Make sure your iPhone software is up to date and your watch is fully charged before attempting to update your Apple Watch.
Next, attempt to restart your Apple Watch.
To fix the update error if that doesn’t work, unpair and then re-pair your Apple Watch and iPhone.
The software update on your Apple Watch may be stuck for a number of reasons. Try this first if the update is still not starting even after updating your iPhone and making sure your Apple Watch is charged.
Before retrying the update, restart your Apple Watch and iPhone separately.
Unpair your Apple Watch from your iPhone if the issue persists.
Link your iPhone and Apple Watch together.
Restarting an Apple Watch is not as simple as it is on an iPhone in the event that an update is stuck. The watch needs to be turned off and back on.
To restart your Apple Watch, follow these steps:
- Press and hold the side button until the Power Off slider appears.
- Drag the slider to turn off your watch.
- After your watch turns off, press and hold the side button again until the Apple logo appears.
The next step is to unpair the Apple Watch if the previous steps don’t work to update it.
If your Apple Watch won’t update, follow these steps to unpair it from your iPhone:
- On your iPhone, open the Watch app.
- Go to the My Watch tab.
- Tap on All Watches at the top of the display.
- Tap the "i" button (I button) next to the watch you want to unpair.
- Select Unpair Apple Watch.
- Confirm the unpairing by tapping again.
After unpairing it, follow these steps to pair your Apple Watch with your iPhone:
- On your iPhone, open the Watch app.
- Tap Start Pairing.
- Hold your iPhone over the animation on your Apple Watch.
- Wait for the pairing process to complete.
Occasionally, the update problem can be resolved without your assistance.
Verify that the Automatic Updates setting is enabled on your Apple Watch.
Then all you have to do is keep your phone on Wi-Fi and put the Apple Watch on its charger so that it is within range of your iPhone.
Before trying to update your watch and before following any Apple Watch troubleshooting guides, there are a few things you should do.
- Verify that the most recent version of iOS is installed on your iPhone.
- Make sure your Apple Watch is at least 50% charged.
- Link your iPhone to a Wi-Fi network.
- Throughout the update, keep your iPhone close to your Apple Watch.
Allowing your watch to update automatically overnight is one of the best ways to get the most recent version. But you can also apply the update by hand:
- On your iPhone, open the Watch app.
- Go to the My Watch tab.
- Scroll down and tap on General.
- Tap on Software Update.
- If an update is available, tap Download and Install.
Smaller updates with bug fixes and maybe new features will roll out throughout the year.
Use the methods above to find out which version of the Apple Watch software you are using if you’re ever unsure about what the most recent version is.
If your Apple Watch won’t install updates, there are numerous methods to troubleshoot the issue and fix the "unable to check for update Apple Watch" message.
You are using the most recent version if there isn’t one available.
Keep your Apple Watch charged and exercise patience if the update is taking a long time. Although it doesn’t always, an Apple Watch update can take up to two hours. Numerous variables affect it, one of which is the update’s size.
Although it’s not advised, you can stop an Apple Watch update from happening. It is almost always preferable to wait for the update to complete before tinkering with your Apple Watch.
Let’s see how to pair my Apple Watch that is unable to update its software.
Apple Watch may already be paired if your iPhone indicates that it cannot connect to the watch, or if the watch displays a clock face.
Unpair your Apple Watch if it’s paired with your iPhone.
On your iPhone, launch the Watch app, select the My Watch tab, and then tap All Watches at the top of the display.
To unpair an Apple Watch, first tap the "i" button (I button) next to the watch. Next, select Unpair Apple Watch.
After confirming with another tap, let the watch unpair.
Wipe your Apple Watch if it isn’t paired with an iPhone.
To reset your watch, open the Settings app and select General > Reset.