So Apple has just released a new watchOS version with a bunch of new and useful features that you can’t wait to start using but your Apple Watch just won’t update? This can be very frustrating. No worries though, here you’ll learn a few different ways to fix that issue and get your Watch the most current updates!
What To Do If Apple Watch Won’t Update?
There are 2 ways that you can use to update your Apple Watch. You can update Apple Watch either through iPhone or directly on Apple Watch. We will talk about the solutions to fix the update problem for both cases.
- Case 1: If You’re Updating Apple Watch Through iPhone
- Case 2: If You’re Updating Directly on Apple Watch
Case 1: If You’re Updating Apple Watch Through iPhone
There are many factors that will influence the update of the watchOS when you update Apple Watch through iPhone. Make sure you try every solution.
Check the internet connection of your iPhone
The first thing you should do is checking if your internet connection on iPhone is working properly. This may seem like such a basic thing to miss but you’d be surprised at how often phones lose signal or have a weak signal at the moment to function correctly. Don’t fret, this is very simple to fix.
- So first things first, go into your iPhone settings and tap on WiFi. Make sure that you are connected and that there is no issue with your connection.
- Next, you can check your modem to see if your internet is running smoothly. The quickest way would be to just simply disconnect the power cord for 30 seconds then plug it back and restart the modem. Once it’s started back up, reconnect to your WiFi and you should be good to go.
- You can also use your iPhone to download a video or something else to test whether the internet speed is good or not. If it is slow, you need to connect to another faster WiFi to update your Apple Watch again.
Make sure Apple Watch has 50% battery
In case you did not know, Apple devices can not install any updates unless they have at least 50% battery capacity or are connected to power before initiating the installation of software. If Apple Watch won’t update, you may want to check and see if your Apple Watch has sufficient battery to initiate the update. Just to be sure your update will work, you should plug your Apple Watch into the charger and let it charge up for a while before trying to do anything. Once it has hit at least the 50% minimum battery requirement for updates you can try again and this time everything should work smoothly.
Pair iPhone and Apple Watch again
Make sure your iPhone and Apple Watch are connected well, one of the reasons why your Apple Watch won’t update is due to your iPhone and Apple Watch not being paired correctly. If you don’t know whether or not they are connected well then you can always pair it with your iPhone again. Here’s how.
- You’ll have to unpair your Apple Watch. To do this, open up the Apple Watch app on your iPhone and go to the My Watch section.
- Next tap on “All Watches” at the top of the screen.
- Tap on the icon with an exclamation mark inside a circle next to your Apple Watch and then tap Unpair Apple Watch.
Now that you’ve unpaired it, you can begin the process to pair it with your iPhone again. Follow these next steps to pair your Apple Watch and iPhone again. Before you begin make sure your iPhone is running on the latest version of iOS.
- Turn on your Apple Watch and put it on your wrist.
- Hold your Apple Watch near your iPhone and you will see a message pop up on your iPhone that says “Use your iPhone to set up this Apple Watch.”
- Tap “Continue” then hold your iPhone over your Apple Watch to capture the animation and wait for a message to say that your Apple Watch is paired.
Update iPhone Software
Make sure that your iPhone is running the latest version of iOS so that your Apple Watch can run smoothly. If you are on an older version it may cause some problems during use and can cause updates to fail.
- Open up your Settings app on your iPhone.
- Tap on the General tab.
- Next, tap on the Software Update tab and it will show if you have the most current version of iOS or if there is an update that you need to install. Usually iPhones come with a self-update setting but sometimes it may not always work like it’s intended to so it’s good to check every now and then to make sure you’re always up to date.
- If you see an iOS version update available, tap on “Download and Install” to start the update process. Make sure your phone has enough battery or connect it to the charger while updating to prevent any issues.
- After you’ve finished downloading the update your phone will restart in order to fully install it into the system. This shouldn’t take long, a couple of minutes at most.
Once the installation is done and your iPhone has been restarted it will be ready to use again and now you can try to update your Apple Watch again.
Case 2: If You’re Updating Directly on Apple Watch
Some people like to update watchOS directly on Apple Watch. Problems cannot be avoided either sometimes. Try the solutions below if your Apple Watch won’t update itself.
Check the internet connection on Apple Watch
Just like if you were trying to update through your iPhone you need to check if you’re internet connection is fully functioning.
- Open the settings app on your Apple Watch and tap on WiFi, your watch will then automatically look for available networks.
- Turn off the WiFi by tapping on the slider button then turn it back in after 30 seconds.
- When WiFi loads back up, choose the network that you want to connect to.
- Enter the network password if it has one then tap the Join button.
Leave Apple Watch on its charger
In order for your watch to be able to download and install any updates, it will need to have at least 50% battery. So connect your Apple Watch to the charger and leave it there until it pretty much gets fully charged. You can also update it while it’s on the charger if it doesn’t have 50% battery yet so this can be a way to speed up the process without having to wait for the battery to charge. Just plug it into the charger and start the update.
Restart your Apple Watch
Another thing you can do that may help get your Apple Watch back working like it’s supposed to be a quick restart. This doesn’t take long and is not hard to do, it’s actually a pretty basic method. This method is the same no matter which series Apple Watch you have. So all you have to do is press and hold both the side button and the digital crown at the same time for about 10 seconds and release the buttons until you see the Apple logo. This will force your Apple Watch to restart which should hopefully help.
Remove the beta profile it has
Most people don’t know this but Apple devices come pre-enrolled into Apple’s Beta Software Program which will automatically make you take part in all of their new public beta versions. Luckily though, anyone can remove themselves from this public beta profile so your device will no longer have to participate in the program. You can do this from your iPhone.
- So to begin removing the beta profile from your Apple Watch, go into the Apple Watch app on your iPhone and tap on the “My Watch” tab.
- Next, go into the General tab and tap on “Profiles” and tap on the watchOS Beta Software Profile that appears.
- Finally, tap “Remove Profile” and put in your passcode if you are asked for it then tap “Remove” to confirm.
Once the beta software profile is deleted you won’t be getting any more public betas on your Apple Watch anymore. Doing this will not mess with or change any other settings of your watch so don’t worry, everything will still work perfectly fine after. Hope this helped!
