Use Walkie-Talkie on your Apple Watch

Whether you’re out shopping or trying to find someone in a crowd, use the Walkie-Talkie app to get in touch with a tap. Add friends and manage when you want to talk.

Use Walkie-Talkie on your Apple Watch

To use Walkie-Talkie, you and your friend both need to have an Apple Watch Series 1 or later with watchOS 5.3 or later. You also both need to set up the FaceTime app The Walkie-Talkie app isn't available in all countries or regions.

How to add friends to the Walkie-Talkie app

  1. Open the Walkie-Talkie app on your Apple Watch.

  2. Scroll through the list of contacts, then tap a name to send an invitation.

  3. Wait for your friend to accept the invitation. Their contact card will stay grey and appear under "Friends You Invited" until your friend has accepted the invitation. After they have accepted, their contact card will turn yellow and you and your friend will be able to talk instantly.

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To remove a friend, open the Walkie-Talkie app, swipe left on the friend, then tap the delete button . Or open the Apple Watch app on your iPhone, tap Walkie-Talkie > Edit, tap the minus button , then tap Remove.

Get help if you're unable to add a friend to Walkie-Talkie.

How to accept a Walkie-Talkie invitation

Tap Always Allow in the notification that appears when someone invites you. If you miss the notification the first time it comes up, look for it in Notification Centre. Invitations will also appear in the Walkie-Talkie app.

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How to start a Walkie-Talkie conversation

  1. Open the Walkie-Talkie app on your Apple Watch.

  2. Tap a friend.

  3. Touch and hold the talk button and then say something. If you see "connecting" on the screen, wait for Walkie-Talkie to connect. After Walkie-Talkie has connected, your friend will be able to hear your voice and talk to you straight away.

As long as your friend is wearing their Apple Watch and has Walkie-Talkie turned on, they will receive alerts when you want to talk to them.

How to talk using Walkie-Talkie

  1. Touch and hold the talk button and then say something.

  2. When you've finished, let the button go. Your friend will instantly hear what you said.

To change the volume, turn the Digital Crown.

Turn Walkie-Talkie off or on

  1. Open the Walkie-Talkie app.

  2. Turn Walkie-Talkie off or on. If someone tries to contact you when you're not available, a notification will appear asking if you'd like to talk.

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You can also turn Walkie-Talkie on or off by tapping the Walkie-Talkie button in Control Centre.

If you turn on Silent Mode in Control Centre, you will still hear chimes and your friend's voice. If you turn on Theatre Mode, it automatically makes you unavailable to talk with Walkie-Talkie. Do Not Disturb mirrors your iPhone settings, so you can manage which Walkie-Talkie alerts appear, and when.

Get help

If your iPhone isn't nearby, you can use Walkie-Talkie with a cellular or Wi-Fi connection. Learn how to use your Apple Watch when your iPhone isn't nearby.

For more help, find your issue below.

If you can't see the Walkie-Talkie app

  1. FaceTime is required for Walkie-Talkie to work, so if you've deleted it, you will need to re-download FaceTime on your iPhone. Open the App Store on your iPhone, search for FaceTime, then tap the download button .

  2. Make sure that FaceTime is turned on. Open the Settings app, tap FaceTime and then turn on FaceTime.

  3. Open the FaceTime app. To make sure that FaceTime has been set up correctly, try making a call.

  4. Restart your Apple Watch.

  5. Restart your iPhone.

If you have FaceTime on your iPhone and can't see the Walkie-Talkie app on your watch, you may have deleted it. Open the App Store on your Apple Watch and re-download it.

FaceTime is not available in all countries or regions.

If you're having issues sending and receiving invitations

  1. On your iPhone, open the Settings app and then tap FaceTime. Make sure you’ve signed in with your Apple ID. Under You Can Be Reached By FaceTime At, make sure that your email address is selected.

  2. Restart your Apple Watch.

  3. Restart your iPhone.

  4. Try to send the invitation again. On your Apple Watch, open the Walkie-Talkie app, swipe left on the contact and then tap the delete button . Tap the plus button , then choose the same contact.

If you still need help

If you updated to watchOS 5.3 or later and tried the steps above, but still need help, contact Apple Support.

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