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WatchOS7 update problems

My series 3 completed an auto update overnight to Watch OS7. Today it has shut itself down at least 3 times, locked itself while on my wrist about 4 times, failed to load complications on multiple faces (weather, activity rings, date etc), disconnected from my phone at least twice. It has also dropped to less than 50% battery in about 8 hours, normally it is still in the 80’s. Is anyone else having these issues? This has been the buggiest upgrade I have seen.


[Re-Titled by Moderator]

Apple Watch

Posted on Sep 18, 2020 10:42 PM

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Posted on Oct 2, 2020 7:23 PM

Hi everyone, I just dropped off my MacBook Pro for warranty service and asked the "Genius" who was helping me about the

Watch OS7 7.01 Software Problem.... He actually acknowledged the issue and said they were working on a fix for the next Software update release....

695 replies

Oct 11, 2020 11:09 AM in response to porter5555

I am comforted to see that I’m not alone in this. I even called Apple support and the 2nd tier support person automatically suggested that it’s a hardware issue, that she has a similar model and that she didn’t run into a similar problem and it’s probably me dropping the watch. And since I’m out of warranty, then the repair is going to be on me.


Extremely disappointed with this approach. If an Apple moderator is listening, maybe you can review your team training procedures so that you don’t put it on the customer’s back first prior to even understanding what the problem is.



Oct 11, 2020 11:29 AM in response to series3on7

It’s not looking like apples officially addressed it. As all of you know the watch randomly does it where it decides to reboot. Even after all the diagnostics sent and countless hours with several different senior advisors. My final advisor waived the repair flat rate fee but when it was sent out and arrived to Apple they couldn’t replicate the issue and just sent it back. Being furious, I emailed my previous senior advisor and explained the best I could that this is a whole lot of trouble on my part to just call and spend hours at a time, send it out and to hear it’s just being sent back the way it was. I kept reiterating that I just want to go back to watchOS6 I’m not looking for anything more. I went on and on about how I’m not the only one and she finally got ahold of a supervisor who approved a replacement process would happen when my old one arrives. I just want my watch to work. This is just so messed up.

Oct 11, 2020 1:14 PM in response to Tjay64

This is really getting old. My Apple Watch 3 is rebooting or locking multiple times whenever I'm away from WiFi. So when I'm out driving or shopping, the watch is useless to me, during those times I rely on it. It makes using Apple Pay unreliable, map directions unreliable, keeping up with text messages, even seeing the time, all totally unreliable while I'm away from my house. The reboots take upwards of 10 minutes to finish. The constant lock outs are so frustrating.


Very disappointing that Apple released such an unstable update for the Watch 3. Why haven't they made any announcements or at least acknowledging the issue? My watch is almost worthless now, those times I have learned to depend on it.

Oct 11, 2020 1:44 PM in response to deskisamess

I have made an observation that may or may not help in this discussion. I have an Apple Watch 3 coupled with an iPhone 7+ with the ios updates 7.01 and 14.01 respectively. What I have noticed is when I am at my home under my WiFi network my Apple Watch 3 does not restart or ask for the pass code. I am in one general location under my WiFi network. I have no problems with my watch, everything seems normal. Now that being said, when I am not under my WiFi network that is when the Apple Watch 3 restarts and periodically want the pass code entered. I do play a lot of Golf so I am on a golf course frequently. My watch constantly restarts and I need to re-enter the pass code often. I do have an LTE capable watch. My observation is basically when under WiFi at home everything works as it should, but when I am out and about (Golfing or moving around the city) the watch goes wacky. Has anyone one else observed this same situation.

Oct 11, 2020 1:54 PM in response to samtee

Yes, exactly. If I'm at home, or a location where my 7+ has good access to WiFi, my watch is fine. I went to church this morning where my phone automatically jumps on the WiFi there, and the watch functioned fine.


It's when I'm away from WiFi that the watch reboots and screen lock constantly happen. I had a store pickup to make this afternoon, and my watch rebooted twice during the 35 minutes I was driving. It was unusable to me during 90% of my drive.


Even if it doesn't reboot, the screen locks repeatedly. I had to use the passcode at least 6 times the other day when I was away from home. It even required me to sign back in to my Apple ID on my phone once I got home.


The watch is useless to me because of this.

