If your Spacetalk watch is not pairing with the Spacetalk App, work through Steps 1 to 7 in this article in order. Most pairing issues are caused by insufficient signal, a SIM problem, or the watch needing a reset.
Who this is for: Anyone pairing a Spacetalk watch with the Spacetalk App. Step 6 is for watches bought in Australia, USA or UK that use another provider's SIM.
Step 1: Check your signal strength
Your Spacetalk watch needs at least 2 bars of mobile signal to pair with the Spacetalk App. If Tap to Pair is not showing on the watch screen, move to an area with better coverage and try again.
Step 2: Soft reset the watch
If Tap to Pair disappears or does not appear at all on your Spacetalk watch, the watch may have attempted and failed a previous pairing. A soft reset shuts the watch down and restarts it without deleting any data.
Hold down the power button on the back of the watch until it vibrates. The watch will shut down and restart automatically. Once restarted, Tap to Pair should reappear.
Step 3: Factory reset the watch
If a soft reset does not fix pairing, perform a factory reset on your Spacetalk watch to start the pairing process from scratch.
Important: Make sure the watch has at least 2–3 bars of signal before performing a factory reset.
Swipe down from the top of the watch screen.
Tap Settings.
Scroll down and tap Factory Reset.
Enter the last 4 digits of your watch's IMEI (International Mobile Equipment Identity, a unique number that identifies your device) as the password. You can find the IMEI under Settings > Information on the watch, or on the side label of your watch box.
Once the factory reset is complete, Tap to Pair should reappear on the watch screen.
Step 4: Update the watch software
Make sure your Spacetalk watch is running the latest software before attempting to pair again. On a Spacetalk Loop or Adventurer, swipe down from the top of the watch screen, tap the Settings icon, then scroll down and tap Software Update. On a Spacetalk Life, tap the screen and swipe left, tap the Settings icon, then scroll down and tap Watch Update. If an update is available, the watch will prompt you to install it. See How do I update the software on my Spacetalk watch?.
Step 5: Check your SIM
A damaged, inactive, or incompatible SIM can also prevent your Spacetalk watch pairing with the Spacetalk App. Check your SIM for these problems:
Make sure the SIM is correctly inserted — see How do I insert a SIM card into my Adventurer? or How do I insert a SIM card into my Loop?.
Make sure the SIM is active and has sufficient credit or data.
Check for adequate network coverage in your area. For Australia, use the Spacetalk Coverage Map.
Inspect the metal contacts on the SIM and inside the SIM tray for damage or corrosion. If damaged, take a photo of the SIM tray exposed and contact our Support team via live chat to arrange a repair.
If the watch shows No SIM, SOS, or Emergency Calls Only, try inserting the SIM into another phone to confirm it is active. If the SIM works in another phone but not the watch, contact our Support team via live chat.
Step 6: Check if your watch is soft-locked
Spacetalk watches purchased in Australia, USA, and UK are soft-locked to Spacetalk Mobile plans. If you are using a different provider's SIM, the watch will not pair until it is unlocked.
The unlocking fee for a Spacetalk watch depends on the country where it was purchased:
Note: Watches purchased from Telstra or Optus in Australia are already unlocked.
Country | Unlocking fee |
Australia | AU$80 |
USA | US$60 |
UK | £40 |
To unlock your watch, contact our Support team via live chat.
Step 7: Reinstall the Spacetalk App
If your Spacetalk watch appears connected but does not show up in the Spacetalk App, uninstall and reinstall the Spacetalk App, then repeat the pairing process.
What if calls are blocked after pairing?
If pairing was successful but calls from trusted contacts are being blocked or showing as unknown, check that the caller has been added to your Space. A Spacetalk watch rejects calls from anyone who is not an approved contact, and the Space owner needs to add the caller as a member of their Space. If the caller's number is set to private or their caller ID is hidden, the Spacetalk watch cannot identify them as an approved contact and will reject the call. See Why are calls to my Spacetalk watch being rejected?.
If you are still experiencing issues after trying all the steps in this article, contact our Support team via live chat.