Apple watch S4 call failed

I can confirm the same. Updated my IPhone SE to iOS 13.4 and Watch to WatchOS 6.2. Still not able to start a call from the watch, or to answer it on the watch. Consistently seeing "call failed."

Disappointing...

This is a mystery as good as any. There should be a hint to the cause of the problem lying in the fact that SUPPOSEDLY the SE and 6s series of phones have the same internal hardware. BUT, the 6s series of phones (we have three of them, for example) do NOT have this problem while the SE does. WTHeck! I mentioned this to my Apple Support person. But that piece of info probably died after the call ended. Some Apple engineer, somewhere, surely knows about some subtle but significant difference between these two series of phones that could lead to a solution. I don't say this to rant. If any of you do have further interactions with Apple Support I would make sure to point this out.

[Edited by Moderator]

I wonder if this is related to the problem I have with Siri being

activated by Bluetooth devices. I realized the other day that since

upgrading the iOS on my iPhone SE to 13.xx I have a problem remotely

activating Siri. I have an after market audio system in my vehicle and

it has a button to activate a phone's voice assistant. Prior to 13.xx

it would work flawlessly to initiate Siri through the vehicle's audio

system. But now, it often fails. When it does fail the only solution I

have found is to reboot the phone. I have a similar issue with my

Aftershokz Bluetooth headset.

Sadly correct.

The interesting part is that, right after the update, it works just fine for a few calls.

After that, like a buffer fills up, the bad behaviour comes back.

When using Siri it will first answer something like hum ho, sorry I lost connection and after an instant or so, perform the requested task.

Apple should have collected plenty of information by now, how hard can it be to fix this?

It's very sad that despite of all the data Apple collected from several people posting in this thread (including myself), the issue has still not been solved. I hope there's any chance this issue is still going to be fixed as it is pretty amazing that IPhone SE users can simply not start or answer any calls on their Watches. This is basic functionality and not really something like a very advanced feature of which you may expect sub optimal performance...

It was fixed the day I installed the updates. Now same issue. If my phone is locked and/or not within close proximity to my watch, the calls still fail. If my phone is unlocked and/or close the calls work.

I have updated my IOS and have restarted my iwatch however still the same issue. :( Is this really on purpose that they dont want to fix this??? So much money for the iWatch and for what? For not being able to call nor receive calls? Is the intention that we invest into newer iPhones even if our SE version still works properly? This is so unfair. I start regretting that I have purchased iWatch instead of choosing for other cheaper alternative.

I'm also still, or actually again, in contact with Apple support on this issue. Have gone through several tests last week to reproduce the issue with Bluetooth logging profiles installed and supplied diagnostics files. What surprises me so much about this issue that the issue is so easily reproduced by all of us, but apparently very difficult to reproduce for Apple.

Yes, “strange” that they can’t reproduce the issue... I’ve spent (wasted!) hours with several advisors, they have lots of diagnostic files, videos, detailed explanation from me. Even at my local Apple store they saw the issue, the clearly admitted it’s a software issue. All that apple is Telling us is “wait for the next software update”. SINCE 9 MONTHS! I won’t accept such a form of arrogance. Ok, they made a mistake. Ok. It’s possible. We all are human. But THEY should fix it. Or compensate. An equal bonus for a new purchase, for example. This silence from apple is embarrassing.

I have this issue too. I have given up making calls with my Apple Watch 4. And I have an iPhone X so it's not just the SE. Every call I make lasts about 30 seconds then fails. My watch is connected to my phone and on WiFi. I have assumed it would be fixed with software updates but it has not. Pretty frustrating as the whole point of the watch was to not have to carry my phone around all day.

Apple can you please fix this?

Milton Allemand wrote:

Any word on whether this affects Apple Watch battery life? My Series 4 went from great "18 to 24 hours" worth of battery life daily to about 12 hours maximum for the last few months. I initially thought it was just the battery going bad but this thread has me thinking the watch is putting more work in trying to maintain a bluetooth connection and is thus draining the battery more quickly.

My experience is the opposite.

Updating the system software From WatchOS 5 to 6 has resulted in battery life improvement. As you mentioned, mostly in the 24h range. My 40 mm S4 shows a 45-50% charge left after a full day of use and can make it uncharged almost till the end of second day.

That is the good part of the story. Regretfully the bluetooth issues remain and make using the S4 Apple Watch paired to iPhone SE less enjoyable and practical than it was before the system software update, due to the known issues.

I really appreciate your effort in order to solve the Issue. Thanks for this. But as I’ve posted above, the Bug hasn’t been fixed yet, as an advisor confirmed. The bug is a complex bug, it affects not only calls but almost everything related to iPhone (mainly SE) and the Apple Watch (while connected via Bluetooth). In my case the bug causes calls drop, Siri is unresponsive, AirPods disconnect if I wear them and invoke Siri on my Apple Watch. A real mess since WatchOS 6! A huge bug, still not fixed. After 10 months.

Forgive me for not searching through all the comments to find the answer to this question, but are the folks having this problem using the NON-cellular Apple Watch, the cellular enabled Apple Watch, or are both types of Watches exhibiting the problem with the original SE? I ask because I am still trying to resolve the fact that my wife, my daughter, and I do not have this problem, and we are using 2 iPhone 6s' and one 6s+, which have the same internal hardware as the original SE. All of our Apple Watches are CELLULAR ENABLED. (Caps for emphasis, I'm not yelling at anyone. 😬)

I think they have to ! After 10 months is the minimum! An official software update has made our devices almost unusable. I can’t believe a brand like apple ignore this. They don’t provide any official statement about this serious bug, zero solutions. In those 10 months I was totally collaborative, I’ve spent hours with apple support providing infos, diagnostic files, videos. Hours! And I’m not payed to be beta tester. After 10 months I feel cheated, I can’t say nothing different now.

I can confirm every single word ”JustSomeOldGuy” wrote. Even the last update didn't solved It. I was eager to try it (13.5 + watchOS 6..2.5) I’ve just installed it and I try the BT connections: the bug is still present, call drops. Can’t use Siri to answer to messages. If I invoke Siri on my Apple Watch, AirPods disconnect.

I CAN’T ACCEPT THIS, AFTER 10 months. I call this “cheating”. What we can do now? We HAVE TO do something in order to receive respect. I’m not prone to let A brand to trample my right. Funny! A company that boasts to have attention for disability (I’m visually impaired) ignore a huge issue like this. So they more than halved main accessibility function of my devices and the answer is “it’s your problem”. What a shame, Apple.