OnePlus OHealth App Update Hints at Apple Watch Pairing and NFC Access Card Feature
An update to the OnePlus OHealth app reveals code indicating upcoming support for Apple Watch pairing, allowing users to sync calls, messages, health data, and potentially use their watch as an NFC access key.
The latest version of the app, discovered today, contains strings detailing a setup process for Apple Watch users, prompting them to install the OHealth app on their watch and scan a pairing code. This would enable synchronization of incoming calls, messages, notifications, workout records, and health statistics between the iPhone, Apple Watch, and the OHealth platform. This integration follows OnePlus’s announcement regarding OxygenOS 16, which promised expanded connectivity within the OnePlus ecosystem.
Beyond Apple Watch support, the update also suggests a “Cardless entry” feature, potentially allowing OnePlus watches to function as NFC access cards for doors or work systems. Code strings reference holding a physical access card against the watch to copy NFC signals, with instructions like “Open doors with a simple touch.” This feature appears to be a separate system from Google Wallet, which already supports some access cards on Wear OS devices, and may be limited to specific card types. The ability to streamline access control through smartwatches is becoming increasingly popular as companies seek to improve security and convenience.
While these features are currently in testing and not guaranteed for public release, the discovered code strongly suggests that Apple Watch integration is on track, and the NFC access functionality could offer a new level of convenience for OnePlus watch users. OnePlus officials have not yet commented on a specific rollout date for either feature, but further updates are expected as OxygenOS 16 approaches its full release.
Kaitlyn Cimino / Android Authority
TL;DR
- Our APK teardown found that the latest OHealth app update includes steps for setting up pairing with an Apple Watch.
- Code strings detail syncing calls, messages, and health data via OHealth.
- A new “Cardless entry” feature also appears, potentially letting your OnePlus watch act as an NFC door key.
We already knew that the OxygenOS 16 update would be bringing Apple Watch connectivity to the OnePlus ecosystem through the OHealth app. Now, a teardown of the latest OHealth release gives us a better look at how this cross-platform pairing might actually work. Beyond that, it also hides a separate feature that could turn your OnePlus watch into an NFC access card.
According to strings and screenshots we spotted in version 4.40.7_6a8017d_251002 of the app, OnePlus seems to be preparing a full pairing setup flow for Apple Watch users. The strings reference syncing incoming calls, messages, and notifications from your phone to the watch, as well as transferring workout data and health stats to OHealth. You’re prompted to “Install app on Apple Watch” and scan a pairing code displayed on the watch’s screen, suggesting a fairly direct pairing process.
Here are the strings in question:
Code
Pair Apple Watch
Messages and notifications on your phone will be synced to your watch. Workout records and health data on your watch will also be synced to "%1$s" on your phone.
Incoming calls, messages, and notifications on your phone will be synced to your watch. Workout records and health data on your watch will also be synced to "%1$s" on your phone.
Install app on Apple Watch
Search for and install "%1$s" from App Store on either your Apple Watch or iPhone.
Scan to pair
Scan code with your phone
Open "%1$s" on your Apple Watch to show the pairing code. The screenshots we spotted are below and appear to add weight to this process, at least when it comes to pairing an Apple Watch and syncing incoming calls.
This fits neatly with what OnePlus already revealed about OxygenOS 16. Apple Watch users will be able to control the phone’s camera, locate their phone, and sync health data via the OHealth app. These clues just give us a better idea of how it could look in practice.
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The same OHealth update also hides an unrelated but interesting addition — a new “Cardless entry” feature. This might let you copy the necessary NFC signals from your physical access card to your watch, presumably allowing the wearable to act as an NFC key for doors or work systems. The strings contain references like “Open doors with a simple touch” and “Hold the card against the NFC detection area on the front of your wearable device.”
Check out the strings below to see what we mean:
Code
Open doors with a simple touch
Card type
Stay in OHealth until this is completed.
Card detection
Hold the card against the NFC detection area on the front of your wearable device. You can adjust the position, but do not remove the card until the card has been identified. While the strings use the word “wallet,” the feature appears to copy NFC credentials from compatible access cards. There’s no suggestion that it involves Google Wallet, which already handles some access cards on Wear OS. It appears that OnePlus may be building its own system for secure entry, likely limited to certain card types and OnePlus watches.
The screenshots below provide further insight into this potential new feature. The setup screen shows an option to “Enroll physical cards on your wearable device.” On failure, another screen instructs you to “keep the card on the detection area until your watch vibrates.”
Technically, these features are still in testing, and our teardowns are never a guarantee that the discoveries will roll out broadly. That said, we can be fairly confident that the Apple Watch setup is on the way, based on the announced integration, and the NFC access would make a nice addition.
⚠️ An APK teardown helps predict features that may arrive on a service in the future based on work-in-progress code. However, it is possible that such predicted features may not make it to a public release.
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