Oct 11, 2020 2:52 PM in response to Tjay64

I am highly disappointed in Apple right now with the WatchOS7 update. They should have tested this OS with older series watches thoroughly before releasing this OS update. Or they should have earned older series owners that their watch could not support this update. I find it very hard to believe they didn’t know about all these bugs. If Apple didn’t know about these bugs then their Software Quality Analysts are missing the Mark. My watch randomly reboots multiple times per day. I’m loved my Apple Watch before this release and now highly disappointed. Shame on you Apple and you also knew we cannot revert back to the old OS.

Oct 11, 2020 5:51 PM in response to Alsan2020

I am sure it is a Wi-Fi problem. No wonder Apple don't find any problems when people send their Watch 3's back to get checked, because the Apple people probably (do) have Wi-Fi and they can't replicate the problem, the watch works fine. Mine only reboots when not connected to Wi-Fi, then it will ask if I want to connect to my wife's iPhone? which never came up before this upgrade. Why it wants to connect to that I don't know. Why doesn't it ask to connect to my iPhone?

Oct 11, 2020 6:44 PM in response to Revelation77

I completely agree! I'm a senior software engineer that has worked on many software upgrade projects for a number of large organisations over the years, and I'm completely astonished how these software OS updates are obviously not thoroughly tested on all of the supported devices before they are released. Moreover I'm even more astonished that there is an obvious disconnect in communication between the retail technical support teams and the software engineering department at Apple headquarters. There was recently an issue with the 5700XT graphics on the iMac 2020 that was causing a graphical glitch on the screen - and everyone took to the forums to complain about Apple seemingly not doing anything about it. Many customers even called Apple Sales to cancel their order until the issue was resolved, and no one in the Apple Sales team even knew about the issue. Ironically, it was resolved in a software update, but no one even knew Apple was working on the solution. It goes without saying that when these issues arise Apple has a fundamental obligation to acknowledge it and confirm they are working on a fix. We as Apple customers pay a premium price not only for premium products, but also for premium service. It's difficult to suggest we are receiving this premium service when Apple intentionally chooses to stay silent while everyone is left to battle through these issues.

Oct 11, 2020 6:54 PM in response to thiskiwicanfly

To: thiskiwicanfly


Absolutely! You have stated the issues well. This is not just a problem with a faulty software upgrade. It is a total failure of Apple internal and external communication. Several posters to this and other fora have indicated that "Apple is aware" of this problem. During my third support call to Apple the "Senior Advisor" told me this. But to my knowledge there has been no official acknowledgement from Apple. No apology. No expression of empathy for the ones who are suffering from their error. No mea culpa. No reassurance that they are working on a fix. Nothing. Ninety percent of the complaints and bad public relations over this matter could have been avoided just by Apple communicating with us in an official public way.




Oct 11, 2020 6:54 PM in response to Tjay64

I was about to chuck my watch against the wall because of this HORRIBLE HORRIBLE upgrade until I saw this discussion. Steve J has got to be rolling over in his grave. My watch bricks all the time, reboots, freezes, loses connection to my iPhone, won’t properly pay with Apple Pay... just freaking awful. Whatever happened with quality control, Apple? This is not an isolated incident, but

affects a ton of us. Shameful what’s become of my Apple.

Oct 12, 2020 4:53 AM in response to Tjay64

Since the WatchOS7 release in mid-September, I've experienced the crash to Apple Screen. No remedy listed here or elsewhere has provided any increased stability past 12 hours. On Saturday, 10/10/2020, I entered both my phone (xR) and my watch (Series 3 Nike 42mm GPS) into the Apple Software Beta program.


Phone is now running 14.2 Beta

Watch is now running 7.1 Beta


Stability has not improved.


Took it off the charger on Saturday after Beta install was complete. As soon as it was off the charger, it went to the Apple screen. A hard reset got the watch face back. Sunday saw two or three Apple screen resets. Today, as soon as I got out of the car to walk into my office, I got the Apple screen.


While Beta doesn't improve things, and it doesn't look like there's a fix baked in to the 7.1 release currently in Beta, at least the Beta Feedback app lets me submit a report every time it happens.

Oct 12, 2020 3:38 PM in response to Lestat99

Updated to 7.0.2 Storage capacity is back to 8.7gb of 11.5 free. Battery is draining at blistering pace or the meter is way off. Went from fully charged to 89% in 5 minutes. Watch keeps asking for iTunes password every 5 minutes. Its NEVER asked for the password in the 3 years I’ve had it. We’ll see about crashes. So, yeah. Good not good? I’m guessing not any better.

WatchOS7 update problems

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