Unable to upgrade to watchOS 5.3.8

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Level 1

12 points

Unable to upgrade to watchOS 5.3.8

Am I the only one iOS 13.6 iPhone user unable to upgrade watchOS 5.3.8 over an Apple Watch running watchOS 5?

I have tried to pair my iPhone 7 (iOS 13.6) with a refurbished Apple Watch 4, supposedly running watchOS 5.

The Watch app on iPhone soon recognizes that an update is needed as a prerequisite to continue the pairing process. Some time after a tap on the “Update Now” button, the unpair process starts, a dialog is shown for a fraction of a second and, after some “checking for Update” spinning, finally the option to upgrade watchOS to 5.3.8 is proposed.

The problem is that, after a click on “Download and install”, the upgrade procedure never ends.

I have tried no less than 8 times, a couple of them leaving the iPhone running all night long with screen lock disabled.

It seems *impossible*: the download and install process never completes.

BTW I am aware of the 2.4Ghz Wi-Fi capability of the watch and it has been properly switched for my SSID on my household router.

So I contacted the Apple Support by phone: they redirected me to a local Apple Service Provider whose technician dismissed me quickly, and without any actual try on the watch, said: “it must be an hardware issue”.

I am not sure if he is right about the hardware issue since I have no evidence of any hardware problem in the watch neither the technician adduced such hypothesis based on facts.

So I’m actually wondering whether the problem is:

(1) Hardware related: the Watch has been sold to me with some defect that does not allow a regular update.

(2) Software related: for instance iOS 13 is unable to upgrade old watchOS versions with 5.x or similar issues.

Any clues or ideas?

Thank you for your time.

iPhone 7, iOS 13

Posted on Aug 2, 2020 1:27 AM

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Answer 1

Best reply

Community User

Aug 2, 2020 2:03 AM in response to altamic

This is a known problem ios13 doesn't seem to like older watches with

watchos5 or below,here are some proven solutions from other forum

members.

Quote;

Apple watch 2;

I found a friend, who was on iOS 12 and used his iPhone to pair. Before

pairing it asked to upgrade the watch OS (iOS 13 didn't offer this option).

After I upgraded the watchos I unpaired the watch from the ios12 phone and

then was able to pair it with any iPhone running iOS 13.

Quote;

1st gen apple watch;

pairing was successful on the following device (with associated OS)

to pair via bluetooth I used an iphone 7 with iOS 12, after pairing

immediately accepted the watchOS update to version 4.3.2 after everything

was successfully equipped with the last update, unpaired the iPhone and the

Apple Watch a reset (factory settings) all this took some time but afterwards

pairing on an iPhone XR with iOS13 g was a piece of cake.

Quote;

May 9, 2020 4:58 AM in response to Hashimsabbah

Just did this with a series1. I had to pair with the original phone and update

the firmware for me to pair correctly. All I did was ask to pair and the update

happened on an iPhone 6.

Quote;

nickfit888

Jul 5, 2020 5:23 AM in response to fieryjack

So the “pairing with an old iPhone on iOS 12” trick actually worked for me. I

got a brand new series 3 Apple Watch via a warranty replacement from

Apple. I could not pair the watch to my iPhone X due to the 5.3.7 update

issue. Originally it allowed me to update to 5.3.7 but it was stuck after that.

Based on the advice from “fieryjack” I took an old iPhone 6 (iOS 12.4.7) and

was able to pair my Apple Watch. Once it was paired (watch was fully set

up and synced to the iPhone 6) I tried to update the Watch OS but it said I

needed up update the iOS in order to do so. I unpaired the watch from the

iPhone 6 and paired it with my iPhone X (running iOS 13.5.1). Not sure if

this additional step helped but I chose the manual pair option and this time

the watch gave the option to update to 6.2.6! Once it started updating i

turned off the Bluetooth on my iPhone so that it would update faster using

the wifi network (assuming you are connected to a fast wifi network). I

think it took between 2-3 hours to download the update and after that i was

able to restore my watch using a previous back up.

Thanks again fieryjack for the tip!

Find a phone with ios12 on it if you can and pair your watch to it,it will ask

you to update the watch select yes,after it has updated unpair the watch

from the ios12 phone and then pair it with your ios13 phone.Now you can update.

