Apple Watch SE launched in 2020 as the case for Apple Watch at a lower price - optical heart rate, fall detection, GPS, altimeter, and compass. For someone who wants Android notifications on their wrist with solid activity tracking, it covers everything that actually matters day to day. Apple still locked it to iPhone. Merge removes that lock: one iPhone activation, and SE pairs to your Android phone with notifications, health sync to Google Fit, music control, Find My, and more - all on the most affordable Apple Watch in the lineup.
What Merge delivers on SE
Android notifications from every app on your phone arrive on the watch in real time. You control which apps send alerts and can configure notification types per app, so the watch shows exactly what matters and nothing that doesn't. Message replies and quick actions are available from the watch. Music playing on your Android phone is controllable from your wrist, and Find My works in both directions to locate either device.
Health data syncs to Google Fit and Health Connect: workouts, heart rate, sleep, steps, and calories. The Smart Hotspot feature keeps the watch connected when it moves away from Wi-Fi, with Merge managing the phone's hotspot automatically.
The connection is end-to-end encrypted and runs over Bluetooth when devices are nearby, continuing over the internet when they're not. For the price, the SE covers the core experience well - notifications, health sync, Find My, and music control.
One-time iPhone activation
Every Apple Watch needs an iPhone for its first setup. It's a one-time thing - the iPhone doesn't need to stay around after.
The SE 1st gen runs up to watchOS 10, which requires an iPhone XS or later (or iPhone SE 3rd generation) running iOS 17 or later. Your own iPhone? The Watch app on your iPhone walks you through it normally. Borrowing someone's phone? Pick Set Up for a Family Member in their Watch app, set the watch up with your own Apple ID, and make sure both Apple IDs are in Family Sharing. You can create the Family Sharing group during the setup process. After activation, watchOS updates install directly on the watch via Settings - General - Software Update over Wi-Fi.
Installing Merge
You'll need Merge on both your Android phone and your Apple Watch before starting the pairing process.
- Pull up Google Play on your Android phone, search for Merge Watch, and install it.
- Open the App Store on your Apple Watch, search for Merge Watch, and install it.
Pairing SE to Android
Keep phone and watch close together - within arm's reach is ideal for the Bluetooth discovery step.
- Open Merge on your Android phone and allow all the permissions it requests.
- Leave Merge open on your Android phone, then launch it on your Apple Watch and approve the Bluetooth permission.
- Your Android phone should appear on the watch screen - tap it.
- A PIN code shows on your watch - type it into your Android phone. Pairing finishes in a few seconds.
- If you need a subscription, you'll be prompted now.
- On your Apple Watch, grant notification access and health permissions.
- On your Android phone, approve the health permissions prompt.
Day-to-day with SE on Android
The SE is Apple Watch at its most practical: GPS, optical heart rate, fall detection, altimeter, and a compass - a capable sensor set at the lowest Apple Watch price. Workouts, heart rate, steps, sleep, and calories sync to Google Fit and Health Connect through Merge. Notification delivery and message replies work exactly as they do on any other Apple Watch. Merge keeps the connection live over the internet when the phone is out of Bluetooth range.
