Keep using your original Pebble Time with a modern smartphone
The original Pebble Time smartwatch was released in 2015. Although Pebble subsequently went out of business and its original online services closed, the watches themselves can still be useful. The main difficulty for owners has been finding compatible phone software to connect and manage them.
Fortunately, a new Pebble app is available for Android and iPhone, allowing owners of older Pebble watches, including the original Pebble Time, to continue using them with modern smartphones.
Developed by Core Devices, the free app replaces the original Pebble companion software. It enables you to connect your watch over Bluetooth, receive notifications, manage watch faces and install compatible apps. This provides a way to keep enjoying your existing smartwatch without having to replace it simply because its original software is no longer supported.
Getting started
The new Pebble app is available through Google Play for Android phones running Android 8 or later, and the Apple App Store for iPhones running iOS 15.6 or later.
Download the app and follow the official instructions to connect your watch over Bluetooth. The setup process guides you through pairing, phone permissions and any necessary watch firmware updates.
Useful links
- Download the Pebble app for Android or iPhone
- Connect your Pebble to an Android phone
- Connect your Pebble to an iPhone
Already using an older Pebble app?
If your Pebble Time is already working with the original Pebble app or a setup using Rebble services, check the implications before switching.
Core Devices says the old and new companion apps cannot be used together, so you'll need to uninstall the legacy app to move to the new one. However, existing app data and settings aren't guaranteed to transfer automatically.
Before making changes, make a note of your watch faces, installed apps and any settings or data you want to keep. Preserve any available exports, and check that particular apps or services you rely on are available through the new setup.
There's no need to factory-reset a working watch simply to investigate the new app.
What can you do with the new app?
The new Pebble app supports familiar smartwatch functions such as phone notifications, watch faces, compatible applications and watch settings. It also provides firmware updates as part of connecting supported watches to the newer software.
The original Pebble Time also has features such as step and sleep tracking. Some functions depend on the phone permissions you grant, while individual watch apps and online services may have their own requirements. On iPhone, you can read notifications, but replying to text messages from the watch is not supported. Not every feature of the original Pebble ecosystem is necessarily available.
The app itself is free, so you don't need to buy a new watch or pay for the companion software to get started. Individual apps or online services may have separate costs.
About this solution
Core Devices develops the current Pebble app and lists older watches, including the original Pebble Time, as supported. This entry concerns the original 2015 Pebble Time, rather than the newer Pebble Time 2.
The wider Pebble community has also played an important part in keeping these watches useful. In particular, the independent Rebble project developed replacement services when Pebble's original online services closed, and continues to provide resources for older Pebble setups. Rebble's legacy-app instructions and services are a separate route from installing the current Core Devices app.
Owners have reported successfully using the original Pebble Time with newer phones, including an iPhone 12 and an Android setup that needed re-pairing after an update. We haven't independently tested the app or connected a Pebble Time ourselves.
Are you using an original Pebble Time with a modern phone? We'd welcome details of your phone, operating system and experience with the current app, as well as any tips or corrections that could help other owners.