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User profile for user: studebs502
studebs502 Author
User level: Level 1
9 points

Unable to Download watchOS 6.1.1

Hey everyone,


Just reaching out to see if anyone else has any suggestions for resolution. I have already reached out to Apple Support and was told the engineering team is looking into the issue but got no actual resolution today. They were very helpful and I am in no way unappreciative of their work, but I'd like to update my watch so I figured I'd give this a shot.


As the title suggests, I am completely unable to download watchOS 6.1.1.

Here is the scoop so far:


iPhone: iPhone 11 Pro Max 512gb running iOS 13.3

Apple Watch: Series 5 currently running 6.1

Carrier for both devices: Verizon


I got the watch just today. Paired it with my phone with no issues. The only thing I am constantly running into is that any attempt to download watchOS 6.1.1 gives me an error message that says "Software Update Failed- An error occurred downloading the latest version of watchOS on your Apple Watch."


I have attempted to turn both my phone and the watch off and restart them. I have disabled and enabled Wi-Fi and Bluetooth on both devices. I have unpaired and repaired the watch to my phone numerous times with the same result. I have even attempted to pair to my wife's phone (believing maybe it had to do with management profiles from my employer, although I have had no issues in the past with my old watch) with no success in downloading the update. I've gone into the Watch App, gone under general to usage and deleted the software update file in there.


Any suggestions would be great!

Apple Watch Series 5, watchOS 6

Posted on Jan 24, 2020 2:41 PM

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User profile for user: ChrisJ4203
ChrisJ4203
User level: Level 10
231,038 points

Posted on Jan 24, 2020 2:45 PM

There have been a number of service and server issues yesterday and today. I'm guessing this may have something to do with it. While according to the service website everything is okay, Apple - Support - System Status it may still be related.

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User profile for user: drogozh
drogozh
User level: Level 1
4 points

Jan 29, 2020 8:36 PM in response to studebs502

Hi there,

I had exactly the same issue with a new watch I bought a few days ago, and what worked for me is described below. I can't explain why this worked but it did. Important to note I didn't care to loose all the data on the watch. My hardware is: iPhone Xs and watch 5


  1. Wiped the watch clean. On the watch, Settings App -> Reset -> Erase All Content and Settings
  2. Removed Watch app from iPhone
  3. Now after resetting/wiping the watch it's showing that initial animation; phone and watch pushing together, that's what you do just put the watch next to the phone, at which point a white window slides from the bottom of the phone's screen. Follow the prompts.
  4. When going through the prompts say 'no' to all conveniences, backup restores, app installs etc.., just pick the bare minimum options.
  5. Install the watch app back on the phone and also pair with all the minimum options, don't install all the apps either
  6. After the watch is ready, go straight for the update, make sure the watch is on the charger before downloading
  7. If download had started then the process is likely to complete successfully, mine took about 3-5 min to download and then install took longer. If I remember correctly after installing the update I had to repeat all the pairing steps again, watch seems to reset after the update.


Hope this helps, cheers.



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User profile for user: GhostConfused
GhostConfused
User level: Level 1
4 points

Jan 27, 2020 4:31 AM in response to studebs502

I’m in the same boat as you, with my S3 stuck on OS 5.3.4. All the OS 6.* updates aren’t being signed right now besides the bata for 6.1.2. Apple typically stops signing firmware when there is a new version already or vulnerability is found. My guess is 6.1.2 will be released in a day or so and we will be able to update.


Here is a link to view what OS Apple is still signing.

https://ipsw.me/otas/Watch3,4

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User profile for user: studebs502
studebs502 Author
User level: Level 1
9 points

Jan 27, 2020 4:48 AM in response to GhostConfused

Thanks, this is super helpful to know for the future! I’ve tried several times again over the last few days after I knew the server issues were resolved and still haven’t had any success. I’ve heard that 6.1.2 is on the horizon so it wouldn’t surprise me if that’s the case of why we cannot download. I truly only care about the security updates associated with any update. The performance of my watch is perfect, I just like to always makes sure I’m up to date from a security perspective.

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Unable to Download watchOS 6.1.1

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