Apple Watch Series 3 won’t update to WatchOS 7

So I solved the problem and I updated it successfully. Try restarting both your devices Apple Watch 3 and your iPhone then start again the download from your iPhone and when it starts open your WiFi on your watch and close your Bluetooth on your iPhone from the settings so it can download faster (both devices must be connected to the same WiFi) then wait until it installs it ( remember iPhone and watch must be near )

I turned both my phone’s Bluetooth and my Apple watch’s Bluetooth off and back on. The iPhone watch app went from preparing to verifying. And the watch restarted and started installing the update right away.

So ****** guys!

Worst experience updating ever

Apple really needs to fix the updating mechanism!

A few weeks away from a marathon and I have to reset and erase my watch with years of data on it! What a **** watch

Im honestly considering just going to buy a garmin right now

Please help

Stuck on preparing

ie I failed at the update process and pairing my watch many times

It eventually managed to pair finally and download the watch os

I turned off bluetooth for the downloading phase

Now I have a question:

AFTER DOWNLOADING - it SWITCHES TO PREPARING—

In this phase SHOULD MY BLUETOOTH BE ON OR OFF?

Trying again now

In this preparing phase is it wise to turn on n off apple watch and phone?

Apple watch is in the mandala screen

already wiped and reset watch 100 times since lastnight

Very frustrating since Im doing marathon training blocks

What a dumb watch

please help

restart or leave and wait? Been stuck for an hour

Also when preparing after download should i switch bluetooth back on then?

thanks alot

btw using iphone se and watch 3

Yeah guys

Really terrible by Apple

S3 GUYS WARNING: No need to update - there are no new faces (just sleep mode)

• What are truly the differences in software if S3 - S5 all run Wos7 - why cant S3 have any faces but 1 - I feel like this is a huge up yours and middle finger with people who have the S3 watch LOL its just so blatant - why give us just 1 new face thats so lame.
• So that exactly is my question - what really is the difference between S3 and newer watches besides ECG ( which is only really useful for heart disease patients) and an always on screen and it might be a bit faster but really the biggest selling point between watch series are the access to FACES which are so LAME not even any NEW GROUND BREAKING FEATURES
• I got the S3 just 2 years ago! if a watch is outdated in just 2 years then what really is the point? 2 years is way too short for a watch - after 2 years no new updates - if you got a six now in 2-3 years when the 9 is out your watch would suck
• I was shocked to read above that some people despite all the issues would still consider getting another apple watch SE
• I am definitely going out and getting a Garmin watch - and will get another Apple watch when they figure out battery life and gps mapping and directions - features wise the Garmins out weigh the Apple watches heavily

Actually the main reason I got the apple watch besides for the music and bluetooth capability was because I had faith in Apple that they would keep rolling out cool updates and thus you wouldnt really need to keep buying a new watch - but you could keep updating your apple watch and keep the same watch for a long time while enjoying new features

Its pretty disappointing that this isnt the case - it was the only reason I opted for Apple over Garmin was because of the anticipation of the watch actually growing better and getting better with time

But it seems Apple wants you to get a new watch every 2 years or update your OS with relatively no new features besides sleep mode and sleep tracking - which everyone was already doing through 3rd party apps like SleepWell which are WAY better than the current stock sleep tracking on the apple watch.

Anyway - long story short after spending 2 days trying to get my watch to work again - there was a fix :

I paired my watch and unpaired my watch on my wifes iphone as it seemed mine was problematic

It was then able to finally pair (mine was unable to pair at all)

-- I can add : my watch app hung a few times - I just closed the app and reopened it again

it went from downloading -- > I would close the app and re open --> and it would be verifying

it went from verifying --> I would close the app and re open --> and it would be installing

Also. - I think its really dumb feature to have NO OPTIONS BUT TO RESET AND ERASE YOUR WATCH when the installation isnt working or its hanging

Why isnt there a back button? FU))) haha I had to reset and erase and repair my watch 20 times! Such a dumb process

Why cant it be simpler or able to PAUSE??

-- AND after all the trouble - my VO2max readings are now off and its not reading anymore

I checked the Sources and Apple watch IS there as a source - went for 2 runs and no readings ...

Soooo....I guesss..>> ERASE AND UNPAIR AND DOWNLOAD AND INSTALL WATCH AGAIN!

Boo Apple

Lost faith

Sorry

My S3 watch won’t update because it doesn’t have enough space available. Even though the only thing I know I have on it is 1 photo (the watch app on my phone says it has 10) and had to turn off the default setting of loading music onto it. Very smart setting for a 5gb device, especially when I need to have my iPhone with me anyway to use it so why would I need ANY music on my watch to begin with. Plus, since they make it impossible to NOT load emails on it I made a dummy folder named 0 that has no email in it so I can minimize the space that’s taking up.

