encrypted and works over Bluetooth nearby or over the internet when phone and watch are in separate locations. For a watch with Series 6's standalone health capabilities, that persistent link means health data flows to Android wherever you are.
One-time iPhone activation
Every Apple Watch requires an iPhone for initial setup. You do it once and the iPhone isn't needed again afterward.
Series 6 supports watchOS 11, which means you'll need an iPhone XS or later (or iPhone SE 3rd generation) running iOS 18 or later. Your own iPhone? The Watch app on your iPhone handles it in the normal flow. Borrowing someone's phone? Choose Set Up for a Family Member from their Watch app - configure the watch with your Apple ID, and both Apple IDs need to be in Family Sharing together. You can create the group during setup if needed. After activation, watchOS updates install directly on the watch via Settings - General - Software Update while on Wi-Fi.
Installing Merge
Both apps need to be installed before you start the pairing flow.
- On your Android phone, open Google Play, search for Merge Watch, and download it.
- On your Apple Watch, open the App Store, search for Merge Watch, and download it.
Pairing Series 6 to Android
Keep phone and watch within arm's reach - the Bluetooth discovery and PIN exchange work smoothly at close range.
- Launch Merge on your Android phone and accept all the permission prompts.
- Leave Merge running on your Android phone, then open it on your Apple Watch and accept the Bluetooth permission.
- Your Android phone should show up on the watch screen - tap it.
- The watch displays a PIN code - type it into your Android phone. Pairing finishes in a few seconds.
- If you don't have a subscription yet, you'll be prompted to set one up.
- On your Apple Watch, allow notification access and health permissions when asked.
- On your Android phone, approve the health permissions prompt.
Day-to-day with Series 6 on Android
Blood oxygen is Series 6's most significant hardware addition - four clusters of green, red, and infrared LEDs that measure SpO2 in about 15 seconds - and blood oxygen readings sync to Google Fit and Health Connect alongside the rest of your health data through Merge. The always-on display runs 2.5x brighter than the Series 5 version, making it legible in direct sunlight without raising your wrist. The always-on altimeter tracks elevation changes continuously throughout the day without any phone input. Android notifications from every app come through to the watch, replies go back out, and Merge maintains the connection over the internet when the devices aren't close together.
