Watch showing strange icon - two watches coming together - or watch+phone iOS 10.2

Same thing just happened to me and although it stopped it wasn’t the first time but now I want to know what the heck this means please!

It is something that should only happen when you bring together two devices belonging to different users, yes it is name drop animation.

Happening between two devices belonging to the same person is a bug and I reported it weeks ago. I suggest you all do the same.

https://apple.com/feedback

Just happened to me. Sitting alone scrolling my phone, watch vibrated and it was this. Can’t even find anything by reverse image lookup with your images. So weird. iOS 17.3, iPhone 14 Pro, Watch 10.3

Same thing just displayed on mine. Have you learned what that was about?

Glad to finally find a discussion on this. I didn't even know how to describe it to get reasonable search responses on several attempts. Yay for the Apple Community! And Igirl1 for getting a photo of the watch screen and starting this thread.

I have two watches -- a Series 4 and a Series 7, both up to date with Version 10.3. My iphone 14 is running IOS 17.2.1.

It's only on the Series 7 that the display will randomly show a "watch-to-watch/watch-to-phone" motion, two watches moving into a position of being face-to-face. Igirl1's photo shows the first position, side-by-side. The next motion is those two watches moving to be face-to-face. This is then followed by a phone-to-watch motion, which shows the watch moving towards the Iphone's bottom connector, and moving back & forth towards it. Exactly as Igirl1's 2nd photo.

Then it stops. Just prior to the display showing this, the watch vibrates. This has been going on since, I believe, the update in September (whichever one that was, 10.0? 10.1?). Other than the vibration -- I hear no sound. The phone doesn't indicate anything, either. Just the Watch.

As far as I recall, I'm always wearing the Series 7 watch when it happens. Last night it happened, the phone was next to me on the bed, and I was wearing the watch. Neither one was on a charger. The Watch series 4 was on the bedstand, not on the charger. I don't recall ever seeing this happen on the Series 4 watch. I'm sure it hasn't.

Obviously the display is indicating some sort of 'pairing' activity. Or the need to pair. ? Both of my watches are shown in the app. I have the setting on "automatic" so that when I take off one watch and put on the other, the phone recognizes which one I'm wearing... usually:

I noticed just the other night that my Apple Series 4 watch--even though I had been wearing it for several hours, apparently was not connected to the phone. That's the first time that has happened, I believe. I went into the app, and saw a message to connect. I didn't need to repair it or anything. I just tapped on the watch in the app and it connected.

This is telling us SOMETHING! Right? Does everyone who is seeing this own two watches? I think so.

I'm wondering if repairing both watches will eliminate this event.

Weird.

Please see this article on NameDrop. It may answer your question.

I see this randomly before the two watch faces. Anyone work out what it is yet? I only have one phone and one watch.

Same thing has been happening to me.

Apple Watch 7

Watch OS 10.2

iPhone 15 Pro Max

IOS 17.2.1

That appears to be something different than Igirl1 and I, and others, are describing. I have no squiggly lines, no eerie sound effects. Just the motion of the two watches faces face-to-face, and then the phone-to-watch motion. And I have had the phone and my watch on charges next to one another at the same time. Don't recall if the motions always happen when that is the case. Will have to try that and see.

It is part of the same animation. A warning in fact.

If you don't like it turn it off

Settings, General, Airdrop, turn OFF Bringing devices together

Name drop. Hold your phone to your watch and it will do this.

I do not own two watches, but I do own a ultra watch and an iPhone 14 and it did this to me today that you watches button face-to-face on my watch I did not pay attention to my phone. I was out and about when it happened at the car dealer, it was weird. I thought somebody was hacking into my watch there.