Mine was stuck around 10% of the way through preparing for about 1 hour. Then suddenly the watch rebooted to the Apple logo and the phone now shows it is installing.. Seems like maybe they have a bug in the processing display bar.

ps - I'm running an iPhone X and a Apple Watch 3 (the watch was running the latest version of WatchOS 6 prior to doing this upgrade).

Thank you, the Bluetooth trick worked on my SO’s watch. I’m guessing that WatchOS 7 might be the last update for a while with the lower end Series 3 watch. Had to unpair/reset, and do this Bluetooth trick to get it updated.

Hopefully by now something has happened. I did the bluetooth thing and it did eventually switch to installing with a timeline to watch. Also there was that progression ring on my watch with the lights lighting as it progressed. Terrible process. Apple's way of saying "why don't you get a new watch and throw out the old $300 one. New ones are only $400 - $600"!!

OMG that’s horrible!!! To erase your watch with all that data??!!! That’s awful! :(

For my issue updating, I had made no changes when I started the update. My Apple Watch app indicated that the install was “preparing” and was stuck in that mode for however long it was before I tried to find a solution. (A half hour maybe.) I had tried turning my watch off but was unable to. So I turned the Bluetooth on my phone off and turned the Bluetooth on my watch off then went and turned the Bluetooth on my phone on and then the watch on. The time the Bluetooth was turned off was only seconds. It seemed like the moment both devices had Bluetooth back on, the preparing message changed to verifying and the installation progressed normally. When I messaged my husband about the issue I had, he replied that he had trouble too and will try my solution when he got home. It didn’t work for him! I just now asked how he managed to finally get it to work and he said “I just had to restart both devices a few times. Eventually it worked.” It’s very frustrating that not only does this issue exist, it also doesn’t seem to have a one-solution fits all. :(

We both have the iPhone 11 and series 3 watches.

Yes, it does disconnect it. I turned the Bluetooth of both devices off and then back on. They were turned off for only a few seconds. I think perhaps the short break in communication helped restart the process? I don’t know though. I just was trying ‘anything’, and this worked for me. It didn’t work for my husband however. His solution was to restart each device a few times and eventually it worked. Very frustrating process!

That’s exactly it. I too have an 11 Pro Max and series 3. I hadn’t worn watches for a good while when the original Watch came out and i thought I would try it. I discovered it was really useful and I decided not to upgrade until they came out with a cellular one. I’ve found I don’t really use the cellular so next one I won’t buy it—and thought I might buy a 6 since I knew mine was a little long in the tooth—but when I watched the event and checked, found I didn’t want or need any of the new things so decided to keep the 3 at least for awhile. I use activity, workout for Pilates, notifications, etc. Its become something I depend on daily. But I had just horrendous issues with the download to begin with—it said it downloaded but went into a cycle of verify and wanting me to download again. I rebooted which cancelled it before installation and decided to just live with 6.2.8 until I buy a new watch. I really don’t want to reset to default and have to reset, etc. I just finally got my husband’s series 4 to install (at least it is right now) and that was due to a tip here for turning off and on BT on both devices. Up until that time his was in verify stall. The recourse to get out was to reset watch and he uses it much less than I do so didn’t want to go through all that if there was an easier solution—or just leave it as is. I’m hoping though that it is installed when I go to check on it LOL. So—for me I’ll perhaps buy an SE later this year or just continue to live with my 3 cellular as long as it functions well.

Clearly they want you to buy the new watch and soon a new phone and then a new computer. I was thinking about buying the watch 6 but after the experience updating to watchos 7 I will try the Fitbit instead

I have the series 3, have had it since I upgraded from the Original (because the 3 had the ability for cellular which I thought I would use a lot). When the series 3 was updated to 4, the ability to get new faces stopped—I assume because of the watch face which changed size, bezel size, etc. A number of those watch faces just won’t work on the 3. I accepted that then and have through the update to 5 and now 6 series. The software never made any difference. However, other than watch faces, I got 99% of the updates with the software. It appears that there is not sufficient room on the 3 to download and install Watch OS 7 but not sure of that. I had decided to just stick with 6.2.8 until I bought a new watch—it works, I have no problems with the watch—but in the end I decided to upgrade to the SE rather than the 6 and do it now (due end of October with the plum band)–mostly because I really do want the larger face, a bit thinner, but faster and more storage room. I had a cellular and used it seldom so did not opt to buy cellular this time—I mostly streamed music or TuneIn and I can download music with plenty of room now. If I want to listen to TuneIn or any radio, just will carry my phone—I decided on my own compromise.

Same. Had to unpair as my watch 3 didn’t have enough space even though I’d removed everything.

I had to toggle Bluetooth off and on (both devices) a couple of times and the both times progress started updating again (it stuck again after I reconnected the first time)

😂 I did! It worked. At first I was thinking it was stalled again and kept messing with the Bluetooth and even turned my watch off. Then I decided to just let it sit while I did other things. When I came back it was still on preparing but I was able to see the progress bar slowly crawling up. So I finished my whole morning routine and when I checked again it was done!