Alternatively contact apple store and see if they will update the watch

through the watch's data/diagnostic port.

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Answer 2

altamic Author

Level 1

12 points

Aug 2, 2020 5:12 AM in response to Community User

Hello fieryjack, I am grateful for your quick response.

If you are right (and by looking at posts you mentioned it seems so) the known issue with iOS 13 opens an interesting scenario. Indeed I think that such problem should be acknowledged by Apple Support ASAP, if it is not already.

I mean a known issue of a such magnitude in the last mainstream iOS version should be addressed by Apple Support so to be able to give clear instructions to their technicians about how to diagnose and solve it.

In other words whenever a customer is coming for a failure during an upgrade of watchOS 5, an informed and zealous Apple technician should at least raise an eyebrow instead of the mechanical refrain: “it’s an hardware issue” and consequent dismissal.

Anyway at the moment I can’t confirm or deny if what you say is a solution for my case, so I am looking for a friend with an old iOS 12 iPhone to borrow and assess if it solves my problem.

Will let you know as soon as I find an iOS 12 device.

Thank you again.

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Answer 3

Aug 20, 2020 10:21 AM in response to altamic

I tried EVERYTHING I found online and nothing worked, then (after a call to Apple) they said to reset Network Settings on my iPhone and then reconnect the WiFi. IT WORKED!!! It then let me download the 6.x.x watch IOS.

I hope this helps with someone else!

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Answer 4

altamic Author

Level 1

12 points

Aug 25, 2020 3:01 PM in response to Community User

Hello fieryjack,

sorry for the late update but I’ve not been able to have a try with an iOS 12.x device until today. It was an iPhone 5S running iOS 12.4.8.

On that iPhone viewfinder pairing starts normally, but does not recognize that the Watch should be updated; the process goes on until the unpairing procedure ends, returning to the initial screen with nothing done nor any error. Manual pairing also does not recognize any update, but apparently remains waiting for verifying Apple software forever. I am not sure that the problem is related to the iPhone 5S itself, since I’ve read that such model is not compatible with any Apple Watch 4 GPS + cellular, what my model actually is. But ...if so why the Watch iOS App does not emit any warning for that?

I am quite confused, should I grab an iPhone 6/6 Plus and try again?

Or possibly the watch is defective for real? But I still have not any evidence of that. I have only observed misbehaviors originated in the Watch iOS App.

Incidentally, I have also followed kansasguy’s suggestion of a Network Settings reset on my iOS 13 device, unfortunately having no effect for my case.

I don't know which way to turn.

Thank you for your time.

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Answer 5

altamic Author

Level 1

12 points

Aug 27, 2020 10:54 PM in response to arrozito

Hello arrozito,

I realize that you are experiencing a problem but in your case I would say that you are not asked to update watchOS 5.3.8 since it seems that is already installed in your Watch. But please, correct me if I am wrong.

In this thread we are dealing with problems (and related workarounds) originated after pairing with an iPhone running iOS 13.6.x, when Watch iOS App proposes a watchOS 5.3.8 update that is impossible to complete.

Please stick to the main subject of the discussion.

Thank you for your understanding.

Have a nice day.

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Answer 6

KEI_LE

Level 1

4 points

Nov 13, 2020 12:29 AM in response to Drakejone

I hope this will help you guys about the issue. I did a network reset first in my iPhone 11 Pro Max and never connect back to my wifi. I did the whole setup again but this time using my Carrier Data (Verizon Wireless). It let me download watchOS 6.2.9 and able to update my Apple Watch. Hope this method work for you guys.

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Answer 7

arrozito

Level 1

4 points

Aug 27, 2020 9:09 PM in response to kansasguy

I tried everything and did the network reset and still didn’t work :( so sad iPhone 11, with iwatch stuck saying it’s up to date but not moving past that screen

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Answer 8

Sep 2, 2020 2:08 PM in response to altamic

I had a VPN profile installed. Once i deleted it from ios settings page, the watch is finally updating to watch ios 6!!!

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Answer 9

Oct 12, 2020 1:24 PM in response to altamic

The is the main subject, I’m having the exact same issue where my watch doesn’t want to update past 5.3.8 causing it not to pair

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Unable to upgrade to watchOS 5.3.8

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