OnePlus to Enable Apple Watch Compatibility with OxygenOS 16
OnePlus is developing a system to allow Apple Watch users to seamlessly integrate with OnePlus phones running the upcoming OxygenOS 16, offering features like notification mirroring and health data syncing.
Early access to the latest OHealth app reveals a setup process that connects the Apple Watch to a OnePlus phone through OHealth, effectively creating a cross-platform bridge. The process involves installing the OHealth Companion app from the App Store, pairing via a code scan, and then enabling features such as incoming call alerts, message mirroring, and the transfer of exercise and health metrics. While not a direct Bluetooth pairing, the system aims to minimize disruption for users accustomed to the Apple Watch ecosystem. This move addresses a significant barrier to entry for potential Android switchers who are heavily invested in Apple’s wearable technology.
Data transmission will likely rely on a cloud-assisted relay, utilizing OHealth accounts to pass information between the OnePlus phone and the Apple Watch via HealthKit permissions on iPhone. Although features like camera shutter control and phone-finding are not yet confirmed, the app’s structure suggests their potential inclusion. However, some latency in notifications and limitations in message replies are anticipated due to Apple’s API restrictions, and certain health data like ECG traces may remain within the Apple ecosystem. For more information on health data privacy, see the Federal Trade Commission’s guidance on health data.
This development is particularly significant as Apple maintains the largest share of the global smartwatch market, according to Counterpoint Research. By offering compatibility with the Apple Watch, OnePlus aims to ease the transition for users considering a switch from iOS and provide a more flexible experience for those in mixed-device households. You can learn more about the OHealth app and its features here.
OnePlus has not yet announced a specific release date for OxygenOS 16 or detailed which Apple Watch models will be supported, but further updates and beta access programs are expected in the coming weeks.
An early peek inside this fall’s latest OHealth app shows how OnePlus plans to make the Apple Watch play nicely with OxygenOS 16. The preview guides the user through a setup that correlates the Apple Watch to a OnePlus phone via OHealth, enabling notification mirroring, call alerting, and, in all probability, health information syncing — all without leaving Bluetooth proximity between the watch and Android fundamentally.
It is not the same as a standard phone pairing, as the Apple Watch remains reliant on the iPhone for the fundamental connection, but it looks like OnePlus is trying to build a cross‑platform bridge to allow Apple Watch users to keep their wearable of choice while using a OnePlus phone.
What the setup looks like in OHealth version 4.40.7
The strings and placeholder screens from OHealth version 4.40.7, visible within the app’s APKs, trace an installation flow for OHealth Companion on Apple Watch from the App Store. Then, open the watch app to show a code and scan that code with the OnePlus phone. It matches the usual pattern where you link the accounts of two different devices communicating over a regular pairing protocol.
Once linked, the app defines several capabilities: incoming calls, direct messages, and notifications from the phone mirrored to the watch, and exercise records and health metrics from OHealth coming back from the watch. OnePlus has yet to confirm camera shutter control or phone‑finding options, but the nature of the setup flow makes that likely as well.
How the data likely flows between OHealth and Apple
Because Apple Watch can’t be paired to an Android phone directly, the connection will likely use a cloud‑assisted relay. It would effectively be an OHealth‑to‑OHealth handshake: your OnePlus phone would push mirrored alerts to your OHealth account, your iOS/watchOS companion would receive them, and the Apple Watch would display them. Conversely, health and workout data could also be via HealthKit permissions on iPhone — workout data is synced to OHealth on Android.
This architecture would have its own trade‑offs: notifications and camera shutter commands would have some latency, and message replies or call handling could be functionally limited due to Apple’s tight APIs. ECG traces or irregular rhythm notifications could also remain siloed in Apple’s ecosystem. Instead, all transmission would assume HealthKit and user permissions.
Features to expect with OxygenOS 16 Apple Watch support
- Notification mirroring from the OnePlus phone to Apple Watch
- Incoming call alerts delivered to the watch
- Health data syncing, including exercise records and metrics
- Potential camera shutter control (to be confirmed)
- Potential phone‑finding options (to be confirmed)
Why this matters for OnePlus users and switchers
Apple’s share of global smartwatch shipments remains No. 1, Counterpoint Research says, and the Apple Watch is a chief switching cost for users who leave iPhone. By providing an alternative that’s actually credible, OnePlus lessens the inevitable friction for iOS‑to‑Android switchers and mixed‑device households. It’s a practical play: rather than requiring a new wearable purchase on day one, the company can meet users where they are and buy itself time to show off its own watches.
If done right, it could be one of the most consumer‑friendly inclusions in OxygenOS 16 (well, provided that you care about your past health data and established routines on Apple Watch).
A side note on NFC access and cardless entry plans
The same OHealth build also points at a stand‑alone cardless entry on OnePlus wearables — a hint that the watch could support NFC‑based door access by allowing enrollment of physical cards. My guess is that it won’t have anything to do with Apple Watch either, and be limited to certain card types and areas for security reasons (and possibly bog‑standard, not‑secure‑to‑anybody tech like MIFARE or DESFire). But it does suggest bigger aspirations for OHealth and the OnePlus watches beyond fitness.
What to watch next as OxygenOS 16 and OHealth evolve
These details are from an app teardown, so they can change when they go public. However, the existence of full setup text and screens points to Apple Watch support already far in development. Equally, look out for OHealth updates and OxygenOS 16 rollouts to talk more on beta access, features in your region at launch, and a clearer view of which Apple Watches by age and data types will be supported.
